Communication and respect: how two simple ideals have guided Metro Vancouver Transit officer Julien Ponsioen in his profession

Metro Vancouver Transit is like a town or city in its own right. Between buses, elevated and commuter trains, subway and sea buses, Metro Vancouver Transit transports a million people every day. It’s a safe system, but with commuter numbers so high, there are bound to be problems. We sat down with Metro Transit Police Officer Julien Ponsioen to get a glimpse into what it’s like working as a transit officer in Vancouver.

“Like a lot of North America, we have an Opioid crisis going on here; people are dying every day,” began Julien. “On general patrol around the stations you’ll find people hooked on fentanyl, in trouble and needing our help. It’s so common that our officers carry Naloxone nasal spray which, when someone has overdosed, we use to bring them back.”

Julien’s first job helped prepare him for the realities of the Opioid crisis he now combats every day.“ I was a paramedic for 21 years, starting out in a small town called Sicamous – the houseboat capital of British Columbia.” During his time as a paramedic he’d “learned how to talk. I was comfortable speaking with people from the vulnerable sector, those living on the streets, active drug users. If you treat them with respect, that respect comes back to you. You soon understand that these people are no different to you, just been dealt a different hand in life.”

His time as a paramedic in Sicamous inspired Julien to do more to help his community. So,at 39 years old, he put in an application with Metro Transit Police and went back to school. “While I couldn’t sprint like my classmates in their 20s, my background and experiences as a paramedic really helped me when it came to the training scenarios.”

The ideals of communication and respect also drove Julien to make change internally at the Metro Transit Police.

“I’m the only openly gay male in my department,” explained Julien. As Julian thought about his identity within the context of policing, he realized that many officers and police agencies are misunderstood, regardless of sexual orientation or background. The profession and the communities it serves often don’t quite understand one another.

“I started a weekly series on Twitter and Instagram called ‘Coffee with a Cop’ and people seem to really like it. I ask for questions and try to answer them as best I can. We cover everything from showing and describing all the items on the police belt to interviews with colleagues – one of the most popular was with a Constable all the way from New Zealand.”

As Julien works to strengthen the connection between community members and officers, he is also working to ensure that colleagues who identify as LGBTQAI+ find connection within the policing profession. “With colleagues I set up ‘Out on Patrol’ to support LGBTQ people in policing and the community – a first in British Columbia. In just a few months we have 120 members and allies.”

Throughout his time with Metro Transit Police, Julien’s goal has remained the same: keep the community safe using communication and respect. His community programs and work with Out on Patrol have helped him achieve this goal, and they’ve also made him a bit of a local celebrity.

“All this means I’m quite visible locally. If you do see me on your morning commute in Vancouver,” remarked Julien, “know I get great satisfaction from working in the community and keeping the Metro Transit system safe.“