Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges

The Vancouver Police Department greatly appreciates the stories and courage of the survivors and families of victims who have helped to shape the final report from the national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
 
Police in BC have made progress over the past decade in building relationships with Indigenous communities, but there is a lot more work to do. The VPD recognizes that there are systemic issues within the city, province and country that have resulted in disproportionate police interaction with Indigenous People, and led to increased vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls. Police have a role to play in ending the violence, death and unexplained disappearances of Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.  
 
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police provided input into the inquiry as a party with standing and represented police agencies in Canada. The VPD created a report outlining the VPD’s interactions with Vancouver’s Indigenous communities. At the crux of VPD’s initiatives has been a desire to formulate meaningful relationships that can help the VPD learn and grow and to inform and guide the VPD’s public safety policies and initiatives.  
 
We are reviewing the final report and recommendations and will work on a response, in consultation with Vancouver’s Indigenous communities and our public safety partners, to help end violence against Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.