The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. The OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways; protects provincial government buildings and officials, with the exception of the legislative precinct; patrols unincorporated areas in northern Ontario; provides training, operational support, and funding to some Indigenous police forces; and investigates complex or multi-jurisdictional crimes across the province. The OPP also has a number of local mandates through contracts with municipal governments and First Nations, where it acts as the local police force and provides front-line services.
A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, and other public safety related duties. Law enforcement officers are designated certain powers & authority by law to allow them to carry out their responsibilities.
The Halton Regional Police Service provides policing service for the Regional Municipality of Halton, which is located southwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. Halton Region encompasses the city of Burlington and the Towns of Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills. As of July 2020, the Halton Regional Police Service has over 1,000 members, including 718 sworn police officers and approximately 302 civilian and volunteer members. The service is responsible for policing a population of approximately 610,000 people in an area covering 692 square kilometers.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police service created in North America and is one of the oldest police services in the English-speaking world.
The York Regional Police (YRP) is the police service of the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. YRP was formed in 1971 from the police forces maintained by the nine municipalities which amalgamated into York Region at the time. The force employs over 1,500 sworn members and 618 unsworn members as of 2015.
The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) is the police service operated by and serving the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The DRPS has a strength of over 900 sworn officers and over 300 unsworn members, and serves the following local municipalities, with a combined population of 706,200:
The Niagara Parks Police Service is a special constabulary maintained by the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1887, the Niagara Parks Police Service has a unique status among Ontario special constabularies in that its members are armed and trained at the Ontario Police College. As special constables, Parks Police officers only have authority on or in relation to property owned by the Niagara Parks Commission, in contrast to municipal or provincial police officers, who have authority province-wide.
The Special Investigations Unit is the civilian police oversight agency of the province of Ontario, Canada. The SIU is responsible for investigating circumstances involving police that have resulted in a death or serious injury, or if a firearm was discharged at a person. The unit also investigates allegations of sexual assault. The unit's goal is to ensure that criminal law is applied appropriately to police conduct, as determined through independent investigations, increasing public confidence in the police services.
The Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB) is the civilian police board that governs the Toronto Police Service (TPS). The board is responsible for approving the annual police budget, defining objectives and policies for TPS, and hiring Toronto's police chief.
The Ontario Civilian Police Commission, previously known as the Ontario Police Commission and the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services, is an independent quasi-judicial agency. It is one of the 13 adjudicative tribunals overseen by the Ministry of the Attorney General that make up Tribunals Ontario. The OCPC hears appeals, adjudicates applications, conducts investigations and resolves disputes regarding the oversight and provision of policing services in Ontario.
Law enforcement in Canada is the responsibility of police services, special constabularies, and civil law enforcement agencies, which are operated by every level of government, some private and Crown corporations, and First Nations. In contrast to the United States or Mexico, and with the exception of the Unité permanente anticorruption in Quebec and the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia, there are no organizations dedicated exclusively to the investigation of criminal activity in Canada. Criminal investigations are instead conducted by police services, which maintain specialized criminal investigation units in addition to their mandate for emergency response and general community safety.
Auxiliary constables or reserve constables are unpaid citizens in Canada who volunteer their time and skills to a police force. They are uniformed, unarmed members who perform a similar role to their UK counterparts in the Special Constabulary. Their main function is to supplement the police force with additional manpower, with duties varying by appointment, geographical location and the needs of the specific detachment/department.
A special constable or special police constable can refer to an auxiliary or part-time law enforcement officer or a person who is granted certain (special) police powers.
The Kingston Police is the municipal police force for the city of Kingston, Ontario. It was established by the Common Council of Kingston on December 20, 1841, making it one of the oldest police forces in Canada. Today, the Kingston Police is made up of approximately 300 members serving an area of 451.58 square kilometers and 132,485 people.
The RCMP "C" Division is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police division responsible for federal policing in the Province of Quebec. Approximately 1,500 police officers, civilian members and public servants work to a number of different lines of effort, including financial integrity, national and border security, and organized crime enforcement. The RCMP in Quebec relies on dedicated resources to conduct investigations, provide VIP protective services and undertake crime prevention initiatives in communities in all areas of Quebec.
The Independent Investigation Unit is the civilian oversight agency in Manitoba, Canada responsible for the investigation of incidents resulted in serious injury or death to any person. IIU has jurisdiction over all municipal police officers, First Nations police officers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police "D" Division officers, for all complaints on or off duty related.
The Serious Incident Response Team is the civilian oversight agency in Nova Scotia, Canada responsible for the investigation of incidents resulted in serious injury or death to any person, sexual assault and domestic violence allegations and other significant public interest matters concerning the police. SiRT has jurisdiction over all municipal police officers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police "H" Division officers, and for all complaints whether on- or off-duty related.
The Office of the Independent Police Review Director is an independent civilian oversight agency that handles public complaints regarding police conduct in the Canadian province of Ontario. The agency oversees municipal police services and the Ontario Provincial Police.
