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Ladner-native named VPD’s Police Officer of the Year

Homicide investigator Sgt. Mike Heard says that it’s the connection with one victim’s family in particular that has left a lasting impression on him and his career.
Mike Heard
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart (left) and police Chief Adam Palmer present Vancouver police Sgt. Mike Heard with the Police Officer of the Year award.

Homicide investigator Sgt. Mike Heard says that it’s the connection with one victim’s family in particular that has left a lasting impression on him and his career.

The Ladner-native was named the Vancouver Police Department’s 2019 Police Officer of the Year at the annual Vancouver Police Commendation Ceremony earlier this month.

The awards recognize police officers, civilian staff and citizens for acts of bravery and going beyond the call of duty.

A 20-year veteran of the force, Heard has been with the department’s homicide unit for almost 10 years and was promoted to sergeant two years ago. Of all the murders he’s investigated over the years, he says it was the case of Rose Paul that has made a lasting impression.

“[It] still drives me to this day,” he told the Courier after accepting his award.

In March 2015, Paul’s body was found in the basement suite of a home on East 22nd Avenue near Main Street. Her boyfriend, Daniel Alphonse Paul, was on the run for a month before police caught up with him. He was convicted of second-degree murder and in December 2017 was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 21 years.

Heard and his brother, who was his partner at the time, worked on the case.

“For me, we made a ton of connections with the family and still to this day we’re invited to family events and family barbecues,” Heard said. “I think for me to have that strength to go on and see the importance and kind of partake in family events like the funeral and family ceremonies for Rose Paul going forward, I think it’s been a huge lasting impression on me… and having their support and still to this day continue to meet with them, see them go to different events within the community, for me, has kind of been life changing.”

In his award write-up, Heard was described as a “tenacious investigator and an exceptional leader” who has taken on some of the department’s most challenging cases. He leads one of the teams of investigators and at the time the awards were announced the team had secured charges in 100 per cent of the last 10 cases.

“My team and I have had just great success and we’ve been lucky on all the files we’ve gotten, the last 10 murders, we’ve solved all of them.”

Heard was chosen as the Police Officer of the Year for 2019 for his “remarkable level of commitment and leadership, maintained throughout lengthy and complex investigations, and resulting in extraordinarily successful results.”