List of law enforcement agencies in Canada

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Vehicles belonging to all three types of law enforcement agency in Canada: a police service in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; a special constabulary in Toronto, Ontario; and a civil law enforcement agency in Calgary, Alberta.

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. Canada's provinces are responsible for the development and maintenance of police forces and special constabularies,[1] while civil law enforcement is the responsibility of the level or agency of government that developed those laws, and civil law enforcement agencies may be given a range of powers to enforce those laws.[2] As such, the exact duties and authority of individual law enforcement agencies vary significantly.

Police services may take on additional duties such as municipal by-law enforcement,[3][4] and police services range in size from small, one-officer forces that are generally limited to enforcing provincial and municipal legislation to large organizations charged with investigating complex financial crimes.[5][6] In Ontario, police services are obliged to provide at least five core police services — crime prevention, law enforcement, maintenance of the public peace, emergency response, and assistance to victims of crime — to fulfill the province's requirement for "adequate and effective policing,"[7] while in neighbouring Quebec, the responsibilities of a police force are dependent on the population it serves.[8] Other jurisdictions, such as Manitoba and British Columbia, do not define adequate and effective policing, although individual regulations in both of those provinces set out basic responsibilities of police forces.[9]

Although special constabularies exist in some form in almost every province, they are referred to by a number of different titles and carry different levels of authority between provinces and agencies. The Niagara Parks Police Service, for example, employs armed officers responsible for providing almost all police services on and in relation to lands owned by the Niagara Parks Commission;[10] while the University of Saskatchewan Protective Services Division's unarmed officers are limited to enforcing University by-laws, some provincial laws, and limited sections of the Criminal Code.[11] The exact definition of a special constabulary also varies province-to-province, and some civil law enforcement agencies, usually those whose staff are designated as special constables, are also sometimes considered special constabularies.[12] Generally, a special constabulary is any law enforcement organization composed of special constables, peace officers, or safety officers (as opposed to police officers) with a mandate for criminal law enforcement and/or general peacekeeping and security.

The powers of civil law enforcement agencies also vary significantly. Some, like the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, have the authority to enforce criminal legislation in addition to their primary mandate to enforce civil legislation,[13] while others are limited to enforcing only a handful of by-laws or provincial acts. Regardless of the breadth of their legislative authority, all civil law enforcement officers in Canada are considered peace officers for the purposes of carrying out their duties,[14][15][16] and may be variously appointed as special constables,[12] municipal law enforcement officers,[17] provincial offences officers,[18] or generically as peace officers.[19]

For the purposes of this list, agencies are grouped by their primary responsibilities and legislative definitions.

Federal[edit]

Police services[edit]

Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Horseback in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica (Ottawa)
A Canadian Forces Military Police Chevrolet Milverado drives through Toronto.

Railway police[edit]

The federal government, under the Railway Safety Act, authorizes any railway in Canada to request that a superior court judge appoint railway employees as police officers.[23] These officers are hired, trained, and employed by the railway for the purposes of preventing crimes against the company and the protection of goods, materials, and public rail transit being moved through the railway network, and have nationwide jurisdiction within 500 metres of a railway line or as it relates to railway operations.[24] There are three such federally-authorized police forces in the country:

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Alberta[edit]

Police services[edit]

Mounted members of the Calgary Police Service

Special constabularies[edit]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Alberta Sheriffs Branch prisoner transport van
  • Alberta Forestry, Parks and Tourism, Conservation Officers
  • Alberta Correctional Services Division
  • Alberta Environment and Parks - Environmental Protection Peace Officers
  • Alberta Sheriffs Branch[37]

British Columbia[edit]

Main article: List of law enforcement agencies in British Columbia

Police services[edit]

A Vancouver Police Department Dodge Charger PPV attends a call for service.

Designated Policing Units[edit]

A Metro Vancouver Transit Police Ford Police Interceptor Utility on patrol.

In British Columbia, the Solicitor General may establish a "designated policing unit" to provide specialized police services in a geographic area alongside the police service(s) of jurisdiction.[38] These forces answer to a board composed of representatives selected directly by the Solicitor General, and may include community representatives, representatives from area police services, or representatives from the corporations funding the designated policing unit's operations.[38][39] There are three such units in the province:

Special constabularies[edit]

  • Legislative Assembly Protective Services[43]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

A British Columbia Sheriff Service Ford F-150 Lightning.

Manitoba[edit]

Police services[edit]

A Winkler Police officer surveys the crowd at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
  • Altona Police Service[50]
  • Brandon Police Service[51]
  • Morden Police Service[52]
  • RM of Cornwallis Police Service[5]
  • Rivers Police Service
  • Sainte-Anne Police Service[53]
  • Springfield Police Service
  • Victoria Beach Police[54]
  • Winkler Police Service[55]
  • Winnipeg Police Service

Special constabularies[edit]

  • University of Manitoba Campus Safety and Security (Institutional Safety Officers)
  • Winnipeg Transit Safety Officers (Institutional Safety Officers)[56]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Manitoba Conservation Officers Service
  • Manitoba Sheriff Service
  • Motor Carrier Enforcement Highway Patrol [57]
  • Natural Resource Officer Service
  • Manitoba Corrections

New Brunswick[edit]

Police services[edit]

Two Saint John Police Force cruisers at a call for service.
  • Bathurst City Police Service
  • Beresford, Nigadoo, Petit-Rocher and Pointe-Verte Regional Police Service (B.N.P.P. Regional Police Service)
  • Edmundston Police Force
  • Fredericton Police Force
  • Grand Falls Police Force
  • Kennebecasis Regional Police Force
  • Miramichi Police Force
  • Saint John Police Force
  • Woodstock Police Force

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Inspections and Enforcement New Brunswick
    • Conservation Enforcement
    • Highway Safety Enforcement
    • Health Protection Services
  • New Brunswick Sheriff’s Service
  • Correctional Services
  • Coroner's Service

Newfoundland and Labrador[edit]

A Royal Newfoundland Constabulary cruiser at a call for service.

Police services[edit]

Special constabularies[edit]

  • Memorial University Campus Enforcement and Patrol[58]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Northwest Territories[edit]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Inuvik Municipal Enforcement
  • Hay River Municipal Enforcement
  • Northwest Territories Highway Patrol
  • Northwest Territories Renewable Resources Officer Service
  • Northwest Territories Parks Officer Service
  • Northwest Territories Sheriff Service
  • Northwest Territories Corrections Service
  • Yellowknife Municipal Enforcement Division

Nova Scotia[edit]

Police services[edit]

Halifax Regional Police headquarters.
  • Amherst Police Department
  • Annapolis Royal Police Department
  • Bridgewater Police Service
  • Cape Breton Regional Police Department: Sydney
  • Halifax Regional Police
  • Kentville Police Service
  • New Glasgow Regional Police: New Glasgow
  • New Glasgow Regional Police: Trenton
  • Stellarton Police Service
  • Truro Police Service
  • Westville Police Service

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Nova Scotia Sheriff Service
  • Nova Scotia Vehicle Transportation Inspection
  • Nova Scotia Conservation Enforcement
  • Nova Scotia Farm Animal Health & Welfare
  • Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
  • Child Welfare Services
  • Adult Protection Services
  • Nova Scotia Correctional Service

Nunavut[edit]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Ontario[edit]

Police services[edit]

An Ontario Provincial Police Chevrolet Tahoe on patrol in Guelph.
A Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Ford F-150.

Special constabularies[edit]

GO-Transit-Special-Constable-Vehicle-at-Hamilton-City-Hall-April-2018

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Prince Edward Island[edit]

Police services[edit]

A special events cruiser owned by the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Police.

Special constabularies[edit]

  • UPEI Campus Security Police

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Prince Edward Island Conservation Officers
  • Prince Edward Island Department of Corrections
  • Prince Edward Island Fire Marshals Office
  • Prince Edward Island Highway Safety
  • Prince Edward Island Sheriff Services

Quebec[edit]

Police services[edit]

A Sûreté du Québec black-and-white Ford Police Interceptor Utility.
A Richelieu-Saint-Laurent police car

Special constabularies[edit]

  • Sûreté des réseaux de la Société de transport de Montréal (Transit Special Constables)
  • Université de Montréal Le Bureau de la Sûreté

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

Saskatchewan[edit]

Police services[edit]

Saskatoon Police Service headquarters.
  • Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS)
  • Corman Park Police Service[68]
  • Dalmeny Police Service[69]
  • Estevan Police Service[70]
  • Luseland Police Service[71]
  • Moose Jaw Police Service[72]
  • Prince Albert Police Service[73]
  • Regina Police Service[74]
  • Saskatoon Police Service[75]
  • Vanscoy Police Service[76]
  • Weyburn Police Service[77]

Special constabularies[edit]

  • Lakeland District Protective Services[78]
  • University of Saskatchewan Protective Services[11]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Saskatchewan Firearms Office
  • Saskatchewan Corrections
  • Animal Protection Officers
  • Provincial Protective Services Branch
    • Saskatchewan Highway Patrol
    • Saskatchewan Sheriff Service
    • Saskatchewan Conservation Officers

Yukon Territory[edit]

Civil law enforcement agencies[edit]

  • Yukon Highway & Public Works - Carrier Compliance Division
  • Yukon Sheriffs Office[79]
  • Yukon Conservation Officer Service[80]

Indigenous police[edit]

Main article: Indigenous police in Canada

Alberta[edit]

  • Blood Tribe Police Service[81]
  • North Peace Tribal Police Service
  • Lakeshore Regional Police Service[82]
  • Tsuu T'ina Nation Police Service
  • Siksika Nation Police Service

British Columbia[edit]

Manitoba[edit]

  • Manitoba First Nation Police Services - MFNPS (Formally: Dakota Ojibway Police Services - DOPS) serves the following areas:

- Long Plain First Nation, Sandy Bay First Nation, Swan Lake First Nation, Birdtail Sioux First Nation, Canupawakpa Dakota Nation, Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, Waywayseecappo First Nation and Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Ontario[edit]

Self-administered police services[edit]

• Akwasasne Mohawk Police • Anishinabek Police Service • Lac-Seul Police Service • Nishnawbe-Aski Police • Rama Police Service • Six Nations Police Service • Treaty Three Police Service • U.C.C.M Anishnaabe Police Service • Wikwemikong Police Service

OPP-administered police services[edit]

The OPP administers OFNPA funding and provides administrative support for First Nations whose choice of policing arrangement under the federal First Nations Policing Program takes one of two forms: an OPP-administered OFNPA option; or OPP policing under a Stream Two Agreement.

• Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (White Fish Lake) Police • Batchewana First Nations Police • Bear Island Police • Neyaashiinigmiing Police; formerly Cape Croker Police • Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Police • Georgina Island Police • Hiawatha First Nation Police • K.I Police ( Big Trout Lake) • Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek Police (Gull Bay) • Lake Helen Reserve Red Rock Band Police • Mississauga First Nation Police • Moravian Reserve Police • Munsee-Delaware Police • Oneida Police • Pikangikum Police • Tyendinaga Police • Walpole Island First Nations Police

Quebec[edit]

• Services de police Wôlinak et d’Odanak • Services de police Timiskaming • Kahnawake Peacekeepers • Services de police Naskapis • Services de police Gesgapegiag • Services de police Eagle Village • Services de police Kitigan Zibi • Service de police Kebaowek • Services de police Listuguj • Services de police Essipit • Services de police Eeyou Eenou • Service de police Nunavik • Sécurité publique d' Opitciwan • Sécurité publique d' Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam • Sécurité publique d' Pessamit • Sécurité publique d' Wemotaci • Sécurité publique d' Mashteuiatsh • Sécurité publique d' Pakua Shipi • Service de police de Manawan • Service de police de Pikogan • Service de police Lac-Simon

Saskatchewan[edit]

  • File Hill First Nations Police Service[83]

Fictional[edit]

In various television and film media, producers may decide to utilise fictitious law enforcement agencies for the purpose of artistic license or copyright reasons.

Federal[edit]

  • Immigration and Customs Security (Sécurité de l'immigration et des douanes) - the federal agency that is the main focus of the CBC television series The Border. Created to deal with trans-border matters including terrorism and smuggling, it operates under the supervision of Public Safety Canada. Throughout the series the agency liaises with both the Department of Homeland Security and MI6.
  • Royal Canadian Federal Police, RCFP (Gendarmerie Royale Fédérale du Canada, GRFC) - national police service Sky Atlantic series Tin Star. Officers wear tan pants with a blue stripe, dark blue shirts with the service patch on either shoulder and black bulletproof vests with POLICE emblazoned on the front. It is a fictional version of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
  • Canada Border Patrol, CBP (Patrouille Frontalière Canadienne, PFC) - national border services agency featured in the Sky Atlantic series Tin Star. It is a fictional version of, and has similar uniforms to the Canada Border Services Agency.
  • Canadian Federal Police Corps (Corps de la police Fédérale Canadianne), CFPC - national police force in the CBC Series Allegiance (2024) is a fictional version of the RCMP.


Provincial[edit]

Local[edit]

  • Algonquin Bay Police Department - police service in the CTV-Super Écran crime drama Cardinal, with jurisdiction in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay, Ontario.
  • Little Big Bear Police Service - police service in the Sky Atlantic series Tin Star, covering the fictional town of Little Big Bear, Alberta.
  • Metropolitan Law Enforcement - police service in the Global series Rookie Blue. The former is printed on the police force logo, however it is often referred to as the "Metropolitan Police" in show. The show is set in Toronto, but does not make overt references to the city until later seasons. The real life counterpart would be the Toronto Police Service.
  • Metropolitan Police - police service in the CTV series Flashpoint and CBC Television series Cracked. A generic fictionalised version of the Toronto Police Service, it is home to the Strategic Response Unit (itself based on the Emergency Task Force).
  • Regional Police - regional police service in the Showcase TV series Trailer Park Boys. The service is shown to have a Parking Enforcement Division additionally. It is a fictional/generic version of the Halifax Regional Police.
  • Reverie Ipowahtaman Police Service - aboriginal police service in the Sky Atlantic series Tin Star. It covers the fictional Ipowahtaman First Nations reserve in Reverie, northern Alberta.
  • St John's Police Department - police service in the CITY TV series Hudson and Rex. The actual St John's police department is the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
  • Service de Police de Grande Ourse (Great Bear Police Service) - the local police service in the 2004 Radio-Canada TV series Grande Ourse. It covers the fictional mining town of Grande Ourse (Great Bear) in northern Quebec.
  • Service de Police Métropolitain (Metropolitan Police Service) - police service used in the 1998 Radio-Canada TV series Caserne 24, the 2011 Radio-Canada and 2014 Bravo-CTV series 19-2. In Caserne 24 it is the generic police service for the unnamed city the show is set in. In both versions of 19-2 it is a fictitious, generic version of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, with the uniforms and police vehicles bearing strong resemblance to the real Montreal.
  • Municipal Police Service - the police service covering Dog River, Saskatchewan, the fictional town in the CTV series Corner Gas. Generally just a two person police force, who do mostly Traffic Work. The Police Agency that would actually patrol the area would be the Royal Canadian Mounted Police .

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Police in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  2. ^ "Appointment of Officers and designation as provincial offences officers". Toronto Region Conservation Authority. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  3. ^ "Regulations and Procedures Manual" (PDF). Vancouver Police Department. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  4. ^ "Parking Enforcement". Toronto Police Service. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  5. ^ a b "Protective Services". Rural Municipality of Cornwallis.
  6. ^ "Ontario's 'Crypto King' arrested after Durham police's largest fraud investigation ever". CBC News.
  7. ^ "Ontario Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019". CanLII.
  8. ^ "Quebec Police Act". LegisQuebec.
  9. ^ "2020 Independent Review of the Manitoba Police Services Act, 2009" (PDF). Community Safety Knowledge Alliance.
  10. ^ a b "Niagara Parks Police". NiagaraParks.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Protective Services". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  12. ^ a b "Comment: B.C. must not forget our special provincial constables". Times Colonist. 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2022-07-03.
  13. ^ "6 new officers finish training, ready to start with Sask. Highway Patrol". Global News. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  14. ^ Moore v R [1975] 5 W.W.R. 176.
  15. ^ R. vs Jones [1975] 5 W.W.R. 197.
  16. ^ "Police Services Act R.S.O. 1990, c. P.15, s. 15 (2)".
  17. ^ "Police Services Act R.S.O. 1990, c. P.15, s. 15 (1)".
  18. ^ "Designation of Provincial Offences Officer" (PDF). Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit.
  19. ^ "Roles and Duties - PBLE Peace Officer". Prairie Bylaw Enforcement. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  20. ^ "Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act". Government of Canada. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  21. ^ "CFPM - Mission and Vision". Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
  22. ^ Craig, Elaine (31 May 2022). "Why are Canadian police chiefs refusing to accept military sexual-assault cases?". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  23. ^ Branch, Legislative Services (28 August 2019). "Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Railway Safety Act". laws-lois.justice.gc.ca.
  24. ^ Tchir, Jason (30 June 2015). "Can CN Rail Police really issue speeding tickets?". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  25. ^ "CN Police Service".
  26. ^ "CP Police Service".
  27. ^ "Rail Policing Security". VIA Rail. 8 May 2014.
  28. ^ "Reporting an Offence". Canada Border Services Agency. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  29. ^ Agency, Canada Revenue (2018-10-04). "The CRA's criminal investigations process". aem. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  30. ^ "Our mandate". Competition Bureau Canada. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  31. ^ Environment Canada – Acts, Regulations and Agreements – Enforcement – Acts and Regulations. Ec.gc.ca (July 6, 2022).
  32. ^ "Fisheries enforcement". Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 23 July 2007. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  33. ^ "The role of park wardens in conserving the Rouge". Parks Canada. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  34. ^ "Transport Canada's Enforcement Policy". Transport Canada. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  35. ^ Calgary Transit. "Safety on Transit".
  36. ^ City of Edmonton. "Community Standards Enforcement Officers".
  37. ^ "Sheriffs". Government of Alberta. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  38. ^ a b Steve Sweeney. "Municipal Policing in the Lower Mainland District of British Columbia" (PDF). Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.
  39. ^ "Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. p. 17. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  40. ^ "Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia". Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – BC. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  41. ^ "About Us". Metro Vancouver Transit Police. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  42. ^ a b Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service: http://www.stlatlimxpolice.ca/
  43. ^ "B.C. legislature guards to be armed with guns". Times Colonist. 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  44. ^ General, Ministry of Attorney. "Community Safety Unit - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  45. ^ "Conservation Officer Service". British Columbia. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  46. ^ B.C. Corrections: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/corrections
  47. ^ Ministry of Forests, Lands; Strategy, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. "Natural Resource Officers - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  48. ^ "How to Become a BC Parks Ranger". BC Parks Blog. Government of British Columbia. 10 February 2016.
  49. ^ Infrastructure, Ministry of Transportation and. "Passenger Transportation Compliance & Enforcement - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  50. ^ Altona Police Service: https://altona.ca/police/
  51. ^ Brandon Police Service: http://police.brandon.ca/
  52. ^ Morden Police Service: http://mordenpolice.com/
  53. ^ Sainte-Anne Police Service: https://www.steannepolice.ca/
  54. ^ Victoria Beach Police: http://www.vbpolice.ca/
  55. ^ Winkler Police Service: http://www.winklerpolice.ca/
  56. ^ City of Winnipeg. "Safety Officers patrolling Winnipeg's streets and Transit buses".
  57. ^ Motor Carrier Enforcement: https://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/mcd/mce/
  58. ^ "Campus Enforcement and Patrol Services". Memorial University.
  59. ^ "Municipal Enforcement | City of Iqaluit". www.iqaluit.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  60. ^ "Nunavut Courts - Sheriff". www.nunavutcourts.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  61. ^ "Aylmer Police Station". www.aylmerpolice.com. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  62. ^ "Our History". Cornwall Police Service.
  63. ^ GO Transit. "Customer Protective Officers".
  64. ^ TTC. "At a Glance: TTC Special Constables".
  65. ^ OC Transpo. "Special Constables".
  66. ^ York Region Transit. "Transit Enforcement and Security".
  67. ^ "2022 Annual Report - University Affairs Board" (PDF). University of Toronto Campus Safety.
  68. ^ "Corman Park Police Service | Rural Municipality of Corman Park, SK".
  69. ^ https://dalmeny.ca/p/police-and-fire
  70. ^ https://estevanpolice.ca/
  71. ^ "Services".
  72. ^ https://mjpolice.ca/
  73. ^ https://papolice.ca/
  74. ^ https://reginapolice.ca/
  75. ^ https://saskatoonpolice.ca/
  76. ^ https://www.vanscoyrmpolice.ca/
  77. ^ https://weyburnpolice.ca/
  78. ^ https://www.ld-ps.ca/
  79. ^ Yukon Sheriffs now armed: https://www.yukon-news.com/news/sheriffs-now-armed/
  80. ^ Yukon Department of Environment - Conservation Officer Service: https://yukon.ca/en/department-environment
  81. ^ Blood Tribe Police Service: http://www.bloodtribepolice.com
  82. ^ Lakeshore Regional Police Service: http://www.lakeshoreregionalpolice.com/
  83. ^ File Hills First Nations Police Service: http://www.filehillspolice.ca

External links[edit]

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