Vancouver Police Department

Safe disposal of prescription medications (including pet medications) and over-the-counter medications can be dropped off at both the Vancouver Police East and West Precincts during regular business hours. There are also several other community locations that accept liquids and sharps. In addition, there are drug take back events scheduled twice a year. Visit the Unwanted Medication Disposal page for additional information on all locations that offer unwanted medication disposal.

Becoming a police officer requires many hundreds of hours of training.

Washington State requires officers to receive 24 hours of training a year. On average, the Vancouver Police Department provides our officers with 130 hours of training a year. 

Officers hired without any previous law enforcement certification must attend the 720-hour Basic Law Enforcement Academy - CJTC. New officers are trained on:

• Criminal law and procedures 
• Traffic enforcement 
• Cultural awareness 
• Communication skills 
• Emergency Vehicle Operations Course 
• Firearms 
• Crisis intervention 
• Patrol Procedures 
• Criminal Investigation 
• Defensive Tactics

New officers to the department also complete a field or "on the job" training program totaling 735 total hours.

Visit the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and the Revised Code of Washington for basic requirements for law enforcement training.

Example 720-hour Basic Law Enforcement Academy Syllabus. 

Training overview.  

Crisis Intervention Training

Every new officer receives 40 hours of training dedicated to Crisis Intervention.

Every sworn member receives two hours of Crisis Intervention Training online annually.

The Job of a Police Officer

For more information on how to apply as a police office visit Join VPD.

Yes, all sworn VPD personnel have body worn cameras. Visit our Camera Program page for additional information.

The Vancouver Police Department Records Unit accepts applications for Concealed Pistol Licenses (CPL)

Visit our False Alarm Reduction page for information on reducing false alarms and also to register or pay for your alarm using our online portal.

The Evidence Unit of the Vancouver Police Department is responsible for maintaining the integrity of evidence and property in accordance with state laws and departmental policies and procedures. When items are eligible for release, the owners are notified via mail of the proper procedures for retrieving property. Property return is done by appointment only. Visit our Evidence Unit page for more information.

The Clark County Sheriffs Office Sex/Kidnap Offender Registration Unit maintains the records for all offenders in the county, including those living in the City of Vancouver, and is responsible for maintaining and updating the sex offender website. Visit the Sex Offender Unit page for more information.

Visit Washington State Patrol’s website and follow the instructions for filing a collision report or getting a copy of a filed collision report.

To submit an RV parking permit, visit the Community Development department’s page and fill out this form.

In June 2019, the City commissioned the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to perform a review of the VPD’s culture, policies, training, documentation, and data on use of force and officer-involved shooting incidents. The purpose of this study was not to investigate any particular incident or specific police officer, but rather to identify areas where VPD can improve its policing practices.

The PERF report is exceptionally thorough and offers a comprehensive set of 84 recommendations that serve as a road map to reform the VPD’s culture, policies, and practices around use of force. These recommendations will result in policing that can better serve the public safety needs of our community in a way that proactively counteracts the inequities that exist in policies and throughout the system as a whole. We want to improve equity, accountability, transparency, promote higher standards, and increase public trust and confidence.

All 84 recommendations have been addressed.

PERF Final Report June 2020

Visit the City of Vancouver public records center to request a public record.

With the 2024 presidential election complete, we at the City of Vancouver recognize the uncertainty that our community is feeling in relation to immigration. We want to clarify what VPD’s role in immigration enforcement is. First and foremost, VPD will continue to serve all members of our community with professionalism and compassion. The Vancouver Police Department will not undertake immigration related investigations or sweeps and will not routinely inquire into the immigration status of persons officers come into contact with. Officers will not contact, detain or arrest an individual solely for a suspected violation of civil immigration laws. The Vancouver Police Department has an established policy regarding immigration enforcement that is governed by RCW 43.10.315 and The Immigration and Nationality Act. These laws specifically define immigration enforcement as a federal responsibility. State and local law enforcement agencies do not have the authority to enforce civil immigration violations.

The Vancouver Police Department is dedicated to providing law enforcement services to include detaining and/or arresting criminal violators, or those with outstanding criminal warrants, and will enforce laws in a fair and equitable manner. While in most cases warrants are issued for state or local offenses, officers may encounter federal criminal warrants and will arrest or detain those subjects accordingly. VPD officers will continue to request identification from persons they come into contact with when appropriate, but they will not request specific documents related to a person’s civil immigration status unless this information is specifically relevant to the crime being investigated, such as a bias crime. As specified in Vancouver Police Policy 428, any request for assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be addressed by a police supervisor.

VPD ‘s mission of partnering with our community to preserve life, protect property and enhance livability, and our duty to respond to and investigate crime has not changed. We remain focused on working with the community to ensure Vancouver is a safe and secure community for all.