VPD Shoulder Flash

The shoulder flash at right is proudly worn by all uniformed Vancouver Police Department personnel.

Design

Forming the centrepiece of this Service Badge is the shield belonging to the City of Vancouver.

The azure and argent waves on this shield symbolize the magnificence of Vancouver's harbour.

Vancouver recognizes its West Coast First Nations people in the form of a Kwakiutl totem pole, which is laid upon a green backdrop representative of the wealth of the forest.

The upper part of the shield contains two dogwood flowers on a bed of gold.

The entire shield is framed by a wreath of golden Canadian maple leaves, and is pinned in place by British Columbia's provincial flower, the Dogwood.

The Queen's Royal Crown, authorized by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Governor General, graces the top of the badge. This Crown is symbolic of the key role played by the Vancouver Police Department in administering the Crown's justice.

Shoulder Flash History

The Vancouver Police Department was formed in 1886. It was not until 1957 that the first shoulder patch appeared on police shirts.

The flash shown above was granted in 2000 to complement a new uniform design.

The Vancouver Police Department was granted this distinctive version of the National Municipal Police Service Badge by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

The design adheres to specific heraldic tradition dating back to the 12th Century. It has only been in the last decade that Canadian Police Departments have been granted the authority to adopt their own Coat of Arms.

Vancouver now joins many other Canadian police organizations in the recognition and protection of their police badge.