Kamloops native may become top cop
By KEN HERAR
May 25 2007
One of Canada's most-decorated police officers and possibly Vancouver's next top cop will teach at the University College of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford this summer.
And his is a name that will be recognized in Kamloops.
Kash Heed, a 28-year veteran of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) lived in Kamloops until he was 11.
His grandfather, Sher Singh, owned Punjab Lumber and BC Packing House in Kamloops.
Singh donated the land where the current Sikh Temple sits on the North Shore, and Singh Street is named after him.
Heed, who holds a masters degree in criminology from Simon Fraser University, has always wanted to be an educator, which is a natural fit for a man who has served in almost every capacity with the VPD and is known for his leadership and problem-solving abilities.
When he graduated from Richmond secondary, Heed's plan was to become a teacher. His mother, Jinda, who was an inspirational figure throughout his life did not want her son to pursue policing.
But with a little arm-twisting by the VPD’s recruiting unit, his mother was convinced her son had special talents and should join the department.
In 1979, Heed finished top of his class and was hired by the VPD as a recruit at a time when only a few visible minorities were in policing.
Heed, who was born and raised in a Punjabi family, recalls many incidents of discrimination within the department and on the streets.
I was not readily accepted and had to work a lot harder, he said.
With his strong work ethic and sharp mind, Heed has received many public acknowledgements for his service.
In 1981, he caught a bank robber following a foot chase and was given the highest honour by the Canadian Bankers Association.
In 1989, he was named Vancouver Police Officer of the Year for his many arrests in major investigations.
Heed was promoted to corporal in 1992 and sergeant in 1994 while working on the city's Downtown Eastside.
During his tenure there, Heed implemented three community-policing offices for the area. He faced opposition from traditionalists within the VPD, who, Heed acknowledged, still hold a large role in policing.
In 2000, he was promoted to inspector and became the commanding officer of the vice/drug section.
Heed realized the drug laws needed to be revisited and spoke in front of the Canadian Senate Committee on Drug Reform. As part of his masters degree thesis, he interviewed 600 street-level drug traffickers and came to the conclusion a new approach was needed for habitual users.
The injection-site model was recommended and Heed was one of the pioneers who favoured this approach in trial harm reduction, which has proven to be a success in Vancouver.
In 2005, Heed was instrumental in convincing the provincial government to set up the Integrated Gang Task Force. He saw a trend occurring in gang-related crimes and met with various police leaders, community members and government officials and received provincial funding.
We cannot arrest our way out of the problem, he said. We can work our way out of the problem. The biggest challenge police face in the future is continual crime reduction. The fear of crime and crime.
Ken Herar is a Mission resident who writes a cultural column for the Abbotsford News, a sister paper to KTW. He can be reached at KenHerar@gmail.com
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