Policing in Canada
Encyclopedia
In Canada
, there are three levels of police forces: municipal, provincial, and federal. Constitutionally, law enforcement is a provincial responsibility, and most urban areas have been given the authority by the provinces to maintain their own police force. All but three provinces in turn contract out their provincial law enforcement responsibilities to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, the national police force.
, Quebec
and Newfoundland and Labrador
maintain their own provincial police forces: The Ontario Provincial Police
, Sûreté du Québec
(Quebec Provincial Police) and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
. Smaller municipalities often contract police service from the provincial policing authority, while larger ones maintain their own forces. Newfoundland's provincial police force is only responsible for its larger urban areas; the province has contracted the RCMP to patrol the rest of the province. The RCMP, colloquially known as Mounties, is the only police force to service all three levels in some areas of the country.
There are also a few private police forces with some of the powers usually reserved for governmental forces (as it relates to company property). The Canadian National Railway
and Canadian Pacific Railway
each have their own police force. In fact, any railway in Canada can appoint police officers. Some private hospitals and universities also employ private special police as well as quasi-governmental agencies such as transit commissions and power authorities. The duties of private railway police are to prevent crimes against the company and protection of goods, materials, and public rail transit being moved on their rail systems. They work to protect the public, rail personnel, and property owned or administered by the railways. The regular public police maintain authority and jurisdiction for all criminal offences, regardless of whether the offence occurs on public or private property. A local police chief has statutory and common law policing authority and responsibility for the territory under his command. Private police do not have legislated duties and are not legally obligated to maintain or police their property with private police officers. All taxpayers, companies, and citizens have equal access to public police. Many companies and quasi-governmental agencies find it is cost efficient and reduces liability to have security or sworn special police. Thus, the company can direct its resources to matters that it finds important and control its own private interests.
provide military police services to the Canadian Forces
. They provide a full and professional police service to Canadian Forces Bases in Canada, and are an integral part of all deployed operations around the world.
Canadian Military Police are classified as peace officer
s in the Criminal Code of Canada
, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel to enforce Acts of Parliament. They have the power to arrest anyone who is subject to the Code of Service Discipline
(CDS), regardless of position or rank under the National Defence Act. MPs have the power to arrest non-CDS-bound civilians only in cases where a crime is committed on or in relation to DND property, or at the request of the Minister of Public Safety, Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada
or Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
. In the Supreme Court of Canada
case of R. v. Nolan (1987), the court decided MPs are not to act as duplication of civilian police force and thus have limited jurisdiction over civilians.
As of May 2007, Canada had 64,134 police officers, or 195 per 100,000 people. Canadian police strength reached a peak in 1975, when there were 206 officers per 100,000 people. Although the current number reflects a significant rise in the total police strength in the country (the highest in twelve years after steady declines in the 1980s and 1990s), Canada still utilizes fewer police than the United States
(230 per 100,000), Australia
(222), and England
and Wales
(262).
Provincially, Saskatchewan
had the highest number at 207 officers per 100,000, and the province has also held the national record for the highest crime rate since 1997. The lowest numbers were in Prince Edward Island
, Newfoundland and Labrador
and Alberta
. The three territories, while having far fewer police officers in absolute terms, have around twice as many police officers per capita as do the provinces.
The city of Toronto has been known as one of the safest major cities in North America, due to its low crime rate and homicide rate. Toronto's robbery rate also ranks low, with 207.1 robberies per 100,000 people, compared with Los Angeles (348.5), Vancouver (266.2), New York City (265.9), and Montreal (235.3).
generated with :de:Wikipedia:Helferlein/VBA-Macro for EXCEL tableconversion V1.7<\hiddentext>>
is the title of the head of most Canadian police forces except for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(Commissioner), Ontario Provincial Police
(Commissioner), South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (Chief Officer), Vancouver Police Department
(Chief Constable), and the West Vancouver Police Department
(Chief Constable):-
s and municipal police agencies started carrying Glock
semi-automatic handgun
s in the .40 S&W
calibre cartridge
. In terms of numbers of officers, and due to its use by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the most widely used weapon is the Smith & Wesson
5946 with hollow-point 9mm calibre ammunition.
These firearms replaced the aging .38 Special
revolver
. A significant number of agencies have begun to use the Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun in the .40 S&W calibre. A Police cruiser
might carry a Carbine rifle; or a shotgun
capable of firing a variety of shotgun shells including the less-lethal
flexible baton round
and rubber bullet
s.
Other less-lethal weapons carried include the Taser
, pepper spray
and an expandable baton. In addition, they would have on their person: handcuffs
, flashlight
, portable radio, notebook
, and a pair of disposable gloves
and Kevlar
gloves.
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...
, there are three levels of police forces: municipal, provincial, and federal. Constitutionally, law enforcement is a provincial responsibility, and most urban areas have been given the authority by the provinces to maintain their own police force. All but three provinces in turn contract out their provincial law enforcement responsibilities to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal 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,...
, the national police force.
Police Forces
OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
maintain their own provincial police forces: The Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
, Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec...
(Quebec Provincial Police) and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is a police force in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It provides policing to the communities of St. John's and the Northeast Avalon Peninsula, Corner Brook, Churchill Falls, and Labrador City....
. Smaller municipalities often contract police service from the provincial policing authority, while larger ones maintain their own forces. Newfoundland's provincial police force is only responsible for its larger urban areas; the province has contracted the RCMP to patrol the rest of the province. The RCMP, colloquially known as Mounties, is the only police force to service all three levels in some areas of the country.
There are also a few private police forces with some of the powers usually reserved for governmental forces (as it relates to company property). The Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and 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...
each have their own police force. In fact, any railway in Canada can appoint police officers. Some private hospitals and universities also employ private special police as well as quasi-governmental agencies such as transit commissions and power authorities. The duties of private railway police are to prevent crimes against the company and protection of goods, materials, and public rail transit being moved on their rail systems. They work to protect the public, rail personnel, and property owned or administered by the railways. The regular public police maintain authority and jurisdiction for all criminal offences, regardless of whether the offence occurs on public or private property. A local police chief has statutory and common law policing authority and responsibility for the territory under his command. Private police do not have legislated duties and are not legally obligated to maintain or police their property with private police officers. All taxpayers, companies, and citizens have equal access to public police. Many companies and quasi-governmental agencies find it is cost efficient and reduces liability to have security or sworn special police. Thus, the company can direct its resources to matters that it finds important and control its own private interests.
Canadian Forces Military Police
The Canadian Forces Military PoliceCanadian Forces Military Police
The Canadian Forces Military Police provide military police services to the Canadian Forces.Canadian Military Police are unusual in that they are classified as Peace Officers in the Criminal Code of Canada, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel to enforce Acts of...
provide military police services to the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. They provide a full and professional police service to Canadian Forces Bases in Canada, and are an integral part of all deployed operations around the world.
Canadian Military Police are classified as peace officer
Peace officer
A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...
s in the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel to enforce Acts of Parliament. They have the power to arrest anyone who is subject to the Code of Service Discipline
Code of Service Discipline
The Code of Service Discipline is the basis of the Canadian Forcesmilitary justice system. The CSD is designed to assist military commanders in maintaining discipline, efficiency, and morale within theCF. It is found in Part III of the National Defence Act...
(CDS), regardless of position or rank under the National Defence Act. MPs have the power to arrest non-CDS-bound civilians only in cases where a crime is committed on or in relation to DND property, or at the request of the Minister of Public Safety, Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada
Correctional Service of Canada
The Correctional Service of Canada , or CSC, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminal offenders sentenced to two years or more...
or Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal 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,...
. In the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
case of R. v. Nolan (1987), the court decided MPs are not to act as duplication of civilian police force and thus have limited jurisdiction over civilians.
Strength
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(230 per 100,000), Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(222), and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(262).
Provincially, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
had the highest number at 207 officers per 100,000, and the province has also held the national record for the highest crime rate since 1997. The lowest numbers were in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. The three territories, while having far fewer police officers in absolute terms, have around twice as many police officers per capita as do the provinces.
The city of Toronto has been known as one of the safest major cities in North America, due to its low crime rate and homicide rate. Toronto's robbery rate also ranks low, with 207.1 robberies per 100,000 people, compared with Los Angeles (348.5), Vancouver (266.2), New York City (265.9), and Montreal (235.3).
| Police officers, by province and territory | |||||
| (Police officers per 100,000 population) | |||||
| | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|||||
| police officers per 100,000 population | |||||
| rate | |||||
| Canada | 187.6 | 186.9 | 188.9 | 191.5 | 195.2 |
|||||
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 148.1 | 148.1 | 151 | 156.8 | 165.4 |
|||||
| Prince Edward Island | 158.7 | 150.1 | 154.2 | 158.8 | 163.5 |
|||||
| Nova Scotia | 171.7 | 172.2 | 173.5 | 178.4 | 188.4 |
|||||
| New Brunswick | 170.4 | 173.1 | 172.6 | 172.3 | 177.1 |
|||||
| Quebec | 191.7 | 191.1 | 194.2 | 197.3 | 198.2 |
|||||
| Ontario | 189.5 | 187 | 186.5 | 187.3 | 191.7 |
|||||
| Manitoba | 196.1 | 193.6 | 192.1 | 196.4 | 203.6 |
|||||
| Saskatchewan | 200.8 | 202 | 203.1 | 206 | 206.6 |
|||||
| Alberta | 158.1 | 159.7 | 162.8 | 166 | 165.1 |
|||||
| British Columbia | 171 | 168.2 | 174.9 | 178.1 | 185.5 |
|||||
| Yukon Territory | 405.6 | 391.6 | 385.6 | 371.4 | 385.3 |
|||||
| Northwest Territories | 386 | 399.6 | 405.8 | 408.5 | 418.7 |
|||||
| Nunavut | 414.9 | 415.1 | 402.8 | 396.3 | 394 |
|||||
Ranks
The Chief of PoliceChief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
is the title of the head of most Canadian police forces except for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal 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,...
(Commissioner), Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
(Commissioner), South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (Chief Officer), Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver Police Department
The Vancouver Police Department is the police force for the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.VPD was the first Canadian police force...
(Chief Constable), and the West Vancouver Police Department
West Vancouver Police Department
West Vancouver Police Department is a police force for the district municipality of West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Organization:...
(Chief Constable):-
- Chief of PoliceChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
- Deputy Chief of Police
- Chief SuperintendentChief SuperintendentChief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
- Staff Superintendent
- SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
- Staff Inspector
- InspectorInspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
- Staff SergeantStaff SergeantStaff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
- SergeantSergeantSergeant 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....
(and DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
SergeantSergeantSergeant 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....
) - CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
(and Detective Corporal) - Senior Constable
- Police Constable (and Detective Constable)
- Cadet/Recruit
- Special ConstableSpecial constableA Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
Weapons
In the 1990s, the majority of law enforcement agencies of Canada began wearing bulletproof vestBulletproof vest
A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...
s and municipal police agencies started carrying Glock
Glock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
semi-automatic handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s in the .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
calibre cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
. In terms of numbers of officers, and due to its use by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the most widely used weapon is the Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
5946 with hollow-point 9mm calibre ammunition.
These firearms replaced the aging .38 Special
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
. A significant number of agencies have begun to use the Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun in the .40 S&W calibre. A Police cruiser
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
might carry a Carbine rifle; or a shotgun
Riot shotgun
A riot shotgun is a shotgun designed or modified for use as a primarily defensive weapon, primarily by the use of a short barrel. The riot shotgun is used by military personnel for guard duty and was at one time used for riot control, and is commonly used as a patrol weapon by law enforcement...
capable of firing a variety of shotgun shells including the less-lethal
Less-lethal weapon
Non-lethal weapons, also called less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than are conventional weapons...
flexible baton round
Flexible baton round
A bean bag round, also known by its trademarked name flexible baton round, is a baton round fired as a shotgun shell used for less lethal apprehension of suspects.-Description:...
and rubber bullet
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
s.
Other less-lethal weapons carried include the Taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
, pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
and an expandable baton. In addition, they would have on their person: handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
, flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
, portable radio, notebook
Police notebook
A police notebook, pocket notebook or PNB is a notebook used by police officers to officially record details and incidents while on patrol...
, and a pair of disposable gloves
Medical gloves
Medical gloves are disposable gloves used during medical examinations and procedures that help prevent contamination between caregivers and patients. Medical gloves are made of different polymers including latex, nitrile rubber, vinyl and neoprene; they come unpowdered, or powdered with cornstarch...
and Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
gloves.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Canada
- Crime in CanadaCrime in CanadaUnder the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law and rules of investigation and trying crimes is vested in the federal government...
- Terrorism in Canada