The item below was researched and written by museum staff and board member and was originally published in the Vancouver Police Department’s 2008 Annual Report.
The tradition of going Beyond the Call has very early roots in the Vancouver Police Department.
As far back as 1917, no one believed in the principle more strongly than Chief Constable Malcolm MacLennan. Tragically, he gave his life in the line of duty as he went far beyond the call.
Chief MacLennan was a reformer who fought for his members and for what he believed was right. In 1917, he led a force of 250 officers protecting a population of 100,000 people.
His men worked seven days a week with no time off. He insisted and was granted two days off a month for each officer. He was also the first Vancouver Chief to hire a minority officer. Constable Raiichi Shirokawa, a Japanese Canadian, only lasted a few months in the job before pressure from the Japanese community who thought he was a spy forced him to resign. Chief MacLennan even lobbied politicians for medical treatment for drug addicts instead of treating them as criminals. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
Chief MacLennan was an innovative and highly principled leader who had every intention of making the VPD the best Department in the country. All that came to a tragic end on March 20, 1917. It was on that day he led his men as they stormed an apartment where a barricaded man had already shot a number of policemen and civilians, including an eight year old boy who died from his wounds. To prevent further loss of life, the Chief decided to send a squad into the apartment.
He didn’t believe in sending a man in where he would not go himself, so he led the assault armed only with an axe to break down the door. In the hail of bullets that followed, the Chief fell.
His funeral was attended by his men and thousands of grateful citizens who mourned his passing.
To learn more about this remarkable officer, visit the VPD website at vpd.ca or the website of the Vancouver Police Museum. You can also visit the Police Museum in person to see the new multicultural display, “I Only See Blue” which opens in October.
Tags: Malcolm Maclennan · research · vpd Annual Report2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
Is ita photo of the Chief’s funeral on the memorial poster?
Yes, as a matter of fact is it. How did you know?