Vancouver Police Department releases transgender awareness training video

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      As a result of recommendations from the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, the Vancouver Police Department created a new policy for how officers interact with trans people.

      The policy includes how officers should identify people, including the individual's chosen name, gender, and the use of pronouns, such as in conversations or when entering information into police databases.

      The policy does note that police have a legal obligation to verify the identity of individuals with certainty in police reports and other documentation.

      The VPD also released a training video (uploaded to YouTube on June 16) entitled "Walk With Me", which was a collaborative effort by the VPD Diversity and Aboriginal Policing Section, the Education and Training Unit, and members of Vancouver's trans communities.

      It includes interviews with various trans people, MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, and University of Victoria transgender studies founder and research chair Aaron Devor.

      The video addresses subjects that many trans people face, such as discrimination, employment challenges, and mental health issues. It also provides tips on how people can interact in a respectful manner with trans people, such as asking what pronouns they prefer to use.

      This video will be shown to all VPD employees.

      While it is provides awareness and training for VPD staff, it can also be educational to citizens who want to learn more about the issues trans people face.

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