Royal Newfoundland Constabulary

Last updated
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Logo.svg
Badge of the RNC
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary patch.png
Shoulder flash of the RNC
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary flash.png
Shirt and vest patch
Flag of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.png
RNC flag
AbbreviationRNC
Motto"Safer Communities Through Policing Excellence"
Agency overview
Formed1841
Preceding agency
  • Newfoundland Constabulary (1729)
Employees545 (2015, approximately)
Annual budgetTotal RNC $60,043,208 Total Current $48,454,517 (2012-2013)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionNewfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.svg
The area served by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Population526,702
Legal jurisdictionProvincial
Governing body His Majesty in Right of Newfoundland
Constituting instrument
  • Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Act [1]
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters1 Fort Townshend, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Officers420 (approximately)
Civilians125 (approximately)
Minister responsible
  • John Hogan, Minister of Justice and Public Safety
Agency executive
Facilities
Office or detachments6
Website
www.rnc.gov.nl.ca OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is the provincial police service for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Contents

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is one of three provincial police forces in Canada, alongside the Ontario Provincial Police and the Sûreté du Québec . Uniquely, the responsibility for policing in Newfoundland and Labrador is not granted to municipalities—in Ontario and Quebec, the provincial police provide frontline police services only to small communities or at the request of a municipal council; in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Constabulary operates in all communities by default. Since 1949, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have provided police services in the province's rural interior, in place of the RNC. [2]

As of 2023, the Constabulary currently serves or is expanding to serve the northeast Avalon Peninsula (metropolitan St. John's); the Bay of Islands and the Humber Valley (metropolitan Corner Brook); and western Labrador (Churchill Falls, Labrador City, and Wabush). [3] [1] [4]

History

The first police constables in Newfoundland and Labrador were appointed by Governor Henry Osborn to six separate judicial districts in 1729. In the 19th century, the RNC was modeled after the Royal Irish Constabulary [5] with the secondment in 1844 of Timothy Mitchell to be Inspector General. The administration of police services was centralized under one Inspector and General Superintendent of Police in 1853. [6] Legislation governing the Newfoundland Constabulary was passed by the House of Assembly in 1871.

In January 1909, John J. Sullivan became the first Newfoundland-born police chief of the Constabulary, a post he held until September 1917. [7]

In 1935, the Newfoundland Commission of Government established the Newfoundland Ranger Force, a police service modelled on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to serve rural parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. [8] The Ranger Force replaced the Newfoundland Constabulary outside of the Avalon Peninsula, the Humber Arm (and in particular, the four communities that make up present-day Corner Brook), Grand Falls, and other built-up communities on the island. [8]

During World War II, the Newfoundland Constabulary provided police and investigative services to the foreign militaries stationed at St. John's, famously investigating the 1942 Knights of Columbus Hostel fire, a fatal structure fire believed to have been an arson attack. [9] [10]

After Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada in 1949, the Ranger Force was disbanded and replaced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which also replaced the Newfoundland Constabulary outside of the City of St. John's. [11]

In 1979, Queen Elizabeth II of Canada conferred a royal patronage on the Newfoundland Constabulary in recognition of its long history of service to Newfoundland and Labrador. [11] The force subsequently changed its name to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

The first women were sworn in as constables in 1980. [11]

Between 1981 and 1986, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary gradually re-expanded, replacing the RCMP in the northeast Avalon Region, parts of Labrador, and Corner Brook. [11]

In 1998, RNC officers were authorized to begin carrying their handguns on their belt. [12] Previously, officers were required to keep their firearms locked in the trunk of their car unless they were needed.

On May 3, 2005, the RNC made a formal exchange of colours with the Garda Síochána, one of two successor forces to the Royal Irish Constabulary. The exchange of colours was to mark the historic links between policing in Newfoundland and Ireland.

In 2019, the force hired its first Black police officers, Paul Growns and Jevaughn Coley. [13]

In 2022, the Constabulary sparked controversy after it was revealed that a constable facing four domestic violence-related charges was granted the Chief of Police's Commendation, which recognizes "distinguished, commendable act of police duty or outstanding contribution to the RNC," during her criminal trial. [14]

In 2023, the Constabulary re-expanded again, replacing the RCMP in the areas surrounding Corner Brook, to Pasadena in the northeast and the Bay of Islands in the west. [4]

Operations

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary operates out of five police stations, referred to as regional offices or detachments:

The Constabulary also maintains a satellite office of the St. John's Regional Office in Mount Pearl. [3]

Organizational structure

RankCommanding officersSenior officersPolice officersOfficer-in-training
Chief of Police Deputy Chief of Police Superintendent Inspector Staff Sergeant Sergeant Constable Cadet
INSIGNIA
RNC Chief.png
RNC Deputy Chief.png
RNC Superintendent.png
RNC Inspector.png
RNC Staff Sergeant.png
RNC Sergeant.png
RNC Constable.png
RNC Cadet.png

Specialized units

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary maintains several specialized investigative and response units, including a tactical response team, criminal and general investigations units, a police dogs unit, a marine unit, a public order unit, and a collision reconstruction team. [15]

Mounted unit

The RNC has operated a mounted unit since 1873. [16]

RNC Constables march in their dress uniforms along with Sea Cadets and other groups at the Labrador City Remembrance Day Parade, 2023 RNC parade in Labrador City 2023.jpg
RNC Constables march in their dress uniforms along with Sea Cadets and other groups at the Labrador City Remembrance Day Parade, 2023

The current horse-mounted team was created in 2003, replacing a voluntary unit. The unit's history can be traced back to three earlier units, the Newfoundland Constabulary Mounted Force 1873–1894, New Fire Brigade Mounted Force 1895–1922, and Newfoundland Constabulary 1922–1951.

The unit has four Percheron horses: [16]

  • Dr. Rich
  • Townshend
  • Fraize
  • Dobbin

Fleet

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary maintains a fleet of vehicles of models from several major automakers, such as models including but not limited to the following:

RNC Police Interceptor Ford Taurus at the Labrador City Town Hall. Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.jpg
RNC Police Interceptor Ford Taurus at the Labrador City Town Hall.
Make/ModelTypeStatusOrigin
Chevrolet Impala General police vehicleFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Chevrolet Tahoe (marked) General police vehicle, Traffic ServicesFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Chevrolet Silverado (marked) General police vehicle, Forensic Identification SectionFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Dodge Charger General police vehicleFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Ram pickup Parking Enforcement, Document Services SectionFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Ford Police Interceptor Highway Unit, General police vehicle, Traffic ServicesFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Ford Expedition (marked) Supervisor Truck, Traffic Services, Special OperationsFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Ford F-150 General police vehicle, Forensic Services SectionFlag of the United States.svg  United States
GMC Sierra General police vehicleFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Dodge Durango General police vehicleFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Ford Explorer (Ford Police Interceptor Utility) (2020+)General police vehicleFlag of the United States.svg  United States

Equipment

As a result of the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Arming Policy of the RNC, members on operational duty were permitted to wear sidearms starting 14 June 1998. [17] Previously, members were required to keep all firearms secured in the trunk of the police cruiser and were only deployed with permission from the Chief.

ModelTypeImageOriginDetails
SIG Sauer P226 handgun
SIG Sauer P226 neu.jpg
Flag of Germany.svg Germany
Colt C8 Patrol Carbine Semi-automatic rifle
C8 semi-automatic rifle with EOTech.jpg
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Remington Model 870 shotgun
M870mcs.jpg
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Pepper spray Lachrymatory agent
Chave.jpg
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Armament Systems and Procedures baton collapsible baton
21' ASP Baton.jpg
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Taser X26 Electroshock weapon
Police issue X26 TASER-white.jpg
Flag of the United States.svg  United States

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Mounted Police</span> Canadian federal police service

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also delivers police services under contract to 11 provinces and territories, over 150 municipalities, and 600 Indigenous communities. The RCMP is commonly known as the Mounties in English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State police</span> Type of sub-national territorial police force

State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania, mostly Australia, United States of America, India, Canada and United Kingdom, because each of their state police are mostly at country level. These forces typically have jurisdiction over the relevant sub-national jurisdiction, and may cooperate in law enforcement activities with municipal or national police where either exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Mounted Police Protective Policing</span> Protective services by the RCMP

The Protective Policing Service, operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provides security details for the members of the Royal Family, the Governor General of the country and the Prime Minister. They also protect the families of the Prime Minister and Governor General, federal cabinet ministers, visiting VIPs, Members of Parliament, and Senators, diplomats, Supreme, Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal justices, and those designated by the Minister of Public Safety as protected persons.

Aunt Martha's Sheep is a song written by Terrence White and Arthur Butt of Perry's Cove and later re-written by Ellis Coles and performed by Dick Nolan. It was primarily viewed as a slight on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police the police force for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The song got airplay in the 1970s, but less after that. Released in 1972 it became one of Dick Nolan's signature songs. The song tells the tale of a group of Carmanville sheep-stealers who hoodwink an investigating RCMP officer by insisting their stew was made of moose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Search and Rescue Program</span>

The National Search and Rescue Program (NSP) is the name given by the Government of Canada to the collective search and rescue (SAR) activities in Canada. Until 2015, the NSP was administered by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law enforcement in Canada</span> Overview of law enforcement in Canada

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland Ranger Force</span> 20th-century Canadian police force

The Newfoundland Ranger Force was the police force of the Dominion of Newfoundland. It provided law enforcement and other government services to outports for 15 years. It existed from 1935 to 1949, at which point it was merged into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). 204 men served as Rangers during its existence, though at any given time the force did not exceed 72 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Newfoundland and Labrador</span> Lands of Canadas eastern-most province

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province in Canada. The Strait of Belle Isle separates the province into two geographical regions, Labrador and the island of Newfoundland. The province also includes over seven thousand small islands.

A territorial police force is a police service that is responsible for an area defined by sub-national boundaries, distinguished from other police services which deal with the entire country or a type of crime. In countries organized as federations, police responsible for individual sub-national jurisdictions are typically called state or provincial police.

Articles related to the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Cashel Orphanage</span> Boys orphanage in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for a sexual abuse scandal, and cover-up by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and NL justice officials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Integrated Security Unit</span>

Integrated Security Unit (ISU) is a joint-services infrastructure security unit created to secure major events in Canada. This administrative and operational entity was first created by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Davis (Canadian politician)</span> Canadian politician

Paul Alfred Davis, is a Canadian politician who was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador and Leader of the Opposition in the province. Davis served as the 12th premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from September 26, 2014 to December 14, 2015. He was the member of the House of Assembly for Topsail-Paradise from 2015 to 2018, previously representing Topsail from 2010 to 2015.

Ayre & Sons, Ltd. was a department store chain in Newfoundland, Canada. The chain was formed in 1859 in St. John's, Newfoundland by Charles R. Ayre. Ayre opened his flagship store on Water Street in St. John's in 1859. After Newfoundland joined the Canadian confederation in 1949, Ayre's opened some more stores across the province in the 1960s, with locations in Mount Pearl, Carbonear, Corner Brook, and Wabush. A location in the Avalon Mall in St. John's also opened when the mall opened in 1967. However, the company began to encounter financial problems in the 1980s, and in 1991, Ayre and Sons filed for bankruptcy.

Sherry Gambin-Walsh is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2015 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Placentia-St. Mary's as a member of the Liberal Party. Prior to entering politics, Gambin-Walsh was a nurse.

The D Division is the division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police responsible for federal policing in Manitoba and, at times, northwestern Ontario. Headquartered in Winnipeg, the division is commanded by Assistant Commissioner Rob Hill and consists of 1089 police officers and 438 support staff.

The police in Canada's ranks differ according to the different police forces and depend on different laws at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.

Her Majesty's Penitentiary (HMP), located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada is the primary facility for housing medium and maximum security male prisoners in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary sexual abuse scandal occurred in 2014 and concerned allegations of assault by Constable Doug Snelgrove.

References

  1. 1 2 Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Act
  2. "About the RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  3. 1 2 "Office Locations". Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  4. 1 2 "RNC expanding on Newfoundland's west coast, citing Mountie shortage". CBC News.
  5. "Royal Newfoundland Constabulary". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  6. "Our History". Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Historical Society. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  7. The Biography of John J. Sullivan.
  8. 1 2 "Newfoundland Ranger Force". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  9. Browne, Gary (2009). To Serve and Protect: The Newfoundland Constabulary on the Home Front World War Two. ISBN   978-0-9783434-9-1.
  10. Darrin McGrath (December 2002). Last Dance: The Knights of Columbus Fire. St. John's, Newfoundland: Flanker Press. ISBN   1-894463-25-0. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Newfoundland Constabulary". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  12. "Annual Report of the Auditor General 2001" (PDF).
  13. "Diverse 2019 class of RNC cadets includes the force's first black officer". CBC News.
  14. "Critics slam commendation for RNC officer on trial for assault". CBC News.
  15. "What We Do". Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  16. 1 2 "Mounted Unit". Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  17. "Annual Report of the Auditor General 2001" (PDF).