Order of Merit of the Police Forces
Encyclopedia
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces is an honour
for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved only for members of Canada's various police forces. Created in 2000, and administered by the Governor General-in-Council
, on behalf of the Queen of Canada, appointment to the order recognizes conspicuous merit and exceptional service, the level of which reflected by the organization's three heirarchical grades.
in 1996 approached the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall
to propose an order of merit for Canada's police forces, possibly modelled on the Order of Military Merit
. This prompted the Solicitor General of Canada
at the time, Herb Gray
, to contact his provincial counterparts, inquiring of their reactions to the idea. As consent from the provincial governments was unanimous in its approval, the society was set up and officially implemented when, on 3 October 2000, Queen Elizabeth II applied the royal sign-manual
to her letters patent
constituting the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. The first induction ceremony for the order then took place on 17 May 2002.
, is at the apex of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces as its Sovereign, followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor, and the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who is the Principal Commander. Thereafter follow three grades each having accordant post-nominal letters
that are the same in both English
and French
. Promotions in grade are possible, though there are limits to the populations of the grades. Any person thus honoured must return their lower grade insignia, as no member may at any time hold more than one appointment in the organization. Further, within the order of preference
for Canadian honours, each grade of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces precedes a similar grade of the Royal Victorian Order
and succeeds a similar grade of the Order of Military Merit
.
with four equal arms, at the centre of which is a disc bearing a maple leaf
on a white enamel background, surrounded at its edge by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the words MERIT • MÉRITE • CANADA. Slight differences in appearance represent each grade: for Commanders, the emblem is gilt
with a red enamel maple leaf in the gold central disk; for Officers, it is gilt with a gold maple leaf; and for Members, both the badge itself and the maple leaf are silver. The reverse bears only a serial number, and all are topped by a St. Edward's Crown
, symbolizing that the order is headed by the sovereign. These insignia are worn with the order's ribbon, which is three bands of equal width, the outer two in blue and the centre one in golden. Male Commanders will carry their badge either at the neck or on a medal bar on the left chest, while Officers and Members display theirs only on a medal bar, suspended by, respectively, a bar of gold or silver decorated with a laurel motif. Women wear their emblems on a ribbon bow pinned at the left chest. The ribbon bar, worn for undress, is the same for each grade, save for a miniature blue cross pattée with a maple leaf, the colour of which matches that on the badge of the grade that the wearer was appointed to; someone who has been promoted within the order may wear on their ribbon bar the pins of all grades that they have occupied. These same miniatures also serves as a lapel pin for civilian wear.
, patrol officers, administrators, trainers, and researchers. Either civilians or the advisory committee of the local branch of the Association of Chiefs of Police will forward names to the national advisory committee, which then makes its recommendation to the Advisory Committee for the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. This latter group consists of the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, who acts as chairperson, one of the Deputy Commissioners of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the President of the Canadian Police Association, one head of a provincial police force, three chiefs of municipal or regional police forces, the Deputy Secretary of the Chancellery of Honours, and two additional persons appointed by the governor general for between three to five years; the Secretary to the Governor General
serves as the Secretary General of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.
Approximately 50 individuals are admitted to the order each year; the total is limited to 0.1% of the total number of employees of police services in Canada in the preceding year. No more than six percent of those appointed to the order in total may be inducted as Commanders and no more than 30% may be made Officers. Inductions are also not made posthumously, though members of foreign armed forces can be admitted as honorary members in any grade.
sergeant
Warren S. Gherasim, appointed to the order in 2006, was removed from the rolls in 2010 for receiving a disgraceful conduct sanction.
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved only for members of Canada's various police forces. Created in 2000, and administered by the Governor General-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
, on behalf of the Queen of Canada, appointment to the order recognizes conspicuous merit and exceptional service, the level of which reflected by the organization's three heirarchical grades.
Creation
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of PoliceCanadian Association of Chiefs of Police
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is a national political lobby organization for police executives in Canada. It was founded in 1905 as the Chief Constables Association of Canada and adopted the current name in the early 1950s....
in 1996 approached the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
to propose an order of merit for Canada's police forces, possibly modelled on the Order of Military Merit
Order of Military Merit (Canada)
The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
. This prompted the Solicitor General of Canada
Solicitor General of Canada
The Solicitor General of Canada was a position in the Canadian ministry from 1892 to 2005. The position was based on the Solicitor General in the British system and was originally designated as an officer to assist the Minister of Justice...
at the time, Herb Gray
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...
, to contact his provincial counterparts, inquiring of their reactions to the idea. As consent from the provincial governments was unanimous in its approval, the society was set up and officially implemented when, on 3 October 2000, Queen Elizabeth II applied the royal sign-manual
Royal sign-manual
The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...
to her letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
constituting the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. The first induction ceremony for the order then took place on 17 May 2002.
Grades and precedence
The Canadian monarch, seen as the fount of honourFount of honour
The fount of honour refers to a nation's head of state, who, by virtue of his or her official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry to other persons.- Origin :...
, is at the apex of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces as its Sovereign, followed by the governor general, who serves as the fellowship's Chancellor, and the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who is the Principal Commander. Thereafter follow three grades each having accordant post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
that are the same in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Promotions in grade are possible, though there are limits to the populations of the grades. Any person thus honoured must return their lower grade insignia, as no member may at any time hold more than one appointment in the organization. Further, within the order of preference
Canadian order of precedence (Decorations and Medals)
The following is the Canadian order of precedence for decorations and medals. Where applicable, post-nominal letters are indicated.-Awards of valour:-National orders:-Provincial orders:-National decorations:-National medals:...
for Canadian honours, each grade of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces precedes a similar grade of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
and succeeds a similar grade of the Order of Military Merit
Order of Military Merit (Canada)
The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
.
| Grades of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces: | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Post-nominal letters | Ribbon | Recognizing | Preceding | Succeeding | |||
| Commander |
COM | Conspicuous meritorious service and leadership in areas of great responsibility, typically in the national sphere or international level. | Commander of the Order of Military Merit Order of Military Merit (Canada) The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada... (CMM) |
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys... (CVO) |
||||
| Officer |
OOM | Conspicuous meritorious service in areas of responsibility, typically at the regional level or provincial sphere. | Officer of the Order of Military Merit Order of Military Merit (Canada) The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada... (OMM) |
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys... (LVO) |
||||
| Members |
MOM | Exceptional service or performance of duty. | Member of the Order of Military Merit Order of Military Merit (Canada) The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada... (MMM) |
Member of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys... (MVO) |
||||
Insignia
Upon admission into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, members are gifted various insignia of the organization, though these remain property of the Crown. The badges are similar in design to those of the Order of Military Merit, consisting of a dark blue enamelled cross pattéeCross pattée
A cross pattée is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the centre, and broader at the perimeter. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper A cross pattée (or "cross patty", known also as "cross formée/formy") is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the...
with four equal arms, at the centre of which is a disc bearing a maple leaf
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
on a white enamel background, surrounded at its edge by a red enamel ring (annulus) bearing the words MERIT • MÉRITE • CANADA. Slight differences in appearance represent each grade: for Commanders, the emblem is gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
with a red enamel maple leaf in the gold central disk; for Officers, it is gilt with a gold maple leaf; and for Members, both the badge itself and the maple leaf are silver. The reverse bears only a serial number, and all are topped by a St. Edward's Crown
St. Edward's Crown
St Edward's Crown was one of the English Crown Jewels and remains one of the senior British Crown Jewels, being the official coronation crown used in the coronation of first English, then British, and finally Commonwealth realms monarchs...
, symbolizing that the order is headed by the sovereign. These insignia are worn with the order's ribbon, which is three bands of equal width, the outer two in blue and the centre one in golden. Male Commanders will carry their badge either at the neck or on a medal bar on the left chest, while Officers and Members display theirs only on a medal bar, suspended by, respectively, a bar of gold or silver decorated with a laurel motif. Women wear their emblems on a ribbon bow pinned at the left chest. The ribbon bar, worn for undress, is the same for each grade, save for a miniature blue cross pattée with a maple leaf, the colour of which matches that on the badge of the grade that the wearer was appointed to; someone who has been promoted within the order may wear on their ribbon bar the pins of all grades that they have occupied. These same miniatures also serves as a lapel pin for civilian wear.
Eligibility and appointment
To qualify for induction into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, individuals must be, at the time of appointment, an active member of any of Canada's police services, including criminal investigatorsCriminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
, patrol officers, administrators, trainers, and researchers. Either civilians or the advisory committee of the local branch of the Association of Chiefs of Police will forward names to the national advisory committee, which then makes its recommendation to the Advisory Committee for the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. This latter group consists of the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, who acts as chairperson, one of the Deputy Commissioners of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the President of the Canadian Police Association, one head of a provincial police force, three chiefs of municipal or regional police forces, the Deputy Secretary of the Chancellery of Honours, and two additional persons appointed by the governor general for between three to five years; the Secretary to the Governor General
Secretary to the Governor General of Canada
The Secretary to the Governor General is the head of the Office of the Governor General of Canada and is based at Rideau Hall, Ottawa. The current secretary is Stephen Wallace, appointed in 2011.-Secretaries to the governor general:...
serves as the Secretary General of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.
Approximately 50 individuals are admitted to the order each year; the total is limited to 0.1% of the total number of employees of police services in Canada in the preceding year. No more than six percent of those appointed to the order in total may be inducted as Commanders and no more than 30% may be made Officers. Inductions are also not made posthumously, though members of foreign armed forces can be admitted as honorary members in any grade.
Removal
The constitution of the order allows for the removal of members. Only one termination has yet taken place: Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Warren S. Gherasim, appointed to the order in 2006, was removed from the rolls in 2010 for receiving a disgraceful conduct sanction.