Canadian Pacific Railway Police Service
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Pacific Police Service (CPPS) is a private police
force enforcing safety and policing along Canadian Pacific Railway
properties and rail lines in Canada
and the United States
, including limited sections of the Milton line of GO Transit
in the Greater Toronto Area
.
The current head of the CP force is Chief Ivan McClelland.
s, and to keep the peace during the building of the Canadian Railways from coast to coast. The railway police history dates many years and continues the tradition of protecting Canada's vast section of railway.
In recent years they have been downsized and now number under 100 officers across Canada. CP Police are also deployed throughout the CP Rail System in the USA.
The Railway Safety Act is a federal act that allows for any federal railway to appoint officers as police constables. These railway police constables have all the powers of a regular police officer as it relates to the protection of property owned, possessed or administered by a railway company and the protection of persons and property on that property. Railway police are unique in Canada as they are essentially a private company that employs sworn police officers.
The main duties of a railway police officer are to protect the public using the company facilities, the employees and its assets. This includes public education on trespassing, school awareness programs, investigating crimes against the railway, assist the local police services, issuing tickets and many other duties including security of property and buildings. CP Rail assigns individual officers large sections of railway tracks to patrol and conduct active enforcement and public safety initiatives.
pistol. They are issued a standard police style baseball cap. However, CPR police do work in plain clothes capacity also.
Years ago, the CP Police provided police services to union station
buildings, CP Hotels, CP Ships and CP Air. CP Rail is now their main responsibility, as the above CP departments have been sold off.
CPR Police recruits attend different federal & provincial police academies as there is no government-mandated training college for railway police in Canada. Currently, CPR Police have an agreement with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service
and the Lethbridge College in Alberta, since May 2005 for the recruit training program. Before year 2005, CP Police recruits used to get their basic training at the RCMP Academy
located at Depot in Regina, Saskatchewan. For specialized police training, members may have to attend different provincial police colleges as well as the Canadian Police College located at Ottawa.
All CP Police officers must have knowledge of federal and provincial laws as the railway properties cross many jurisdictions (Federal, Provincial, municipal, county) and have to collaborate with their respective police departments. The job of a railway police officer is sometimes lonely patrolling miles of track solo with little back up. They are paid on par with regular police officers in Canada and similar benefits. CP Rail is a private company and pays taxes that includes public police protection, thus CP Rail has downsized their police department over several decades. CP Rail Police numbers have remained steady at about 100 officers in the US and Canada. Jurisdictional public police departments maintain the overall responsibility for public safety and law enforcement in their respective territories including CP Rail property. However, CP Rail Police will assist local police if necessary and conduct its own investigations. CP Rail also uses its police department to conduct investigations into employee conduct dealing with collective agreement violations involving alcohol and drugs, as well as criminal matters.
Private police
Private police are law enforcement bodies that are owned and/or controlled by non-governmental entities.These can be firms to which the government contracts out police work Private police are law enforcement bodies that are owned and/or controlled by non-governmental entities.These can be firms to...
force enforcing safety and policing along Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
properties and rail lines in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including limited sections of the Milton line of GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
The current head of the CP force is Chief Ivan McClelland.
History
The Canadian Pacific Police is one of the oldest police services in Canada. CP Railway Police have a long and storied past within Canada and CP Rail is a part of Canada's history. Railway police were called upon many times to police railway townRailway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
s, and to keep the peace during the building of the Canadian Railways from coast to coast. The railway police history dates many years and continues the tradition of protecting Canada's vast section of railway.
In recent years they have been downsized and now number under 100 officers across Canada. CP Police are also deployed throughout the CP Rail System in the USA.
Mandate
Canadian Pacific Police Service are responsible for all aspects of railway security. They are duly appointed and armed police officers that gather their authority in Canada via the Railway Safety Act.The Railway Safety Act is a federal act that allows for any federal railway to appoint officers as police constables. These railway police constables have all the powers of a regular police officer as it relates to the protection of property owned, possessed or administered by a railway company and the protection of persons and property on that property. Railway police are unique in Canada as they are essentially a private company that employs sworn police officers.
The main duties of a railway police officer are to protect the public using the company facilities, the employees and its assets. This includes public education on trespassing, school awareness programs, investigating crimes against the railway, assist the local police services, issuing tickets and many other duties including security of property and buildings. CP Rail assigns individual officers large sections of railway tracks to patrol and conduct active enforcement and public safety initiatives.
Officers
The CP Police uniform consists of a dark blue shirt, dark blue cargo pants with body armour; they are armed with the usual police use of force equipment, as well as a GlockGlock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
pistol. They are issued a standard police style baseball cap. However, CPR police do work in plain clothes capacity also.
Years ago, the CP Police provided police services to union station
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
buildings, CP Hotels, CP Ships and CP Air. CP Rail is now their main responsibility, as the above CP departments have been sold off.
CPR Police recruits attend different federal & provincial police academies as there is no government-mandated training college for railway police in Canada. Currently, CPR Police have an agreement with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service
Lethbridge Regional Police Service
Lethbridge Regional Police Service was established 1 February 2004 when the police services of Lethbridge and Coaldale, Alberta, amalgamated. The service covers Lethbridge and Coaldale.-History:...
and the Lethbridge College in Alberta, since May 2005 for the recruit training program. Before year 2005, CP Police recruits used to get their basic training at the RCMP Academy
RCMP Academy, Depot Division
RCMP Academy, Depot Division has been providing police training to Royal Canadian Mounted Police "cadets" since its establishment in 1885. The facility is located in the west part of Regina, Saskatchewan, near the airport, and consists of several buildings.In the RCMP's early days, Depot had a...
located at Depot in Regina, Saskatchewan. For specialized police training, members may have to attend different provincial police colleges as well as the Canadian Police College located at Ottawa.
All CP Police officers must have knowledge of federal and provincial laws as the railway properties cross many jurisdictions (Federal, Provincial, municipal, county) and have to collaborate with their respective police departments. The job of a railway police officer is sometimes lonely patrolling miles of track solo with little back up. They are paid on par with regular police officers in Canada and similar benefits. CP Rail is a private company and pays taxes that includes public police protection, thus CP Rail has downsized their police department over several decades. CP Rail Police numbers have remained steady at about 100 officers in the US and Canada. Jurisdictional public police departments maintain the overall responsibility for public safety and law enforcement in their respective territories including CP Rail property. However, CP Rail Police will assist local police if necessary and conduct its own investigations. CP Rail also uses its police department to conduct investigations into employee conduct dealing with collective agreement violations involving alcohol and drugs, as well as criminal matters.
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