York Regional Police
Encyclopedia
York Regional Police is a law enforcement organization that serves over 1.1 million residents in the York Region
, Ontario
, Canada, located north of Toronto
. The YRP was formed in 1971 from the police forces maintained by the nine municipalities which amalgamated into York Region at the time.
. The police forces that were amalgamated to create one force providing service for the region are:
The YRP's motto "Deeds Speak" is derived from the motto of the 3rd York Militia Regiment, many of whom also served as local constables in the Home District
. The YRP crest is based on the crest from the former County of York government.
The head of the police service is Chief Eric Jolliffe who was sworn in as Chief on December 13, 2010. He replaced retired Chief Armand P. La Barge after he completed 37 years of service. Chief Jolliffe was a former Deputy Chief of the force. The administration and senior command are based at York Regional Police Headquarters in Newmarket, Ontario
.
York Region Police is divided into five geographical districts:
The Marine Unit consists of 7 members and other volunteers and patrols southern shoreline of Lake Simcoe and other York Region waterways. The Marine Unit belongs to 3 District and is stationed at the Keswick Community Policing Station at Crates Marina on Lake Simcoe
. The unit has 6 boats at their disposal.
There are two sub-stations serving smaller communities within York Region:
Marked cruisers are labelled with the motto Deeds Speak.
Hats can be ball caps, but most officers wear standard forage cap and may opt for Yukon hat in the winter. Motorcycle units have white helmets. Black or reflective gloves are also provided to officers directing traffic. Red caps are used by search teams looking for missing persons.
Senior officers have white shirts and a black dress jacket.
The communications center is located within police headquarters in Newmarket, Ontario. Staff currently work 12 hour shifts, with four days on, followed by four days off. The communications staff are non-sworn members of the York Regional police, however, the bureau is under the direction of an Inspector and a Staff Sergeant.
team formed in 1980. The ERU is a group of specialized operators. The Unit's primary mandate is to deal with high risk situations beyond the safe operating limits of Police Officers with their normal equipment and training. The ERU provides assistance during any high risk situations, by performing the following;
In 1988 demand for the Emergency Response Unit was on the rise. Various operational obligations including the fatal shooting of an armed suspect by the ERU during a hostage rescue in Richmond Hill highlighted the need for additional members. In 1989 the Emergency Response increased to 11 members.
In 2001 the York Regional Police established a Shared Service Agreement with Durham Regional Police, which allows for reciprocal tactical support in the event of large scale or long duration deployments. York Regional Police provides Tactical Team and Hostage Rescue Team support to South Simcoe Police Service
upon their request.
Following September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, the increased awareness of terrorist threats provided the greatest single incentive for growth and investment of Tactical Teams in Ontario since the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Quebec.
The Emergency Response Unit roster was expanded in 2002 to an undisclosed number. The roster includes both snipers and explosives technicians.
The ERU has full Explosive Forced Entry capability which is mainly used in its Hostage Rescue and Armed/ Barricaded operations. The ERU is regularly involved in High Risk Search Warrant Service within York Region and the Greater Toronto Area as well as number of high profile Joint Forces Operations within the Province Of Ontario.
The York Regional Police ERU conducts its own strenuous selection process with the applicants mainly being from the departments’ uniform divisions. The unit also trains its own candidates in most required disciplines and is one of the founding members of the Ontario Tactical Advisory Body (OTAB).
Members of the Emergency Response Unit currently hold positions within OTAB (Ontario Tactical Advisory Board) and CETA (Canadian Explosive Technicians Association) as well as membership in the NTOA (National Tactical Officers Association) and IABTI. (International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators).
The ERU Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) has number of operational robotics in its inventory, used in variety of high risk incidents including post blast investigations.
As time went on the unit began to specialize in the reconstruction of motor vehicle collisions. The unit expanded to approximately 20 officers working on four different platoons. The platoons followed the regular uniform officer shifts.
In 2004 the Technical Collision Investigation Unit was renamed the Collision Reconstruction Unit. The unit had 8 members, made up of investigators and collision reconstructionists. The unit was still working with two shifts and each shift had a supervisor.
At present the Collision Reconstruction Unit is made up of 10 officers. Two teams of 4 investigators and collision reconstructionists and a supervisor. The team members specialize in investigative techniques and collision reconstruction.
On December 15, 2003 the York Regional Police, Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated a collision on Rutherford Road west of Pine Valley Drive in the City of Vaughan that killed former NHL Chicago Black Hawks player Keith Magnusson. Rob Ramage, another former NHL player was arrested and charged with Impaired Operation Cause Death and Bodily Harm, Dangerous Operation Cause Death and Bodily Harm as well as Over 80mgs. At the trial in the fall of 2007 Rob Ramage was convicted of all the counts except the Over 80mgs. In January 2008 Rob Ramage was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He appealed his conviction and sentence. On July 12, 2010 the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence.
The members of the unit have received training in Collision Reconstruction, Marine Reconstruction and other related fields in Ontario as well as in the U.S.
The Enforcement Unit is responsible for enforcement of all traffic laws. Officers from the Enforcement Unit perform breath tests as well as testing drivers for sobriety utilizing Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and Drug Recognition Experts. The York Regional Police, Traffic Bureau are considered leaders in Ontario in the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program with over 100 frontline officers trained in the S.F.S.T. battery and 35 officers trained as D.R.E.'s. The Traffic Bureau also has the largest complement of S.F.S.T. and D.R.E. Instructors in Ontario.
Officers from the Enforcement Unit utilize various speed measuring devices from hand held radars and lasers to moving radar units in their police vehicles. Speed enforcement is conducted throughout the region. Special computerized ticket writing units are utilized in the police vehicles to ensure there are no human errors.
The Enforcement Unit also instituted as Prohibited Driver program where officers investigate persons convicted of criminal driving offences whereby their driving privileges are revoked. Members used unmarked vehicles and conducted surveillance on the suspect's home as well as court to catch violators.
Bobby the Bear, Morris the Moose and Bucky the Beaver represent York Regional Police at various special events.
Regional Municipality of York, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. It replaced the former York County in 1971, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area and the inner ring of the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
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....
, Canada, located north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The YRP was formed in 1971 from the police forces maintained by the nine municipalities which amalgamated into York Region at the time.
History
York Regional Police was formed in 1971 when the province forced the creation of a regional upper tier municipal government that included the lower tier municipalities of York CountyYork County, Ontario
York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...
. The police forces that were amalgamated to create one force providing service for the region are:
- King Township Police;
- Vaughan Township Police;
- Whitchurch Township Police;
- Markham Police Department;
- North Gwillimbury Township Police;
- Georgina Township Police;
- York County Police;
- Richmond Hill Township Police;
- Newmarket Township Police;
- Aurora Township Police;
- Stouffville Township Police.
The YRP's motto "Deeds Speak" is derived from the motto of the 3rd York Militia Regiment, many of whom also served as local constables in the Home District
Home District
The Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Nassau District until 1792, it was composed of the areas along western Lake Ontario and...
. The YRP crest is based on the crest from the former County of York government.
Command
The York Regional Police senior command consists of the Chief of Police and two Deputy Chiefs.The head of the police service is Chief Eric Jolliffe who was sworn in as Chief on December 13, 2010. He replaced retired Chief Armand P. La Barge after he completed 37 years of service. Chief Jolliffe was a former Deputy Chief of the force. The administration and senior command are based at York Regional Police Headquarters in Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
.
List of Chiefs of York Regional Police
A list of Chiefs of the York Regional police force since its creation in 1971:- Bruce Crawford 1971-1987
- Donald Hillock 1987-1992
- former Aurora Township Police officer
- Bryan Cousineau 1992-1997
- forced to resigned due to charges of breach of trust
- Peter Scott 1997-1998
- Acting Chief after resignation of Chief Cousineau
- Julian FantinoJulian FantinoJulian Fantino is a retired police official and the elected Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-election...
1998-2000- former senior Metro Toronto Police officer, Chief of London Police, later as Toronto Police Chief, provincial Commissioner of Emergency Management (Assistant Deputy Minister) and former Commissioner of the OPPOPPOPP or Opp may refer to:* The U.S. E.P.A. Office of Pesticide Programs* Ontario Provincial Police, the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada* Opp, Alabama, a town in southern Alabama, United States* "O.P.P...
- former senior Metro Toronto Police officer, Chief of London Police, later as Toronto Police Chief, provincial Commissioner of Emergency Management (Assistant Deputy Minister) and former Commissioner of the OPP
- Robert Middaugh 2000-December 12, 2002
- 34 year career police officer; former Deputy Chief in Halton, Chief in Hamilton-Wentworth
- Armand P. La Barge December 12, 2002-December 2010
- former York Regional Police Deputy Chief and career officer with the force
- Eric Jolliffe December 13, 2010 – present
Operations
Operations are composed of:- Administrative Services
- Information Services
- Investigative Services
- Support Services
- Community Services
- Court Services
York Region Police is divided into five geographical districts:
- 1 District — serving Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, OntarioNewmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
(northwest York Region) - 2 District — serving Richmond HillRichmond Hill, OntarioRichmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
and Thornhill, OntarioThornhill, OntarioThornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
(south central York Region) - 3 District — serving Georgina, OntarioGeorgina, OntarioGeorgina is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. It forms part of the northern boundary of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe...
, and Lake SimcoeLake SimcoeLake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
(northeast York Region) - 4 District — serving Vaughan, OntarioVaughan, OntarioVaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
(southwest York Region) - 5 District — serving Markham, OntarioMarkham, OntarioMarkham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
and a portion of Whitchurch-Stouffville, OntarioWhitchurch-Stouffville, OntarioWhitchurch–Stouffville is a municipality in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, approximately 14 kilometres north of the City of Toronto. It is 206.74 square kilometers in size, and located in the mid-eastern area of the Regional Municipality of York on the ecologically sensitive Oak...
(southeast York Region)
The Marine Unit consists of 7 members and other volunteers and patrols southern shoreline of Lake Simcoe and other York Region waterways. The Marine Unit belongs to 3 District and is stationed at the Keswick Community Policing Station at Crates Marina on Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
. The unit has 6 boats at their disposal.
There are two sub-stations serving smaller communities within York Region:
- Keswick Community Policing Centre
- Stouffville Community Policing Centre
Workforce
The service currently has an authorized strength of close to 1,600 sworn members and approximately 500 civilian staff. As well, the York Regional Police is only one of two forces in the greater Toronto area with an active air support unit (Durham is the other police force with one). While the Toronto Police Service does not have an air unit, York's air unit serves their area under a mutual support agreement.Marked cruisers are labelled with the motto Deeds Speak.
| Make/Model | Type | Status | Origin |
| Ford Crown Victoria Ford Crown Victoria -1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised... |
(marked) - regular cruisers | active | |
| Dodge Charger Dodge Charger (LX) The Dodge Charger LX is a rear-wheel drive four-door automobile introduced in February 2005. Built by Chrysler for its North American Dodge brand, the car was created to continue the Dodge Charger line, and replaced the Dodge Intrepid as Dodge's full-size sedan... |
cruiser | active | |
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Impala |
cruiser | active | |
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Malibu |
cruiser | ||
| Chevrolet Suburban | SUV | active | |
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Caprice and Caprice Classic |
cruiser | 1970s-1980s - all retired | |
| Harley Davidson FLHTP | motorcycle | active | |
| Dodge Dodge Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide.... RAM |
van | active | |
| Enstrom 480 Enstrom 480 -See also:-References:*-External links:* * *... (Callsign: AIR1) retired and traded-in for - Eurocopter EC120B (Callsign: AIR2) |
helicopter | active | |
| GMC C6500 | RIDE command vehicle | active | |
| GMC Vandura | Forensics unit truck | active | |
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... C4500 |
support vehicle | active | |
| GMC Savanna 4500 | support vehicle | active | |
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... Tahoe |
SUV | active | |
| Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... Freestar |
van | active | / |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara | SUV | active | |
| Farbor/Freightliner Trucks Freightliner Trucks Freightliner Trucks is an American manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks in the United States. The company was founded as Freightliner Inc in 1942 and is now a division of Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of the German Daimler AG... |
Command Unit | active | |
| Naawig | marine launch | active | |
| MAR1 - The "WAAWAATESI" 34' (named for the Ojibway word for Firefly Firefly Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies... ) |
marine launch | active | Hike Metal Products in Wheatley, Ontario |
| MAR2 - Seaswirl 26' | marine launch | active | Seaswirl |
| A15 - 18' | zodiac | active | |
| A16 - 10' | zodiac | active | |
| A17 - 'John' | canine boat | active | |
| Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003... |
Safety Bug | active | |
| Airboat | ice rescue boat - operations on Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives... |
active | |
| Cambli International Thunder 1 Cambli International Thunder 1 Cambli International Thunder 1 is an armoured police tactical vehicle built Cambli International Incorporated of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.... |
Armoured tactical response vehicle | delivered 2011 |
Uniform
Front line officers are dressed in black (shirts, cargo pants (with red stripe) and boots). Winter jackets are either black or reflective orange/yellow with the word POLICE in white and blue at the back. Previously the force wore light blue shirts, typical of most police forces in Ontario.Hats can be ball caps, but most officers wear standard forage cap and may opt for Yukon hat in the winter. Motorcycle units have white helmets. Black or reflective gloves are also provided to officers directing traffic. Red caps are used by search teams looking for missing persons.
Senior officers have white shirts and a black dress jacket.
Crest
- St. Edward's CrownSt. Edward's CrownSt 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...
- ribbon containing the words York Regional Police
- the shield contains:
- sheaf of wheat - means harvest of one's hopes has been secured or agricultural economy of York Region
- tree of knowledge
- steam ship - represents the marine unit and waterways of northern York Region
- deer - means of one who will not fight unless provoked; peace and harmony
Flag
The YRP flag consists of a nautical B signal flag with the YRP crest located in the white portion of the flag.Ranks
The rank insignia of York Regional Police is similar to that used by police services elsewhere in Canada and in the United Kingdom, except that the usual "pips" are replaced by maple leaves.Police Senior Officers
The day-to-day and regional operations are commanded by senior officers:- 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...
- 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 :...
Uniform Non-Commissioned Officers
The on the road enforcement and emergency response is supervised by:- 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....
Investigative Non-Commissioned Officers
Investigations are divided into crimes against persons and crimes against property. These investigations are conducted by:- Detective Sergeant
- 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"...
- Detective Constable
Civilian Members
- CadetCadetA cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
- 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...
(Court Security Officers) - Special Constables are sworn-in pursuant to section 53 of Police Services Act which confers Peace Officer status. Special Constables have the powers of a Police Officer to enforce Federal Statutes and various Provincial Statutes while in the execution of their duties. - Station Duty OfficersDuty officerDuty officer is the name of a rotating position assigned to a junior military officer in a duty or watch system. The duty officer is charged with responsibility for a military unit and acts as the commanding officer's representative. The duty officer attends to menial tasks for the commanding...
- Police CommunicatorsDispatcherDispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
- Auxiliary ConstableAuxiliary ConstableAuxiliary Constables or Reserve Constables are unpaid citizens who volunteer their time and skills to a police force. They are uniformed, unarmed members who performs a similar role to their UK counterpart in the Special Constabulary...
s (approx. 120 members circa. August 2007) Pursuant to Section 52 of the Police Services Act, a Chief of Police can appoint Auxiliary Constables to act as volunteers. An Auxiliary Constable is not a Peace Officer but has the authority of a police officer only if he or she is accompanied or supervised by a police officer and is authorized to perform police duties by the chief of police.
Communications
Communications is the branch of the York Regional Police responsible for receiving all 911 and non-emergency police calls. Under the supervision of Information Services, Police Communicators are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.The communications center is located within police headquarters in Newmarket, Ontario. Staff currently work 12 hour shifts, with four days on, followed by four days off. The communications staff are non-sworn members of the York Regional police, however, the bureau is under the direction of an Inspector and a Staff Sergeant.
Weapons
| Make/Model | Type | Status | Origin |
| Glock Glock Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock... 22 or 23 |
pistol | active | |
| Berretta Centurion Centurion A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy... 96D |
pistol | active | |
| Remington Remington - People :* Eliphalet Remington , American firearms designer* Philo Remington , American firearms and typewriter manufacturer, son of Eliphalet Remington* Frederic Remington , American painter and sculptor... 870P Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was... |
pump action shotgun | active | |
| Beretta Beretta Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the... 5mm |
Semi-Automatic Pistols | sold to Belleville Police Service | |
| Colt Canada C7 rifle | rifle | active |
Emergency Response Unit
The E.R.U. (Emergency Response Unit) is the YRP SWATSWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
team formed in 1980. The ERU is a group of specialized operators. The Unit's primary mandate is to deal with high risk situations beyond the safe operating limits of Police Officers with their normal equipment and training. The ERU provides assistance during any high risk situations, by performing the following;
- Containment
- Apprehension of an Armed and/or Barricaded Persons
- Hostage Rescue
- Explosive Forced Entry
- Explosive Disposal
- High Risk Search Warrants
- High Risk Vehicles/Trains/Aircraft Assaults
In 1988 demand for the Emergency Response Unit was on the rise. Various operational obligations including the fatal shooting of an armed suspect by the ERU during a hostage rescue in Richmond Hill highlighted the need for additional members. In 1989 the Emergency Response increased to 11 members.
In 2001 the York Regional Police established a Shared Service Agreement with Durham Regional Police, which allows for reciprocal tactical support in the event of large scale or long duration deployments. York Regional Police provides Tactical Team and Hostage Rescue Team support to South Simcoe Police Service
South Simcoe Police Service
The South Simcoe Police Service is a municipal police service in Ontario, Canada. It borders the York Regional Police to the south and Barrie Police to the north....
upon their request.
Following September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, the increased awareness of terrorist threats provided the greatest single incentive for growth and investment of Tactical Teams in Ontario since the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Quebec.
The Emergency Response Unit roster was expanded in 2002 to an undisclosed number. The roster includes both snipers and explosives technicians.
The ERU has full Explosive Forced Entry capability which is mainly used in its Hostage Rescue and Armed/ Barricaded operations. The ERU is regularly involved in High Risk Search Warrant Service within York Region and the Greater Toronto Area as well as number of high profile Joint Forces Operations within the Province Of Ontario.
The York Regional Police ERU conducts its own strenuous selection process with the applicants mainly being from the departments’ uniform divisions. The unit also trains its own candidates in most required disciplines and is one of the founding members of the Ontario Tactical Advisory Body (OTAB).
Members of the Emergency Response Unit currently hold positions within OTAB (Ontario Tactical Advisory Board) and CETA (Canadian Explosive Technicians Association) as well as membership in the NTOA (National Tactical Officers Association) and IABTI. (International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators).
The ERU Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) has number of operational robotics in its inventory, used in variety of high risk incidents including post blast investigations.
Traffic Bureau
The Traffic Bureau was formed in 1989. At the time the Traffic Bureau worked out of the offices located at 200 Industrial Parkway south in the Town of Aurora. The Traffic Bureau was made up of officers whose primary function was to enforce traffic related laws. The unit was made up of 6 officers who drove motorcycles and marked police cruisers.As time went on the unit began to specialize in the reconstruction of motor vehicle collisions. The unit expanded to approximately 20 officers working on four different platoons. The platoons followed the regular uniform officer shifts.
Collision Reconstruction Unit
On January 1, 2002 the Traffic Bureau was split into two separate entities, a Traffic Enforcement Unit and a Technical Collision Investigation Unit (T.C.I.U.). The T.C.I.U. was made up of 6 officers on two separate shifts supervised by 1 supervisor. The two teams work four days, with one team working a day shift Tuesday to Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm. The other team would then work an afternoon shift from 3:00pm to 1:00am. The teams alternated shifts every other week.In 2004 the Technical Collision Investigation Unit was renamed the Collision Reconstruction Unit. The unit had 8 members, made up of investigators and collision reconstructionists. The unit was still working with two shifts and each shift had a supervisor.
At present the Collision Reconstruction Unit is made up of 10 officers. Two teams of 4 investigators and collision reconstructionists and a supervisor. The team members specialize in investigative techniques and collision reconstruction.
On December 15, 2003 the York Regional Police, Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated a collision on Rutherford Road west of Pine Valley Drive in the City of Vaughan that killed former NHL Chicago Black Hawks player Keith Magnusson. Rob Ramage, another former NHL player was arrested and charged with Impaired Operation Cause Death and Bodily Harm, Dangerous Operation Cause Death and Bodily Harm as well as Over 80mgs. At the trial in the fall of 2007 Rob Ramage was convicted of all the counts except the Over 80mgs. In January 2008 Rob Ramage was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He appealed his conviction and sentence. On July 12, 2010 the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence.
The members of the unit have received training in Collision Reconstruction, Marine Reconstruction and other related fields in Ontario as well as in the U.S.
Enforcement Unit
On January 1, 2002 the Traffic Bureau was split into two separate entities, a Traffic Enforcement Unit and a Technical Collision Investigation Unit (T.C.I.U.). The enforcement Unit was made up of 14 officers and 2 supervisors.The Enforcement Unit is responsible for enforcement of all traffic laws. Officers from the Enforcement Unit perform breath tests as well as testing drivers for sobriety utilizing Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and Drug Recognition Experts. The York Regional Police, Traffic Bureau are considered leaders in Ontario in the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program with over 100 frontline officers trained in the S.F.S.T. battery and 35 officers trained as D.R.E.'s. The Traffic Bureau also has the largest complement of S.F.S.T. and D.R.E. Instructors in Ontario.
Officers from the Enforcement Unit utilize various speed measuring devices from hand held radars and lasers to moving radar units in their police vehicles. Speed enforcement is conducted throughout the region. Special computerized ticket writing units are utilized in the police vehicles to ensure there are no human errors.
The Enforcement Unit also instituted as Prohibited Driver program where officers investigate persons convicted of criminal driving offences whereby their driving privileges are revoked. Members used unmarked vehicles and conducted surveillance on the suspect's home as well as court to catch violators.
Emergency services
York Regional Police is part of York Region's Emergency Services and works with:- York Region EMSYork Region EMSYork Region Emergency Medical Services provides ambulance services and paramedic care for the municipalities within York Region. Before 2000, ambulance services were provided by 2 private operators , York County Hospital, Nobleton Volunteer Ambulance and Ontario's Ministry of Health...
- Fire Services in York RegionFire Services in York RegionFire services in York Region are provided for and by each municipality. There are 35 fire stations across the region. Most services consist of full time members, but some services have volunteer firefighters....
- YRT/Viva Special Constable ServicesYRT/VIVA Special Constable ServicesThe YRT/Viva Special Constable Services is the security section of the York Region Transit and Viva transit system in York Region, Ontario, Canada. The Special Constable Services were launched in September 2005, and are responsible for safety and security on the YRT and Viva...
Community Services
"Bucky" the Beaver is the force's mascot and is used at community events.Bobby the Bear, Morris the Moose and Bucky the Beaver represent York Regional Police at various special events.