Vancouver police have committed to implementing all recommendations directed at the force by a coroner’s inquest into the suicide of one of their constables four years ago.
Const. Nicole Chan took her own life on Jan. 27, 2019, amid an investigation into complaints she had made about sexual harassment and inappropriate relationships with two senior officers.
An inquest into her death in January heard testimony from 30 witnesses who detailed how how the night before her death Chan had become frantic about the investigation into her own death and threatened suicide. She was taken to hospital but released in under two hours, after the admitting doctor determined he couldn’t hold her against her own will.
The inquest also heard how Chan felt blackmailed into a sexual relationship by former Sgt. Dave Van Patten, a human resources officer and her superior, and was upset that she had been placed on stress leave and felt ostracized in the department while he was allowed to keep his job.
Witnesses described how Chan faced deepening mental health issues after filing her complaints, and worried a “rumour mill” in the department would destroy her career.
The inquest jury returned 12 recommendations, eight of them directed at Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Chief Constable Adam Palmer and the force.
The department’s response to the recommendations is detailed in a report headed to the Vancouver Police Board at its upcoming Thursday meeting.
“The VPD supports these recommendations and is committed to implementing them,” the report states.
The first recommendation aimed at the VPD calls for mandatory psychological clinical interviews to be a part of all officers’ recruitment.
The report states the department currently uses a screening test known as a Personality Assessment Inventory, which is supplemented by psychological interviews on a case-by-case basis “as potential issues are identified.”
The VPD has been assessing other tests and practices and recruiter training, and after consulting subject matter experts it has settled on implementing a new two-test approach “with a structured follow-up psychological interview for police recruit candidates.”
The two tests are known as the 16 Personality Factors Inventory Public Safety Report Plus and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Police Candidate Interpretative Report.
The inquest’s second recommendation to police calls for mandatory, rigorous, in-person, respectful workplace training on a regular basis for officers of all ranks in the department.
The report says the VPD follows the province’s guidelines for respectful workplace training in policing, including mandatory training, refreshers and updates, for officers at all levels, including e-learning, in-person and web-based materials.
A respectful workplace e-learning program, which includes training on rumours and gossip as unprofessional behaviour, will be delivered to patrol teams next fall and can be later expanded to the entire force, the report states. In-person training will be delivered to incoming recruits, experienced officers and as a part of the VPD’s acting supervisor program, it adds.
It adds that the department’s human resources section has hired external subject experts to deliver in-person training to senior leadership.
The inquest’s third recommendation to the VPD calls for training specific to promotions to include formal, administrative and management training.
The report outlines a series of mandatory training programs and modules for officers starting at the acting sergeant level through promotion to full sergeant.
It acknowledges that “subsequent leadership professional development within the organization is less formally structured,” and centres around leadership conferences, increment courses and academic courses outside the department.
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“Additional training for VPD managers delivered by external subject matter experts would benefit the VPD. Personnel Services is currently exploring the development of additional training modules for officers upon promotion to the Inspector rank,” it states.
The fourth inquest recommendation to the VPD calls for a human resource or peer support case representative to be in regular contact with all employees who have mental health issues.
The report points to the department’s existing Police Employee Relations and Advisory Services Unit (PERASU) and Employee Wellness Unit and Critical Incident Stress Management Team and Peer Support Team.
It says it has increased resources in the HR department since 2019 and doubled the size of the PERASU, but that it commits to reviewing staffing levels and “supplementing resources as required to further support the continuum of care.”
The inquest’s fifth recommendation for the VPD calls for all officers to have mandatory psychological check-ins with a psychologist.
The report says the VPD currently conducts annual psychological check-ins for about 540 sworn officers in high-stress positions, but points to budgetary concerns, estimating the cost of each check in at about $235.
The department says it commits to “seeking funding” for annual psychological check-ins for all sworn officers.
The coroner’s jury’s sixth recommendation to the VPD calls for its respectful workplace policy to be updated to include rumours and gossip as unprofessional behaviour.
“The existing Respectful Workplace Policy is currently undergoing a full review. The amended policy is expected to be implemented later this year and will include the inclusion of rumours and gossip as examples of unprofessional behavior,” the report states.
The new respectful workplace e-learning program outlined in response to the second recommendation due next fall will also address the issue, it notes, along with the consequences of such behaviours.
The seventh recommendation for the VPD called for the department’s human resources officers to get specific HR professional training training.
The report says the VPD’s HR officers currently get professional development opportunities through conferences and specialized courses, and that the unit includes civilians with a professional HR background who help develop educational materials for sworn officers.
“Additional training specific to the role of sworn officers within HR is currently being explored within Personnel Services. This will supplement existing training and will have associated costs,” the report states.
The final recommendation to the VPD called for the department to ensure each HR section to work interdependently, rather than independently of each other.
The report says the HR section is currently composed of four units which can work together, but cannot be fully integrated due to confidentiality requirements.
However it commits to reviewing the continuum of care, including case management protocols and alert thresholds to ensure interdependent support mechanisms for employees.
“The current interdependent mechanisms between the HR Section and the Training and Recruiting Section are under review,” it sates.
“Case management protocols that account for confidentiality could be further implemented to track activities within an HR enterprise content management system.”
The report estimates fully implementing the recommendations would cost between $433,000 and $543,000.
The biggest cost would be the mandatory annual psychological check-ins, estimated to cost between $280,000 and $340,000.
Over the course of the inquest, the jury heard that a New Westminster Police Department criminal investigation had recommended sexual assault charges against Van Patten, but that the BC Prosecution Service elected not to proceed with them.
A separate Police Act investigation ultimately found Van Patten and a second officer, Sgt. Greg McCullough, had committed misconduct. Van Patten was dismissed while McCullough was given a 15-day suspension and later retired.
Chan’s family has also filed a civil suit naming several officers, the province and the Vancouver Police Board.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 9-1-1 for immediate help.
For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at suicideprevention.ca.
Learn more about preventing suicide with these warning signs and tips on how to help.
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