Joint Statement from the Mayors and Police Board Chairs of Esquimalt, Saanich and Victoria

Greater Victoria, BC - Today the Mayors of Esquimalt, Saanich and Victoria are issuing the following statement in support of our police departments and in recognition of our officers’ courage and selfless service:

“Yesterday in a terrible and violent act, three officers from Saanich and three from Victoria were injured in the line of duty, some with very serious injuries. When these kinds of actions happen, our police departments and our communities that support them are shaken to the core.”

“To the officers who were injured and to their families, our thoughts are with you and we are sending love as you move through the following days, weeks and months in recovery. We are humbled by your service and we offer our heartfelt thanks for your courage as you stood in harm’s way to keep our communities safe.”

“To all members of our departments, we want you to know that we are here to support you through this challenging and terrible incident. In times like these we all pull together, boards, sworn officers, civilian staff and management. We stand beside each other and we take care of those most affected, including the psychological trauma of being involved in an incident like this.”

“To the police departments across our region and the province that have offered assistance, we thank you in advance for your help and support.”

“To the public, incidents like the one experienced by Saanich and VicPD remind all of us of the courage it takes to be a police officer and of the selfless service of all our officers as they serve our communities on a daily basis, not knowing what a shift might bring. Finding ways to show support in the coming days and weeks is really important and we encourage everyone to do so.”

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Media Contacts

Mayor Haynes
250-889-9352

Mayor Helps
250-661-2708