A New Westminster police officer who once took a bullet in the line of duty is thrilled to be the city’s new top cop.
Paul Hyland was officially appointed New Westminster Police Department’s chief constable in January, after serving as acting police chief since June 2024.
As a kid growing up in Kitimat, Hyland knew he wanted to be a police officer from the time he was a teenager. Back then he was “enamoured with the romance of being a police officer and the challenges that it would present” — but it went even deeper.
“Really, at my core, I don't like bullies; never have,” he said. “And I don't like people that abuse their power or abuse their strength. So, I really felt this was a job where you could stick up for people. … I like advocating for people that sometimes can't do it for themselves, so that was a big attraction to getting into the job.”
After getting a diploma and a degree in criminal justice studies, Hyland worked as a social worker in Kitimat for the Ministry of Children and Families for about three years. He began applying to various B.C police departments, getting hired in 1995 by the New Westminster Police Department and hitting the streets in 1996 after graduating from the police academy.
“If you told me when I started that one day, I'd be the chief, I would have laughed,” he said. “I would have said, ‘No, I'm not a desk-type person.’ But here we are. I like to be out and busy and talking to people and engaging with people as much as I can.”
'The right job'
When Hyland started out in patrol in 1996, he said New West was a “very different community" than it is today.
Not only did it have the most liquor seats per capita of all cities in British Columbia, but its crime severity index (which is a measure of the overall seriousness of crime in Canadian cities) was among the top three in the province.
Hyland loved the job from Day 1.
“I remember working and being uptown — I can't remember the nature of the call — but the city just had this electric feeling. It was a hot August day,” he recalled. “The (police) radio was super busy; just call to call to call. And I thought to myself, I would do this job for free. I knew I picked the right job; I knew I picked the right department.”
Nearly three decades later, Hyland’s commitment to the safety and well-being of New West remains as strong as ever.
That commitment was solidified by an officer-involved shooting seven years into his career.
In March 2003, Hyland was one of two cops shot after New Westminster police officers responded to numerous 911 calls about shots fired in an apartment building on 11th Street. One officer was shot in the leg by a suspect fleeing the scene.
Several hours later, Hyland (and a suspect) were both shot in a shootout that occurred when the NWPD and the Emergency Response Team attempted to arrest a suspect at a different New West location. Hyland was shot in the chest — with his armoured vest saving his life.
Hyland was later invested as a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces and awarded the BC Award of Valour.
“Early in my career, I experienced first-hand the extreme risk that many other officers have faced,” he said. “That moment galvanized my commitment to this amazing community.”
Three-pillar approach
As chief constable, Hyland intends to bring a three-pillar approach to his role: ensuring a great culture and healthy work environment where staff feel supported and have what they need to do the job; improving community trust and community safety; and engaging with citizens and community groups.
Given the increasing challenges for the department’s police officers and civilian staff, including burnout, Hyland wants to maintain open communication channels with staff.
“The job has become just ever more complex,” he explained. “Once you get removed from it, you really need to stay connected, so you understand the frustrations that the frontline and all the staff are facing.”
Hyland also wants the police department to connect with the community.
“We're seeing across the world, a reduction or a crisis of trust in public institutions,” he said. “So, I want to make sure that we're transparent and we're upfront with what we're doing and communicating our successes and our failures.”
I am so proud of how @NewWestPD members show their commitment to helping others. This week, we assisted a stranded motorist who ran out of gas — a small act that speaks volumes about community service and trust. #ProudChief #NewWest pic.twitter.com/sElGFVpgrY
— Paul Hyland (@ChiefHyland) January 10, 2025
As chief, Hyland wants to hear from people with diverse points of view about what they want from the police department, including folks who have not traditionally had great relationships with police departments.
“I'm intending on creating a Chief Constable Advisory Committee, a community-based one that would invite members of the community, on a regular basis, to come in and raise concerns or listen to what we're doing,” he said.
Some of Hyland’s immediate priorities include stabilizing the organization, which has several vacancies in the senior management team due to retirements and leaves, and launching an operations review of the patrol division.
Hyland will also focus on some issues that weren’t even on the NWPD’s radar when he became a police officer back in 1996.
“I do worry a lot about this pace of technological advancement: AI, cyber crime, cyber security — these things are moving incredibly fast,” he said. “That's one of my big concerns, and keeping on top of that, and ensuring that we're in a good posture to deal with those issues.”
'This community matters'
Hyland, who served as deputy chief constable when Dave Jansen was the NWPD police chief, said he worked “extremely hard” to be the successful candidate in the process to select a new police chief. That included participating in a national search process involving an executive search firm, a screening process, and interviews with the police board.
“This meant a lot to me,” he said. “I'll try not to get emotional here: This has been my family for 30 years, so, there was a lot riding on it for me. … I wasn't looking to be a chief for the sake of being a chief; I wanted to be the chief constable here, because I really think this community matters and this department matters.”
Hyland couldn’t be happier about taking on the challenge of his new role.
“I'm just excited about what the future holds. I think it's a very interesting time in the world, but certainly in the community; there's a lot of growth and change happening in New West,” he said.
“I'm so glad to be here and to be able to be in this position to kind of make sure that the great work these members are doing continues, and that the public can rest assured that our staff are working incredibly hard to keep the community safe.”
