IAWP at the Olympics

IAWP First Vice President, Staff Sergeant Margaret Shorter has been working as the Presentations and Communications Facilitator, International Police Visitation Program, Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit for some time now.



The photo to the right is Margaret showing the two parts of her Olympic accreditation outside of the Main Press Centre (MPC) in front of the Personal Screening Area. The small tent behind her is one of many that spectators with tickets will be screened by security in this area.

Despite her busy schedule leading up the games, Margaret has taken some time to explain how she ended up in this role and describe some of her experiences. As you have read in James Journey updates, Margaret has had time to connect with Myra and enjoy a few laughs and exchange work stories.

The photo below is the MPC inside of Canada Place, which is located in the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Here is the first of Margaret updates on her work at the Olympics.

Margaret's Musings - Part 1

It seems like not long ago when I was stationed at the RCMP Richmond, B.C, Detachment I myself was in the process of assisting in the hiring process of our Olympic liaison for the City of Richmond. Out of the blue I received a telephone call from a friend I had made during the 2001 Edmonton IAWP Conference. Sergeant Trish MacCormack was calling as the HR Staffing Coordinator for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Security Planning Unit (V2010 ISU) with an offer of a position that she said "has your name on it".

I met with Trish the following Monday over coffee and she introduced me to the Staff Sergeant in charge of the International Police Visitation Program. After a brief conversation I was hooked. Sometimes in life a window of opportunity opens and you just have to take that leap of faith! The officer in charge of the Richmond Detachment agreed to release me for transfer and I was moved in six weeks.

My position is one of three second language profile positions within the ISU. I am responsible for leading visits with any French speaking guests. I have a colleague, Constable Zhivka Ivanova who speaks a number of Eastern European languages. She is responsible for communication with delegates from Russia where the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be held in a city called Sochi. Another colleague of mine, Sergeant Pepin Wong has just returned from a post as RCMPLiasion in Beijing. Sergeant Wong speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese so he is leading visits from delegations from the Pacific Asian Rim. In 2011, Singapore will host the inaugural Youth Olympics so we expect many delegations who speak these dialects.

When I started with ISU, I hit the ground running. During my first week on the job we hosted the representative from the French Embassy in Ottawa and the Head of the French Police Nationale. Two weeks later I was leading a group of Chiefs of Police from the Canadian Province of Quebec. Two different accents, two different cultures, two different mandates - and I wasn't even fully oriented to my new position yet!

It was only when I arrived at the ISU that I even became aware of the scope of what Olympic Security planning would entail. The more I learned, the more I realized that I could never appreciate the amount of information and communication needed to meet our goals. I decided that the best way to channel my efforts was to focus on the ISU Vision and Mission and trust that if I did my piece to the best of my ability, and everyone else at the ISU did their part, this just had to come together!

Or Vision is to sevure the best winter games ever as partners in safety, peace and celebration. Our Mission is to provide and secure games through an integrated security model.

There are now over 500 personnel working at the Integrated Security Unit and since the New Year the energy level in the building has climbed quickly.

The celebration begins in just 12 days!!!!

IAWP at the Olympics

There are only 13 days to the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

One way Canadians have been encouraged to support the games and Canadian athletes is through the purchase and wearing of red mittens emblazoned with white maple leafs. Here is IAWP First Vice President, Staff Sergeant Margaret Shorter showing her support. Margaret is standing with a Civilian Member Tammy Marshall, who was sponsored to Darwin 2008, is an RCMP radio dispatcher seconded to the Olympics to work in the Integrated Command Centre during the Games. The photo is taken at the Inukshuk at the Nordic Centre with the ski jump in the background.

Margaret has been extremely busy for several months as she is has been a integral part of the security planning. She has taken time of her busy schedule to update IAWP members on what her duties have been, and will be, at the 2010 games. Check back later today for more on "Margaret's Musings".

IAWP at the Olympics

James Journey - Part 2

If you ask me, Myra's smile says it all. She is enjoying her work, making new friends, connecting with old friends, and taking in the Olympic experience.

The photo is Myra and the Venue Transportation Management team.

Here is her latest update from Vancouver:

Just prior to Christmas I was busy in the VANOC offices with learning multiple computer programs for scheduling volunteers, preparing venue specific training presentations, review of various documents such as venue security profiles, street closures, Olympic Family Hotel protocols and many other must know issues. The learning curve has been significant not to mention the need to retain all this new information.

I had some time off around Christmas during which time I traveled over to the island (Chemainus) area. I enjoyed Christmas with my family. I went back to the VANOC offices to work on the 31st, 1st and 2nd.

Two new staff members started on my team on the 4th and as you can imagine, I took them under my wing and assisted in orientation & training. One is from Adelaide, Australia and the other a local woman from Vancouver who used to be a cop. She is Asian and has introduced our team to some fine places to eat in the Asian community.

Our team drove the sea to sky corridor as it’s called, on our way to Whistler this past week as we had meetings at the Hilton which is the official Paralympic Hotel for the games in March. It looks as though I’ll be deployed to Whistler for the Paralympics and I’m thrilled about it as the experience will nicely enhance the whole Olympic adventure for me. My role as Assistant Venue Transportation Manager will be similar there as it is for the Olympics.

I attended the Pacific National Exhibition buildings on Thursday to pick up my official accreditation and uniform. This is the same facility that all VANOC staff and volunteers go for their issued items. The whole process takes about 90 minutes however I suspect as games times fast approach, the line ups will be much longer and process extended. Over 25,000 volunteers and an equal quantity of VANOC staff will be processed there.

Multiple meetings are another interesting topic. I’ve been for more meetings in the last month than I have in a year of OWLE, IAWP, HPS and Rotary meetings. Some days, we just go from one meeting to another. The agendas relate to volunteer/staff performance issues, food and beverage, scheduling, accreditation designations, road closures just to name a few.

This past week we were issued VANOC vehicles for use until the end of the Paralympics. GM has provided over 4,600 vehicles such as trucks, sport utility vehicles and cross over vehicles. All are 2010 vehicles, and I’ve been issued a Buick Enclave fully loaded. Fortunately I will have a designated parking spot at my venue however most staff at other venues will have to park a significant distance away.

On a personal note, I have enjoyed evening walks and runs in and around the Kitsilano Beach area which was only about a mile from where I was living up until January 9th. Now I have been enjoying some wonderful evening laughs with Marg and Dave Shorter, which is where I am currently staying in North Delta. I am now commuting on the Sky Train which did initially have it's own challenges. It's taking a bit of getting used to as far as coping with the constant rain that we get out here.

I’ve kept in touch with the Ontario Women In Law Enforcement executive regularly as this is my last couple months as President and the board election is in progress. I’ve been on the board for 12 years and will now transition to the Board of Trustees as Immediate Past President.


It’s been an amazing journey so far and as each day passes and the games draw closer, the excitement escalates!!!!!

Condolences to RCMP families

Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of RCMP Superintendent Doug Coates and Sergeant Mark Gallagher who were killed last week in the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Both officers were on assignment in Haiti as part of the UN Stabilization Mission.

For those who wish to send more personal condolences please log on to: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/index-eng.htm.

IAWP at the Olympic Games

I have begun to receive emails from IAWP members from both Region 11 and Region 12 who will be attending to work at the Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C. This is going to a proud time for Canadian athletes but it will also be a proud moment for Canadian police agencies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the lead agency tasked with security for the games. The number of personnel required to staff all venues is enormous so early on in the planning stages, municipal police agencies were invited to help out. Officers from several different cities will be joining together to work side by side to ensure athletes, coaches, staff, and tourists are all safe while visiting the Games.



IAWP First Vice President, Staff Sergeant Margaret Shorter has been involved in the strategic planning of the Olympic Security as part of the International Police Visitation Program, Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. I will have more on Margaret's duties and her thoughts in a future blog. This is such an integral aspect of the coordination between police agencies I want to ensure I do her work justice in a separate post.



IAWP Second Vice President, Detective Myra James has left her routine duties (only temporarily) as a Detective with the Hamilton Police Service to join the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC )Transportation Team.



Myra travelled out to B.C. back before Christmas. She is has taken up residence with IAWP member Fionna Weller who is also working for VANOC. Myra has started to send updates to her friends and family back home. She has agreed to allow me to share "James Journey" with you on this blog. Myra has told me that I can edit her updates, but the first one is so good I will post it in full.



Thanks to IAWP Region 11 Coordinator, Deputy Chief Leanne Fitch who connected me with another police officer from her area who will be working at the Olympic Games. Constable Lisa Hewison works for Peel Regional Police but will be part of the Peel contingent attending the Olympics. She leaves for the games on February 7 and returns home February 28. Lisa will be assigned duties at Cypress Mountain. We look forward to some photos and thoughts from Lisa.



James Journey - Part 1

Hello Family and Friends,


Here is my first official overview of my first week as a member of the Vancouver Olympic Committee. After driving almost 5,400 km from Hamilton, Ontario to Vancouver, B.C., we arrived at our final destination Dec. 13th. The most challenging component of our journey was our final 300 km from Kamloops to Vancouver. Unfortunately the cloud cover was low, and it was snowing through the mountains so the view was poor and highway conditions less than ideal. I'm staying with a retired Vancouver PD member who has been employed by VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Committee) since last February. Fiona and I have known one another for several years through our IAWP organization. She has a beautiful home on West 13th Ave. on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver. The location is a pleasant walk from West Broadway which is a street that has plenty of shopping, cafes, supermarkets and restaurants which have operational patios even at this time of year. So, I'm really appreciating the close proximity of W.Broadway for pleasant evening walks and the periodic stop at a café or shopping opportunity. Monday Dec. 14th was my first day at the VANOC offices which are about a 20 minute drive from Fiona's. Security is a priority even at the offices, so approximately 25 other new VANOC members were waiting in the lobby to commence orientation. Our entire morning was absorbed with document completion, inspirational videos about the games and our roles with VANOC. Our diverse group consisted of 20 men and 5 women from places such as Russia, New Zealand, Italy and Egypt. There were two of us from Eastern Canada. By afternoon, we were introduced to our Team Managers and the rest of our team. EVERYONE ensured the "newbies" were welcomed and I immediately felt comfortable in this new environment where people are enthusiastic, eager to help one other and offer support. The physical environment is five floors of open office space divided into "pods" of teams with specific responsibilities to the games. I'm attached to the Transportation Team, with specific responsibilities to the Olympic Family Hotels. My title is AVTM = Assistant Venue Transportation Manager and I will be operating out of the Marriott Hotel which will be occupied by IOC (International Olympic Committee) and NOC (National Olympic Committee) members as well as other dignitaries associated to the Olympics. Some of my responsibilities will be to be to ensure the dignitaries transportation needs are met which involves interacting with approximately 40 trained volunteers who will provide transportation in the brand new 2010 GMC vehicles. 4,329 vehicles have been provided by GMC for the games. Each of the volunteers is required to commit 13 - 8 hour shifts to their Olympics experience. One of many of my responsibilities is to develop the volunteer schedule, confirm details with them and ensure the needs of the clients at the Marriott are met. The dignitaries have various levels of accreditation associated to transportation services. Some will have valet status while others will have coach buses to transport them to the Olympic venues. I don't anticipate actually driving dignitaries, rather it's my role to ensure they understand how to arrange for their transportation needs and interact with Fleet Services to facilitate the requests.


Tuesday was absorbed with additional orientation including an introduction to the technology systems (computer programs which are primarily Microsoft Excel and Outlook Express) We learned about the VAPP's which are Vehicle Access Parking Permits which are like GOLD. More on that later. By Wednesday our original orientation group that I was in was dispersed and incorporated into training specific for their areas of responsibility. Some of the training initiatives are associated to liability/risk issues so I had to take a two day training course off site to qualify as a TCP = traffic control person. The training was provided by an independent company under contract by VANOC. So, 15 VANOC members participated in 2 eight hour days full of video instruction, workbook completion, group scenarios, exams and an "on the road" training practical which was very amusing to say the least. We all had to wear these glow in the dark cover alls and hard hats (mine was pink) and actually direct traffic using a hand held stop/slow sign. Fortunately the rain held off during our practical exercise. By Thursday late afternoon I was officially designated as qualified in the province of BC to be a TCP and have the certificate. It's anticipated that I will be providing some training and support to volunteers allocated to the Marriott Hotel.

Friday one of my colleagues that started with me on Monday and I attended an all day training initiative designed for the volunteer drivers. As you can imagine it's important for the AVTM's to know what is expected of the volunteers. We were shown a series of defensive driving technique videos as well as an overview of BC traffic laws and portable radio protocol. Each volunteer had an actual road test so an examiner could observe their driving techniques. 3-4 volunteers went out in a vehicle with an examiner for the afternoon and they drove to all of the Olympic Venues with the exception of Whistler. Each volunteer had an opportunity to drive, use the portable radio and learn the appropriate radio codes. My colleague (Liam) who is also an AVTM at the Westin Hotel and I had a vehicle exclusively, so we visited the venues and since he's from Vancouver he provided an excellent tour of the city and neighbouring municipalities. It was an excellent day! At the conclusion of the day, I made my way to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal on route to Nanimo with my final destination (Chemainus) where I will stay with my 1st cousins on weekends leading up to the Olympics. My first week was full of lots of "first time" experiences for me to add to my inventory of life's adventures. Not even the constant rain put a damper on this experience.

Warmly, Myra

Please stay posted for continuous updates on all Canadian IAWP members working at the Olympic Games. Only 27 days to go!!!

IAWP at the Olympic Torch Relay

From Left to right - Sgt. Linda GAUMOND, Operations NCO La Ronge Cpl. Gertrude MAXWELL, Community Services North Battleford Cst. Matt MIRASTY, Olympic Security Insp. Matt LOWTHER, Officer I/C "F" Division Community Policing

It is day 75 of the Olympic Torch Relay.

The Olympic Torch has actually criss crossed Canada, passing through some Provinces twice. The earlier leg of the Torch Relay passed through La Ronge, Saskatchewan on November 27, 2009. IAWP member, Corporal Gertrude Maxwell was assigned to the Olympic Torch Run Relay planning committee and wrote to me that this was the first time she heard our National Anthem sung in Cree. Apparently it was quite spectacular!



Margaret was also present when the Olympic Torch made its second pass through North Battleford, Saskatchewan on January 12, 2010. She and I exchanged emails as I was explaining how the festivities warmed citizens here in Manitoba even when temperatures were sitting at -40 degrees with the wind chill. Margaret's comment to me was "I was so proud to be a part of this and see how the community came together."

More good news to start 2010

Congratulations to Danielle Campbell of the Edmonton Police Service who was promoted to Supt i/c Criminal Investigations Division (this includes Major Crimes and Serious Crimes Branches) on January 4th. Danielle is soon to become a member of IAWP.

Good luck and we hope to meet you soon...maybe at the Minneapolis Conference? :-)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. May 2010 find you healthy and happy in work and home life.

The year is off to a cold start here on the prairies. Morning lows in Winnipeg this past week were sitting at a frigid -29 degrees (without the wind chill!). That makes for pretty tough work conditions for officers who work out doors, like those who have been assigned to crowd control and escort duties associated with the Olympic Torch Relay. Several officers told me that as the torch made its way through Manitoba this week, the large energetic crowds and the excitement of the Olympics helped to make the cold bearable for everyone.

The Olympic Torch Relay has now crossed into Saskatchewan and will be in North Battleford on Janaury 12th. I will have an update and photographs from that event from IAWP Member, Corporal Gertrude Maxwell.

Winnipeg Police Service 6th Annual Cops for Cancer Half Marathon

WPS Deputy Chief Hart and Inspector Stephanson

For all you running enthusiasts, the Winnipeg Police Service 6th Annual Cops for Cancer Half Marathon has just kicked off. For more information on the running route, entrance fees and prizes please log onto http://www.wpshalfmarathon.ca/ <http://wpssvpemb2/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.wpshalfmarathon.ca/> .

Last year, IAWP Region 12 member, Deputy Chief Shelley Hart teamed up with WPS Inspector Allison Stephanson for the popular two person relay event at the Cops for Cancer Half Marathon. Last year was Deputy Chief Hart's first time at the event and she tells me that she has continued her training with the intention to take part in the event again this year. All net proceeds from this event are directed to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Unfortunately I am NOT a running enthusiast. However, I am an avid supporter of this event as a volunteer so any IAWP members who travel to Winnipeg will find me somewhere along the route, cheering you on and marshalling runners and traffic.

Olympic Fever is building!

As I began to outline on my post New Year's eve, the IAWP will have a significant presence at the Olympics. Members from Region 12 as well as Region 11 will be attending to the games to work on the security services. I contacted IAWP Region 11 Coordinator, Deputy Chief Leanne Fitch and we hope to combine efforts and post news, stories and photos from all IAWP members in Canada. Starting next week, the blog will have a distinct Olympic theme!

Stay warm and be safe.