Three decades ago, Walter Argent joined a Vancouver police department brimming with experience.
As a rookie he partnered with a 15-year veteran who offered Argent sage advice: Stay quiet and keep your hands off the radio.
"In [my] first five years I was dragged to every murder and suicide," Sgt. Argent told Vancouver's citizens' police academy Saturday, which offers a peek behind the scenes of the VPD.
"Do you make a mistake? Oh, you bet you do."
The grace granted Argent allowed him to learn from his missteps and mature into an unapologetic beat cop responsible for the Granville entertainment district.
But, time is a luxury today's officers don't have.
The learning curve is steep for rookies, who are partnered with constables with two or three years on a beat.
Meanwhile, officers are rising to senior ranks after eight years of service.
The result is an evolution in department culture, Argent said.
"It was too much paramilitary when I started and now it's gone a little too university," he said.
But the fundamentals of service, including keeping a high-shine on a pair of boots, is what Argent demands.
"The one thing I instill in these kids is, who the hell is paying their wages," he said. "It's the citizens of Vancouver."
