Employee Profile: Cst. Attila Szalay

Cst. Attila Szalay was born and raised in Surrey, B.C., the son of hard-working Hungarian immigrants. He chose a career in policing in pursuit of a dynamic profession—one where no two days are the same. He was also driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, often on their most difficult days, while protecting the public from criminals. Before entering policing, one of his closest friends, Doug Riley, also pursued a law enforcement career. Today, they serve together on CFSEU-BC’s Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET).

Attila began his public safety career with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), where he worked as a Border Services Officer from 2009 to 2016. During that time, he was featured on the National Geographic documentary Border Security: Canada’s Front Line. In 2016, he left CBSA to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After graduating from Depot in March 2017, he was posted to the Surrey RCMP Detachment. From 2017 to 2019, he served in General Duty, earning a Chief’s Commendation for his role in apprehending an armed American murder suspect who had fled across the border into Canada.

In 2019, Attila joined the Surrey Gang Enforcement Team (SGET), where he served until 2024 before transferring to CFSEU-BC’s Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET), where he currently works. He was drawn to CFSEU-BC by the opportunity to contribute at the provincial level, targeting some of British Columbia’s most dangerous organized crime offenders.

Alongside his UGET partner, Attila co-created the Proactive Interdiction and Enforcement Tactics (PIET) Workshop, a mentorship program designed to equip police officers across the province with practical strategies to combat organized crime effectively.

Policing is a shared commitment in Attila’s family—his wife, Tiffany, serves as a police officer with the Vancouver Police Department. Outside of work, he enjoys travelling, hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.