Jamie Graham
Encyclopedia
Jamie Graham, O.O.M.
is currently the Chief for the Victoria Police Department
, since January 1, 2009. He previously served as the Chief Constable
of Vancouver
, British Columbia
from August 22, 2002 to August 13, 2007. A former Royal Canadian Mounted Police
officer, Graham was popular with his officers, but was occasionally criticised by community groups and media outlets. Graham chose not to renew his five year contract with the Vancouver Police Department
, ending his time as chief on August 22, 2007.
He is a supporter of numerous charities including the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Foundation, Cops for Cancer, Canadian Blood Services, Owl Society, Covenant House, Salvation Army to name a few. He is also a member of the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association’s Lay Inquiry Pool and writes a column for Blue Line Magazine.
. The son of a Canadian Army Colonel
, he lived in Halifax
, New Delhi
, and Quantico, Virginia
. He attended King’s College, a boarding school in Nova Scotia
.
He and his wife, lawyer Gail Graham, have been married 27 years and have no children.
, who went on to become Graham’s boss as Vancouver’s mayor. Graham was Chief Superintendent
of the Surrey
RCMP detachment from 2000 to 2002, and before that commanded the North Vancouver detachment from 1992 to 2000.
Graham was popular with his officers, and improved morale during his tenure. Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen
noted "He's a cop throughout, and that's what the members of the department like. They like a strong leader." Many officers describe him as the best chief in the history of the department.
In his role as chief constable, Graham was an active member of a number of policing and community organizations. He was a member of the by-law committee of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), and sat on the executive committee of the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
and the board of governance of the Combined Forces Special Investigation Unit. He took on a leadership role in the “Tier 1 Strategy” against outlaw motorcycle gangs. A former president of the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP), Graham chaired its Gaming and Mental Heath committees, and represented the BCACP on the board of the Integrated Illegal Gambling Enforcement Team. He was also a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade
. Other organizations he has worked with include the International Association of Chiefs of Police
(IACP), the North Vancouver Restorative Justice
Society, the Justice Institute of British Columbia
, and the Surrey Memorial Hospital
Foundation.
Graham established a Public Affairs and Marketing section in the department, the public relations
branch for the police force.
, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
, appointed Jamie Graham a member of the Order of St. John
on December 15, 2006. On January 6, 2010, Chief Constable Jamie Graham was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces
(O.O.M.). A ceremony in Ottawa followed on May 26, 2010.
In January 2003, three men were beaten by police officers in Stanley Park
. Graham recommended that six officers be charged in connection with the assault. He later fired two of them and imposed the maximum suspensions under the Police Act to the other four after they plead guilty to the charges.
Pivot Legal Society
published To Serve and Protect: A Report on Policing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in 2002, which documented approximately 60 affidavits from people regarding police misconduct. Pivot also filed a number of complaints against the VPD with the Police Complaint Commissioner (PCC), Dirk Ryneveld. After an internal investigation by the Vancouver Police and the RCMP, no criminal allegations were found or substantiated. Two officers received minimal discipline for what was determined to be minor policy violations. In 2005, Ryneveld issued a report stating, "What we do know is that RCMP ultimately reported the very regrettable circumstance of a lack of cooperation on the part of 'certain VPD members,' also incidents of non-responsiveness by the police chief himself." Mayor Sam Sullivan
dismissed the non-cooperation complaint in May 2007, stating partly that there was no practical way to discipline a retiring police chief. Ryneveld overruled him, demanding that a further investigation take place. Graham strongly denied obstructing the RCMP in any way, referring people to his published report on the matter. The new investigation was conducted by Jim Cessford of the Delta Police Department
. In his report, Cessford wrote that "Chief Graham did not fully exercise his authority in ensuring that his members cooperated[with the RCMP] as required." Although Graham did not actively obstruct the RCMP investigation, Cessford concluded that he did commit, "through his inaction, the Code of Conduct offence of Discreditable Conduct." The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner reviewed and accepted the report's finding of discreditable conduct, but did not see anything to warrant a public inquiry into the matter.
During the 2005 municipal elections, Graham had Sam Sullivan, then a candidate for mayor, investigated for his admission that he had given money to addicts to buy drugs and allowed one to smoke crack in his van. An editorial in the Georgia Straight attacked the investigation as a political move.
Graham and the Vancouver Police Department have expressed support for the principles behind Insite
, Vancouver's controversial safe injection site
, which has drawn criticism from conservative groups and the RCMP. Noting that "our organization's[the VPD] primary responsibilities are safety and public order," Graham has supported any project that falls within the laws of Canada.
In April 2006, RCMP investigators exonerated Graham from allegations of misappropriating funds related to a 2004 police conference. A employee had alleged that Graham and other police executives used complimentary hotels rooms during the convention.
In July 2006, Graham left a bullet-riddled shooting range target on the desk of city manager
Judy Rogers. On the target, Graham wrote: “A bad day at the range is better than the best day at work.” He later apologized to her for the incident.
Order of Merit of the Police Forces
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved only for members of Canada's various police forces...
is currently the Chief for the Victoria Police Department
Victoria Police Department
Victoria Police Department is the municipal police force for the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada. It is the oldest municipal police department in Canada west of the Great Lakes, the first Canadian law enforcement agency to deploy Tasers and creating the...
, since January 1, 2009. He previously served as the Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
from August 22, 2002 to August 13, 2007. A former Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
officer, Graham was popular with his officers, but was occasionally criticised by community groups and media outlets. Graham chose not to renew his five year contract with the Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver Police Department
The Vancouver Police Department is the police force for the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.VPD was the first Canadian police force...
, ending his time as chief on August 22, 2007.
He is a supporter of numerous charities including the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Foundation, Cops for Cancer, Canadian Blood Services, Owl Society, Covenant House, Salvation Army to name a few. He is also a member of the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association’s Lay Inquiry Pool and writes a column for Blue Line Magazine.
Personal life
Graham was born in Belleville, OntarioBelleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
. The son of a Canadian Army Colonel
Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...
, he lived in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, and Quantico, Virginia
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
. He attended King’s College, a boarding school in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
He and his wife, lawyer Gail Graham, have been married 27 years and have no children.
Policing career
Graham was a 34-year veteran of the RCMP when he was hired as Vancouver’s chief constable. He was chosen for the job over a field of competitors for that included Larry CampbellLarry Campbell
Larry W. Campbell was the 37th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently a member of the Canadian Senate. Starting in 1969 Campbell worked for the RCMP in Vancouver and then in 1973 as a member of the Drug Squad...
, who went on to become Graham’s boss as Vancouver’s mayor. Graham was Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
of the Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
RCMP detachment from 2000 to 2002, and before that commanded the North Vancouver detachment from 1992 to 2000.
Graham was popular with his officers, and improved morale during his tenure. Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen
Philip Owen
Philip Walter Owen was the mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia from 1993 to 2002, making him one of Vancouver's longest serving mayors. His father was Walter S. Owen, who was Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 1973 to 1978....
noted "He's a cop throughout, and that's what the members of the department like. They like a strong leader." Many officers describe him as the best chief in the history of the department.
In his role as chief constable, Graham was an active member of a number of policing and community organizations. He was a member of the by-law committee of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), and sat on the executive committee of the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
Criminal Intelligence Service Canada is an inter-agency organization in Canada designed to coordinate and share criminal intelligence amongst member police forces. The CISC has a central bureau in Ottawa and ten bureaus in each province offering services to over 380 law enforcement agencies in...
and the board of governance of the Combined Forces Special Investigation Unit. He took on a leadership role in the “Tier 1 Strategy” against outlaw motorcycle gangs. A former president of the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP), Graham chaired its Gaming and Mental Heath committees, and represented the BCACP on the board of the Integrated Illegal Gambling Enforcement Team. He was also a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade
Vancouver Board of Trade
The Vancouver Board of Trade is a non-profit organization which seeks to "promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre for trade, commerce and travel." It serves Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in a fashion similar to the Board of Trade or Chamber of...
. Other organizations he has worked with include the International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. The primary goal of this organization was to apprehend and return criminals who had fled the agency jurisdictions in which they were wanted...
(IACP), the North Vancouver Restorative Justice
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims, offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender...
Society, the Justice Institute of British Columbia
Justice Institute of British Columbia
The Justice Institute of British Columbia is a public, post-secondary educational institution in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, that is focused on training professionals in the justice, public safety and social services fields...
, and the Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey Memorial Hospital is a publicly funded hospital in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.-Overview:Surrey Memorial Hospital began operations in 1959, and is one of 12 hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Fraser Health Authority, which services more than 1.3 million people.Surrey...
Foundation.
Graham established a Public Affairs and Marketing section in the department, the public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
branch for the police force.
Awards
The Governor GeneralGovernor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
, appointed Jamie Graham a member of the Order of St. John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
on December 15, 2006. On January 6, 2010, Chief Constable Jamie Graham was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces
Order of Merit of the Police Forces
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved only for members of Canada's various police forces...
(O.O.M.). A ceremony in Ottawa followed on May 26, 2010.
Controversy and criticism
Graham and his department have been the subject of controversy during his term. The Georgia Straight newspaper has criticized Graham for being too entrenched in traditional police culture to effectively respond to problems of misconduct.In January 2003, three men were beaten by police officers in Stanley Park
Stanley Park
Stanley Park is a 404.9 hectare urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada....
. Graham recommended that six officers be charged in connection with the assault. He later fired two of them and imposed the maximum suspensions under the Police Act to the other four after they plead guilty to the charges.
Pivot Legal Society
Pivot Legal Society
Pivot Legal Society is a legal advocacy organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia's Downtown Eastside. Founded in 2000, Pivot's stated aim is to represent and defend the marginalized and disenfranchised.-Media coverage:...
published To Serve and Protect: A Report on Policing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in 2002, which documented approximately 60 affidavits from people regarding police misconduct. Pivot also filed a number of complaints against the VPD with the Police Complaint Commissioner (PCC), Dirk Ryneveld. After an internal investigation by the Vancouver Police and the RCMP, no criminal allegations were found or substantiated. Two officers received minimal discipline for what was determined to be minor policy violations. In 2005, Ryneveld issued a report stating, "What we do know is that RCMP ultimately reported the very regrettable circumstance of a lack of cooperation on the part of 'certain VPD members,' also incidents of non-responsiveness by the police chief himself." Mayor Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
dismissed the non-cooperation complaint in May 2007, stating partly that there was no practical way to discipline a retiring police chief. Ryneveld overruled him, demanding that a further investigation take place. Graham strongly denied obstructing the RCMP in any way, referring people to his published report on the matter. The new investigation was conducted by Jim Cessford of the Delta Police Department
Delta Police Department
The Delta Police Department is the police force for the district municipality of Delta, British Columbia, a suburban community in Metro Vancouver with a population of 102,661...
. In his report, Cessford wrote that "Chief Graham did not fully exercise his authority in ensuring that his members cooperated
During the 2005 municipal elections, Graham had Sam Sullivan, then a candidate for mayor, investigated for his admission that he had given money to addicts to buy drugs and allowed one to smoke crack in his van. An editorial in the Georgia Straight attacked the investigation as a political move.
Graham and the Vancouver Police Department have expressed support for the principles behind Insite
Insite
Insite is the only legal supervised injection site in North America, located at 139 East Hastings Street, in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. The DTES had 4700 chronic drug users in 2000 and has been considered to be the centre of an "injection drug epidemic"...
, Vancouver's controversial safe injection site
Safe injection site
Supervised injection sites are legally sanctioned and medically supervised facilities designed to reduce nuisance from public drug use and provide a hygienic and stress-free...
, which has drawn criticism from conservative groups and the RCMP. Noting that "our organization's
In April 2006, RCMP investigators exonerated Graham from allegations of misappropriating funds related to a 2004 police conference. A employee had alleged that Graham and other police executives used complimentary hotels rooms during the convention.
In July 2006, Graham left a bullet-riddled shooting range target on the desk of city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
Judy Rogers. On the target, Graham wrote: “A bad day at the range is better than the best day at work.” He later apologized to her for the incident.