DAVE MONTESANO


Please allow me to introduce myself


​​ MONTESANO LAW ENFORCEMENT  RECRUITMENT CONSULTING


My name is Dave Montesano, and I have recently retired after having served as a police officer for almost 30 years. I was privileged to work within one of the finest police departments in Canada, and to serve the citizens of this unique, diverse, and challenging City of Vancouver. I think it is important to tell you about my career to demonstrate the credibility that I bring to my endeavour.

I was hired by the Vancouver Police Department in January, 1989, and after completing my recruit training at the Justice Institute of British Columbia, I was assigned to patrol duties in the downtown core (Granville/Robson St.) or what is now commonly known as the " Entertainment District". I remained in operations for approximately fourteen years, and thoroughly enjoyed my time as a uniformed Police Officer. I spent five of those years walking the "Granville Beat", and was periodically seconded as an undercover operative for the Drug Squad and with the Vice Unit. I later competed, and was successful in becoming a Detective with the Vice Unit and left my uniform duties to work in an undercover capacity. During my time with the Vice Unit I conducted investigations related to human exploitation; including pimping, and street prostitution. For me; the most gratifying part of vice work was when I was successful in rescuing victims from the sex trade, and facilitating their exit. I continue to provide support for some of the victims that I helped reunite with their families. They are now enjoying a normal life and have a promising future.

From the Vice Unit I transferred into the Recruiting Section in 2006 where I would work for the next four years. I took a personal interest in selecting the finest and most competitive applicants to become police officers. I mentored several applicants who had great potential, but for one reason or another had received deferrals from our process. Generally, I found that these people had either received bad advice about the process, or had not prepared themselves adequately. After contacting me, and acting on my recommendations, many developed into competitive applicants that were later hired. During my tenure in recruiting I was directly responsible for hiring 35 Police Constables, and  25 members of the Traffic Authority, and Police Jail Guards.

My next position with the VPD after my time as a Recruiter was with our Training Section where I was appointed as the Recruit Training Officer. I was responsible for the supervision of our new recruits from the day they were hired with the VPD, and through their recruit training at the JIBC up until their graduation. I transitioned our recruits from their "civilian lives" into their new careers in Law Enforcement. My primary function was to be a mentor for our recruits, and to facilitate their needs throughout their training. I ensured that our recruits met the academic standards, and the fitness demands of their training. Occasionally, a personal or family related matter presented a distraction for recruits outside of their training. I supported my recruits through trying times, and sought further assistance for them if necessary while maintaining total confidentiality. Ultimately, my measure of success was seeing my recruits graduate, and become effective police officers. During my time as the Recruit Training Officer I successfully supervised over 150 recruits who are now serving members with the Vancouver Police Department.

I completed my service as the Recruit Training Officer in 2012, and continued to work within our Training Section. I was based out of the Tactical Training Centre with the Force Options Section  where I reviewed officer use of force. I retired on July 1st, 2018.


MY PURPOSE:

Throughout my time in the Recruiting Unit I was fortunate to meet hundreds of people who were genuinely interested in pursuing a career in Law Enforcement. All of these individuals submitted applications hoping to be successful, but due to the competitive nature of this process only a few are hired. Statistically speaking, approximately one out of every ten applicants is hired. These numbers vary from year to year depending on the hiring climate, but the statistics don't deviate dramatically. At a first glance these odds seem a bit daunting, and certainly can be if you have not prepared yourself, or have not committed whole heartedly. Even in saying this, I have seen some outstanding applicants enter the process and fail because they made basic mistakes during the various steps . Most of these mistakes were made due to a lack of information, misinformation, or poor preparation. I can help you avoid these pitfalls by providing you with a competent consultation prior to submitting  an application. I will help to prepare you for the pre-employment process, and the challenges that lay ahead. My purpose is to ensure that you move forward feeling confident in your abilities, and a willingness to work hard to demonstrate  your personal dimensions, and competitiveness. 


THE CONSULTATION:

Most consultations will take approximately two hours to complete and I am now meeting with my clients virtually via Zoom. We will work within a specific framework that will best suit your individual needs. This includes the following:

               

1. Thorough review of your current resume and cover letter to ensure that you presenting yourself in the most professional manner with an emphasis on the qualities that would make you a competitive applicant. We will also discuss "personal presentation" and how you can have a positive impact on those who will be assessing you

          

 2. Comprehensive discussion about the recruiting process, and the commitment required throughout the various steps. Every process has similarities, and you can expect to be assessed or tested on the following;

​    

  •  Physical Fitness
  •  Interpersonal dimensions including; impact, communication skills, stress tolerance
  •  Integrity (polygraph)
  •  Academic ability
  •  Employment, personal, academic and financial background


 3. Personal disclosure is very important, and in my experience this is where most applicants cost themselves an opportunity. I understand that this is a very sensitive topic for all of us, and talking about some of the things that we are least proud of is difficult. At your discretion, I will provide  you with an unbiased, experiential based assessment with respect to any disclosure concern. I will give you an honest opinion if I believe that a disclosure issue may present an impediment for you moving forward in the process. I have seen some great applicants "stress out" during the process because a disclosure issue weighed on them, and negatively impacted their performance. Don't let this happen to you. Confidentiality is something that I will NEVER compromise, and I WILL NOT discuss your consultation with any person or agency without your authorization.


4. The most impactful stage of the Recruitment Process will be your intake/suitability/executive interview. Ensuring that you are fully prepared to effectively promote, and represent yourself during the interview is essential in order to optimize  suitability for selection. I provide my clients with insight,

guidance, and assessment through mock interview questions. I will also discuss the various styles of questions that you will hear during your interview.

I also provide my clients with material that will help you to continue to prepare for their interview beyond their consultation.

           

 5.  At the end of your consultation I will provide you with an experiential based opinion, and assessment with respect to your competitiveness. We will review your strengths as well as any areas for development. I have several contacts for referral if you need to augment specific dimensions. I.E. personal fitness trainers, academic tutors. I am confident that you will leave my consultation with a greater understanding of the following:


  •  Identification of your strengths and assets and how to effectively project them.
  •  Review areas that require further development, and formulate strategies to enhance your competitiveness.
  •  Provide you with an understanding of the recruiting process and what the performance expectations will be.
  •  Develop a "personal game plan" so that you proceed with confidence in your ability to succeed.


MY MESSAGE TO YOU:

I would like to thank you for taking the time to view my website and read about my services. This is a personal endeavor that I have embarked on as a result of my extensive experience as a Police Officer and a former Recruiter.  I take great pride in seeing excellent applicants succeed, and move forward into an outstanding career. But there was no bigger disappointment for me to watch people fail in the process for reasons that did not have to be. I don't want you to be the latter. As I mentioned earlier, you will not find any other pre-employment process as demanding as that in Law Enforcement. The expectations are high because only the best are hired. You have probably already invested countless hours preparing for the process, and if you factor in your educational expenses in order to qualify, you may have already spent several thousand dollars. I am confident in saying that investing in my service will be well worth its value as you prepare for a career with a purpose.


Although my employment background is specific to policing, most Law Enforcement related recruiting processes look for similar dimensions and qualities in their applicants. My service will benefit anyone who is pursuing a career as a :


  •  Federal or Municipal Police Officer     
  •  Corrections Officer
  •  Sheriff
  •  Special Municipal Constable
  •  CBSA
  •  Reserve Officer


Thank you once again for your time, and I look forward to meeting with you soon to help you..........................


    "PREPARE, PERFORM, SUCCEED"