Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award (CBLEA)

Every year the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award recognizes outstanding police performance in fighting crime against Canadian banks. Recipients of this prestigious award have gone above and beyond the call of duty while preventing and investigating crimes against Canada’s financial institutions. Recipients of this prestigious award have gone above and beyond the call of duty while preventing and investigating crimes against Canada’s financial institutions.

Since 1972, the Canadian Bankers Association has awarded 279 medals to Canadian police officers, of which 18 are Vancouver Police. The award is presented annually at the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) conference.

Vancouver Police Officers presented with the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement  Award since inception:

See the full list of honourees.

Here are some of those stories behind the awarded medals prior to 2000.

Robbery at the Bank of Nova Scotia (Broadway/Burrard) on November 15, 1971

After the robbery, the license plate of the getaway car was broadcast by police radio. Constable Johnson saw the vehicle and stopped it. As he left his own vehicle, the car’s only occupant shot him twice at close range, striking him in the chest and groin. A third bullet shattered the police cruiser’s rear window. The suspect then ran, vaulting a fence and firing two more shots at Constable Johnson. Laying in a gutter, Constable Johnson fired five shots in exchange. The suspect took refuge in a nearby house, which was soon surrounded. Upon entering, they heard one shot and found the suspect lying dead of a self-inflicted wound.

 

 

Robbery with hostage-taking at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Lougheed Mall, on December 17, 1973

Six members of a joint task force representing the RCMP and Vancouver Police were selected for bravery, sound judgement, police planning, and team effort based on their actions during a tense and dangerous hostage-type robbery of the CIBC at Lougheed Mall in Burnaby.

This incident was considered one of the most vicious and cowardly bank-related crimes in Canadian history. It began when two armed men forced their way into a bank branch manager’s private home. The lower suite housed the landlord and his two children, all forcibly detained before the suspects gained entrance to the manager’s suite. The manager, his wife, and their three children were also taken hostage by the two gunmen. All five children were bound with tape and locked in a bedroom while the three adults were forced at gunpoint to accompany the intruders to the bank.

Upon arriving at Lougheed Mall, two maintenance men and several members of the bank staff were also taken hostage as they arrived at work. By this time, an alarm had been raised and Detective John Edwards, who arrived at the in-progress robbery, conferred with his colleagues. Due to the number of hostages held, it was agreed that no firearms would be used. As Sergeant Washington (Vancouver RCMP) maintained observation of the branch interior, other officers took up position near the exit. When the two suspects left the premises, one was overpowered by Sergeant Charlton (Burnaby RCMP). The second gunman carrying a sawed-off shotgun, opened fire on police. Constable Bell (North Vancouver RCMP) was wounded in the abdomen and right hand, while Constable Leicht (North Vancouver RCMP) had his jacket pocket ripped away by the blast. Sergeant Stewardson (Burnaby RCMP) and Washington moved in to assist; both suspects were arrested and disarmed.

Throughout the entire incident, none of the officers drew their revolver. The two robbers were convicted on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, and forcible confinement, each receiving sentences totaling 29 years.

 

 

Armed Robbery of the Toronto Dominion Bank, 12^th and Granville, on March 26, 1975

Constable James Agnew was chosen for his brave action and excellent judgement displayed following an armed robbery of the Toronto Dominion Bank.

Alerted by radio of a robbery in progress, Constable Agnew hurried to the scene in time to observe the bandit leaving the branch. Agnew drew his revolver and twice ordered the fleeing suspect to stop. The bandit ignored Agnew’s warnings, and realizing the danger to innocent bystanders, the officer did not fire his revolver. Instead, he chose to continue his pursuit and subdued the suspect physically. During the struggle, the bandit pulled the trigger while trying to remove his own revolver from his pocket but wounded himself in the leg and abdomen. He later recovered from his wounds.

The suspect had previously been convicted as a habitual criminal and was released on parole shortly before this robbery.

 

Armed Robbery at the Bank of Nova Scotia 1701 E. Broadway on January 5, 1976

Constables Robert Dunn and John Boddie were selected for the alertness they displayed and the sensible strategy they employed on January 5, 1976, in apprehending two armed suspects who had held up the Bank of Nova Scotia, with shots fired.

Constable Dunn, a motorcycle officer on traffic duty, heard the broadcast describing the getaway vehicle. A short while later he observed a vehicle matching the description, carrying two occupants. Rather than approach the car, Constable Dunn wisely decided to radio for assistance while continuing to follow at a discreet distance. Soon, Constable Boddie joined him, and together they stopped the vehicle, with an incident-free arrest. A fully loaded automatic pistol was taken from one suspect and all the stolen money was recovered.

Both men were subsequently charged with committing 17 bank robberies in the Vancouver area within the previous 11 weeks.

 

 Sergeant 200 Eric Hodge

Armed Robbery of the Eaton’s Warehouse at 4325 Kingsway, Burnaby, on October 9, 1975     

Sergeant Eric Hodge received the medal for his devotion to duty and the brave action he displayed in apprehending an armed and dangerous individual. The suspect was convicted on nine counts of armed robbery, six of which were committed against Vancouver area bank branches.

Following the commission of an armed robbery of a wholesale warehouse on October 9, 1975, the fleeing suspect was involved in a motor vehicle accident and then ran. Seeing the hit and run, Sergeant Hodge, who was off duty at the time driving his 16-year-old son and a friend to football practice, pursued the suspect on foot. Trapping the suspect between two houses, the man turned and pointed his gun at Hodge, warning him, “Back off or I’ll kill you.”

Undeterred, Hodge struggled with the suspect, apprehending and disarming him. Meanwhile, the younger boys had called the RCMP. They recovered $1200 from this robbery and determined that he had been involved in 11 others.

 

Armed Robbery and Hostage-Taking at the Bank of Montreal, Oakridge, on February 15, 1977

Responding to a silent alarm at the Bank of Montreal, units were advised that the suspect had fled, taking the bank manager hostage. A broadcast of the manager’s vehicle description led to Constable Munroe spotting the vehicle near Nanaimo and 41^st Avenue. The vehicle was momentarily lost from view in the area.

Constable Munro picked up the trail again at 41^st and Victoria. He broadcast a Code 4, and u-turned to follow.

Interviewed after the fact, it turned out that the manager was forced to drive the car when first leaving the bank. At one point, the gunman tells the manager to stop as he was going to shoot the cop with his sawed off 12-gauge shotgun. Near St. Margarets and 45^th Avenue, the manager slowed the vehicle down and jumped out, whereupon the suspect took the wheel and fired two shots, hitting the police vehicle door frame and a telephone pole.

Fleeing at high-speed, he tried to pass a car on the right and lost control of the vehicle, slamming into a tree in the 3200 block of E. 45^th Avenue. No sooner had the crash occurred, the suspect leapt out, shotgun blazing and fired a blast at police. Constable Munroe bailed across the front seat and out onto the passenger side. Suspect fired again, and hit the vehicle and a nearby house. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect three times, Munroe wounding him in the knee. As he was being taken into custody by Constable Munroe, the suspect pulled out a Bowie knife, but was informed in no uncertain terms not to move.

A month previously, the gunman had been let out of prison and failed to return. At that time, he had been serving eight years for a 1973 shotgun robbery.

He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years for attempt murder (of Constable Munroe), 12 years for kidnapping the bank manager,and 10 years for the robbery, to be served concurrently.  While serving time, he was released on a day pass to allegedly go to his father’s funeral, instead he committed four more robberies in Vancouver. He was released from prison in 1998.

Arrest of an Armed Bank Robbery Suspect on July 28, 1980

Constables Boswell and Singh (Heed) were on patrol when they noticed a man casually walking opposite them. The two officers were unaware at the time that a bank had been robbed minutes earlier; the man had aroused their curiosity.

Aware that the police were watching him, he broke into a run, pursued by Boswell and Singh (Heed), who apprehended him. A fully-loaded double-barreled gun was seized, along with $2000 cash. The suspect had a lengthy criminal record.

Armed Robbery of the Royal Bank, Robson Street, on December 28, 1984

At 9:12 hrs. on December 28, 1984, a lone male entered the Royal Bank and robbed the employees at gunpoint. They had been counting the night deposits. He made off with approximately $3000, running across the street and into a lane followed by a civilian who had seen the robbery take place. The gunman then entered the rear of the Burger King restaurant at 804 Granville, where he ran into a female employee while attempting to jump the front counter. He tripped and fell, and the witness tried to subdue him. The suspect then pointed his gun at the civilian’s head, pulling the trigger several times. The gun did not fire.

It was at this moment that Constable Puder entered the restaurant and told the man to drop his gun. Instead, the gunman pointed it at him and pulled the trigger twice. Hearing the two clicks, Constable Puder fired a single shot at the suspect, killing him.

It was subsequently determined that the gunman had been released from jail a few days earlier, after being arrested carrying a loaded gun. He was also wanted on a parole violation from a previous robbery conviction. The gun he carried during the Royal Bank robbery was a replica.

 

Constable Les Yeo received this award for three separate cases resulting in the arrest of four bank robbers, who had committed at least 40 holdups in BC and Alberta.

In June 1989, Constable Yeo was working a search and located two wanted felons. He gave chase on foot and captured one of them. Other officers caught the second. They were charged with 13 bank robberies.

A few months later, Constable Yeo’s assiduous work and attention to detail led him to the getaway vehicle of the “Machete Bandit.” Eyes were put up and subsequently an arrest was made in four bank robbery files.

In February 1990, Constable Yeo’s eagle eye spotted the “Carpenter Bandit’s” vehicle (labelled due to committing his holdups wearing a tool belt). He interviewed residents and shopkeepers over the next week throughout the area. His perseverance paid off; the suspect was identified as having committed 27 armed robberies against financial institutions in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary.

Off-duty Arrest of an Armed Robbery Suspect at the CIBC, Granville Street, on November 10, 1990

Unarmed and off duty at the time, Constable John Grywinski and his wife were inside the bank conducting personal business on a busy Saturday afternoon-evening. While waiting his turn, his attention was drawn to an individual entering the branch and putting on sunglasses. The man was sporting gloves and a wig under his ballcap, and cut right in front of the long line-up, showing a note to the teller.

Realizing that a robbery was about to take place, Constable Grywinski discreetly moved away from his wife to clearly see the interaction between the teller and the suspect. As soon as he determined that the bank employee was not being threatened by a weapon, Constable Grywinski screamed out “Vancouver Police” and took a running tackle at the suspect. A violent struggle ensued; the wig, hat, and glasses went flying, along with other bank furnishings. Wrapping him in a bear hug, John was in the fight of his life, desperately attempting to get a choke hold on the suspect. During the fight, Constable Grywinski pulled a 14-inch “Rambo” knife from the robber’s belt. Meanwhile, his wife was yelling “He’s a cop ! Help!” A customer finally stepped in to assist the officer in subduing the bandit, holding him until help arrived.

During this time, as the suspect was prone on the floor, he started yelling, “Let go of me!” while spitting rubber bands out of his mouth. Along with his hat, wig, and glasses, he had endeavored to disguise his French accent with a full mouth, thus inheriting the nickname “Mumbles” by VPD Robbery.

The suspect was charged with 15 robberies of financial institutions within the previous two months.