BARB MARTENS

Barb has worked in public service for over 29 years. She spent the first 9 years working for the BC Government Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. She was instrumental in launching the Early Detection and Prevention Program intended to prevent the misusage of social assistance and ensuring that those in need received lifesaving funding. She lives in Walnut Grove with her two children Matthew and Abigail.

For the last 20 years, Barb has been a sworn member of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). Her time in government prepared her for years of uniform work in the downtown community, building relationships and connections with some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable citizens utilizing a trauma informed lens. Barb understands that many of our neighbours have experienced complex trauma which, when acknowledged, assists them in feeling more included and safer.

Over the course of her career she worked in the Downtown Business District in patrol, neighbourhood policing, crime analysis, as an acting sergeant in crime control and as a field trainer to several police recruits.

Most recently, she was seconded to BC RCMP Headquarters Real Time Intelligence Centre providing operational support to frontline officers across the province 24/7. This assignment was an opportunity to build relationships with partners from a variety of law enforcement agencies and to expand her understanding of police operations province-wide.

Barb has expressed that her most notable work was as a VPD liaison officer to a variety of low-income supported housing models, connecting with operators, staff, residents, health, the surrounding resident and business community and with her police colleagues, by listening to and addressing the often-competing priorities. Her innovative work in solving a variety of complaints and concerns led to more productive relationships for the VPD, reduced police calls for service, improved sense of safety and connection for all involved.

Barb was also assigned as the VPD liaison officer to the Vancouver tourist hotel community where she built a communication system for 74 hotel properties to share crime trends, unfolding incidents, and for VPD investigators to message out information relevant to that community. The system proved successful in solving crime through leveraging the knowledge and resources of the hotel community, and in recognizing the importance of working collaboratively as a community to reduce crime and disorder in our neighbourhoods. Additionally, she provided education and recommendations to hotel properties for preparation in the event of Active Deadly Threat incidents.

In addition to the many hats she wore at the VPD, Barb regularly met with representatives from the Business Improvement Associations across the City of Vancouver during COVID lockdown as they had reported an increase in property crime incidents in the absence of the usual foot traffic in their neighbourhoods. She worked in real time to relay specific concerns to VPD managers in order to deploy resources ensuring everyone was safer.

During her time with the VPD, she authored research papers on homelessness in Vancouver, and on a true population snapshot in the downtown of Vancouver, recognizing the large discrepancy between resident and functioning population numbers to assist in the department securing additional personnel.

She is a founding Board member of BC Women in Law Enforcement (BCWLE), a non-profit organization created to be a supportive community for policewomen throughout the province of BC, first as Membership Coordinator and then as Sergeant at Arms. There are now over 500 members.

She has received two Vancouver Police Chief Constable commendations, one for saving the life of an emotionally distraught person on a bridge, and the other for being a founding member of BCWLE.

Barb is also the only two-time recipient of the BC Borstal Association awards: The Certificate of Merit for Community Crime Prevention for her innovative work with homeless and the broad scope of housing models, and the Community Crime Prevention Excellence Award for her work with the Vancouver hotel community and continued relationship bridging concerns of both housed and unhoused citizens.

Barb decided to run for Council after witnessing the recent violence in our community. She has the utmost respect is grateful to her RCMP colleagues who courageously ran into danger without hesitation.

Barb holds Bachelor of Arts from Trinity Western University and a Police Academy Certification from the Justice Institute of BC.

Barb also completed the THRIVE: Women and Leadership certificate through Royal Roads University.

While attenting Trinity Western University, during her time there, Barb fell in love with Langley.

She permanently relocated in 1994 to Walnut Grove and has raised her two children there. Matthew, 21, is the Director at Impacts Hoops Academy. Abigail, 17, is attending UBC in the fall with a focus on speech sciences.

She enjoys reading, gardening, yoga, running, BBQ’s with neighbours and friends, and road tripping.