Goodmurphy's Dream of Being a Police Officer Pans Out

Kevin Goodmurphy has been working for the WVPD for about six years now – Photo provided by Kevin Goodmurphy

“I like to make people laugh, try to bring humour into any situation when appropriate and I want them to see me as a human being, not just a cop,” Kevin Goodmurphy said.

Goodmurphy has been a police officer for 13 years and is currently a constable with the West Vancouver Police Department (WVPD) in British Columbia.

He is currently the media relations officer for the WVPD.

“I am responsible for managing the department’s internal and external communications, including social media and conventional media-related work,”Goodmurphy explained.

For as long as he can remember, Goodmurphy has always wanted to be a police officer, but due to his love of travelling, he wanted to travel a little bit before he settled down with a career.

Prior to working for the WVPD, Goodmurphy worked for the Metro Vancouver Transit Police for seven years.

“I love that I get to help people,” Goodmurphy about the job.

Kevin Goodmurphy enjoys his daily interactions with the residents of West Vancouver – Photo provided by Kevin Goodmurphy

Ever since 2020 and the murder of George Floyd, Goodmurphy has said police officers are being seen with a lot of scrutiny.

“This has had an impact in Canada as well, with a loss in public confidence in the police. I have witnessed this in forms of hatred shown towards me, when in the course of my duties. I do believe that the public should always question how we do things, because it is our job to fairly and impartially serve our community. We are accountable to our residents,” Goodmurphy said.

“I always try to engage with critics, and seek meaningful and respectful dialogue. I also stay open and willing to learn from others,” he added.

The hatred Goodmurphy has seen towards him though has given him perspective on what the public is experiencing and hearing, and he’s using it to help with his work.

“Perspective is important. Hearing from others about their negative experiences with police allows me to be sensitive when dealing with the public. I am reminded that everyone carries their own experiences with them.”

Goodmurphy has also been dealing with anxiety which began to impact his personal and professional life.

“I have been able to get it under control with medication and relaxation techniques. I get strength from speaking openly about it. The more we speak about it, the more it lessens the stigma,” he explained.

Goodmurphy doesn’t let his anxiety stop him from doing his job though, and he loves working for the WVPD.

“My favourite thing about being a police officer in West Vancouver is the community connection. We have a very supportive community and they’re a pleasure to serve.”

Kevin Goodmurphy is originally from North Vancouver, so he is very familiar with the city. His favourite thing about North Vancouver are the beaches and the mountains – Photo provided by Kevin Goodmurphy

Similarly, Goodmurphy also really enjoys seeing the impact he makes on people when interacting with them.

“I always love to make meaningful connections with young people in our community. I see value in building bonds early on.”

Back in September, a high school student challenged Goodmurphy to a race, and in pouring rain, beat Kevin to the other side of the field.

When asked about a rematch, Goodmurphy says he will have to train.

And like us humans, Goodmurphy has had some embarrassing cop moments. One in particular made him confused until he realized what had happened later.

“I once drove a police car with red and blue lights on from West Vancouver to Vancouver and didn’t know. I wondered why everyone was slowing down and pulling over while on the way. I only noticed when I got to my destination.”

It took Kevin about nine months of training for his policing career – Photo provided by Kevin Goodmurphy