Bravery and investigative excellence earn Montreal and Vancouver officers Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award

Senior Constable François Clavel and Constable Bryan Brown of the Montreal Police Service and Detective Constable Dean Wells of the Vancouver Police Service, Robbery Unit will each receive the award during this evening’s gala ceremony at the 108th annual Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“Canadian financial institutions, their employees and customers are very grateful for the important work and dedication that these three police officers have demonstrated, which is why they are so deserving of this prestigious award,” said Nathalie Clark, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for the Canadian Bankers Association. “Security and safety are always the top priority for Canadian banks and that is why they work closely with police services across the country to help protect their employees and customers.”

Senior Constable François Clavel and Constable Bryan Brown – Montreal Police Service
In November 2012, Senior Constable François Clavel and Constable Bryan Brown were the first to respond to an armed bank robbery in a suburb of Montreal. The suspect had entered the bank and threatened the security guard, clients and staff with a gun. He made off with a small sum of money and the bank quickly notified police of the robbery.

Eight minutes after the call was made to police, Senior Constable Clavel and Constable Brown caught up to the armed suspect in a park and then pursued him first by patrol car and then on foot. After a short confrontation between the suspect and officers, the suspect was arrested and his weapon, disguise and money were seized.

What made the case so extraordinary was that both officers pursued the armed suspect without any hesitation, risking their own lives to make sure that an arrest was made. Senior Constable Clavel and Constable Brown’s bravery and determination resulted in a dangerous and violent criminal being taken off the streets. The arrest identified a connection between the suspect and other bank robberies in the area.

Detective Constable Dean Wells – Vancouver Police Service, Robbery Unit
Detective Constable Dean Wells was assigned as lead detective in the case of eight bank robberies in the Vancouver area. In all of the robberies, the suspects were armed and wore elaborate disguises. The amount of cash demanded in each robbery increased, along with the level of violence.

Detective Constable Wells reviewed security videos and statements from all the robberies and quickly determined they were connected because of similarities in the disguises and tactics used. No forensic evidence was left at the scenes. It was through surveillance and the exceptional investigative skills demonstrated by Detective Constable Wells that the suspects were tracked down and arrested as they left the eighth robbery.

Detective Constable Wells’ thorough investigation of the robberies and his active pursuit of the suspects, made sure that violent criminals were removed from the streets. His determination to stop the increasingly violent robberies resulted in banks, their employees and customers, and the Vancouver community as a whole being much safer.

About the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award
Since its creation in 1972, 226 officers from across Canada have been honoured with the Canadian Banks’ Law Enforcement Award for their outstanding bravery, dedication and other noteworthy achievements in combating crimes against Canada’s banks. For additional information about the CBLEA, please visit www.cba.ca/award.