People
Canada's First Sikh Chief of Police
Sikh-Canadian Kashmir Singh Heed is leaving the Vancouver Police Department, where he currently serves as superintendent, to take charge of the neighbouring force in West Vancouver, British Columbia ("B.C."), as its new Chief of Police, effective August 2, 2007.
Kash Heed, as he's popularly known, will bring "real strengths as an innovator, leader and team builder", Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, chair of the city's police board, said in making the announcement on June 26.
Heed, an author who also teaches criminology and criminal justice at two B.C. colleges, was also on the shortlist for the top job in Vancouver, the province's largest municipal police force. That position went to Deputy Chief Jim Chu.
The West Vancouver force has been without a chief since January, when Scott Armstrong was let go, following allegations of after-hours drinking on police premises.
Goldsmith-Jones said the police board conducted a lengthy search, with candidates from across the country, and Heed fit the bill.
For his part, Heed promised to "bring energy and creativity to the job".
"West Vancouver has a great tradition of excellent service", he said in a statement. "I hope to build on this to make West Vancouver nothing short of the safest community in Canada".
Heed graduated from the B.C. Police Academy in 1979, and moved through the ranks of constable, detective, sergeant, inspector and currently, superintendent with the Vancouver Police Force.
He pioneered initiatives aimed at crime reduction and prevention as well as greater community and police engagement. He led the Indo-Canadian Task Force and inspired the formation of grassroots organizations dedicated to preventing gang violence.
West Vancouver Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Skelton said Heed's well-rounded policing background in Vancouver will be a huge benefit.
"It's in close proximity to West Vancouver, so we share a lot of the same people we're dealing with", Skelton stated. "I think it'll be an easy transition for him and I think it'll be something we're looking forward to".
[Courtesy - CBC News]
Photos: Bottom of page - Early Sikh-Canadian pioneers in Vancouver, 1906. Second from bottom - part of the skyline of West Vancouver, Canada.
Conversation about this article
1: Harinder (Pune, India), July 01, 2007, 11:11 AM.
God bless Canada. God bless Kashmir Singh.
2: Prabhu Singh Khalsa (Española, New Mexico, U.S.A.), July 02, 2007, 12:44 PM.
I may be beating a dead horse, but again, what is the point of this website if it is not to promote the accomplishments of Sikhs? A Sikh is proud of the Guru. Pride in self is one of the five thieves. Without the identity and discipline of a Sikh, all accomplishments are individual. This individual's accomplishments do not bring any honor to the Sikh identity. His accomplishment may be chic, but it cannot be described as Sikh.
3: M. Kaur (Maryland, U.S.A.), July 02, 2007, 3:05 PM.
True, the comment made by S. Prabhu Singh Khalsa. But we are not here to judge a Sikh and his life, rather to celebrate his accomplishments, which in turn do affect many other lives. We are not to pass judgement on, or shun or push any one away ... if anything, our role as Sikhs is to bring others closer. My dear friend, you yourself just broke the first rule of pride! Sorry, but it had to be said.
4: Amaninder Singh (Auckland, New Zealand), July 03, 2007, 6:36 AM.
Is he a Sikh?
5: Yodha Singh (NLR), July 04, 2007, 1:05 PM.
I disagree with Prabhu Singh strongly and unequivocally ...
6: Gurupreet Singh (Toronto, Canada), July 04, 2007, 2:11 PM.
I agree with Prabhu Singh: for the individual, it's a great accomplishment, but it's clearly not Sikh if we don't carry the appearance that Guru Gobind Singh has given us. [Editor: if the statement, as you've formulated it, was true, then anyone who pre-dates Guru Gobind Singh is in jeopardy of failing your definition.]
7: Harmeet Singh (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.), July 04, 2007, 7:39 PM.
I agree that we should not judge who is a good Sikh and who isn't.
8: Amaninder Singh (Auckland, New Zealand), July 05, 2007, 7:34 AM.
I agree with Prabhu Singh.
9: Prabhu Singh Khalsa (Española, New Mexico, U.S.A.), July 08, 2007, 4:42 PM.
I'm not saying who is a good Sikh or who isn't. All I'm asking is: why should the Sikh community celebrate this accomplishment?
10: Rani (Toronto, Canada), July 09, 2007, 11:28 PM.
The community should always celebrate and recognize any firsts by Sikhs, as we can use these examples as role models of what you can achieve if you work hard and have a goal. The younger generation will never be hurt by being exposed to positive news about Sikhs, as unfortunately all the good that Sikhs do in Canada and globally isn't always exposed in the media. It also reflects the fact that your cultural and religious background should never be a barrier to attaining a good position in life as well as motivation for others thinking about joining non-traditional jobs.
11: Pawanjeet (Freiburg, Germany), July 11, 2007, 7:59 AM.
As I see it ... the question here is not whether or not to celebrate this individual's achievement, but to see if it is correct to describe him as a Sikh.
12: Gagandeep Singh (Hyderabad, India), July 13, 2007, 12:28 PM.
I've reservations about him being referred to as a "Sikh" Chief of Police.
13: Bhajan Singh (Malaysia), July 17, 2007, 7:38 PM.
Sikh-Canadians of Vancouver should be proud of this appointment, as he will inspire our youth to aim all the way to the top of any field of endeavour they choose to pursue.
14: Aman (England), September 13, 2007, 5:54 PM.
Congratulations to all Sikhs and Indians in North America. God bless Canada.
15: Bob (Toronto, Canada), October 19, 2007, 8:19 AM.
It is a matter of pride for all Canadians to praise the achievements of Kash Heed. People like him will inspire our youth to go for the sky.