Winnipeg Police Service
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| Winnipeg Police Service |
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 |
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| Established | 1874 |
| Jurisdiction | Municipal |
| Sworn | 1318 |
| Non-sworn | 413 |
| Stations | 6 |
| Chief | Keith McCaskill |
| Website | http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/ |
The Winnipeg Police Service is the police force of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Contents |
[edit] History
When Winnipeg became a city in 1873, an election was held to select the city's new Mayor and Aldermen. Those appointed decided to hire city officials, including a Chief Constable. On February 23, 1874, John S. Ingram was appointed the first Chief of Police of Winnipeg.
During the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, most of the force was replaced with 2000 better paid special constables for refusing to sign a declaration promising to not belong to a union or participate in a sympathy strike, even though they remained on duty during the strike. The union was thus broken, and Chris H. Newton became the acting Chief Constable.
In 1972, Winnipeg merged with its eight neighbouring communities, causing the amalgamation of the communities, but still having eight police services with different uniforms and radio channels. The RCMP contract for Charleswood and Headingly was cancelled, and that area fell under the Inner City patrol area. On October 21, 1974, the amalgamation of the services was complete, and the remaining eight services formed into six districts. On January 1, 1975, all police officers in Winnipeg started to wear the same uniform with matching shoulder flashes that stated, "One, with the strength of many."
| Police Chief Constables Pre-amalgamation |
|
|---|---|
| Years served | |
| John S. Ingram | 1874 – 1875 |
| D. B. Murray | 1875 – 1887 |
| John C. McRae | 1887 – 1911 |
| Donald MacPherson | 1911 – 1919 |
| Christopher H. Newton | 1919 – 1934 |
| George Smith | 1934 – 1947 |
| Charles McIver | 1947 – 1953 |
| Robert T. Taft | 1953 – 1965 |
| George S. Blow | 1965 – 1970 |
| Norman M. Stewart | 1970 – 1974 |
In the early 1990s, J.B. Dale Henry, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer and former commander of the Manitoba "D" division, was selected as the first Chief of Police not from the service's own ranks. Henry was well respected amongst minorities and sought to change and improve the image of police in Winnipeg. One of the most noticeable changes was the name for police, from the Winnipeg Police Force (which it had been for 120 years), to the Winnipeg Police Service. Another change was the addition of the motto "Community Commitment".
Henry also changed the department badge to the one known today and pictured above. The 13 stars on the badge represent the 13 communities that came together to form Winnipeg during the amalgamation in the 1970s, and the crocus is the Provincial flower.
[edit] Administration
The Winnipeg Police Service is headed by Chief of Police Keith McCaskill as of December 10, 2007, who replaced retired Jack Ewatski. The two Deputy Chiefs are Menno Zacharias and Doug Webster.
The service has 1318 officers of which approximately half are on the front lines or known as, General Patrol (Uniform Operations). The WPS also has approximately 400 civilian workers.
[edit] Organization
The City of Winnipeg is divided into six policing districts. Each district contains several generalized and specialized police units.
Division 11 - Downtown - City Centre - Patrols Police District 1 - 151 Princess St. - 204-986-6288
Division 12 - West St. James / Assiniboia - Patrols Police District 2 - 210 Lyle St. - 204-986-6060
Division 13 - North Lord Selkirk / West Kildonan - Patrols Police District 3 - 260 Hartford Ave - 204-986-6313
Division 14 - East East Kildonan / Transcona Patrols Police District 4 - 730 Pandora Ave. W. - 204-986-6262
Division 15 - East St. Boniface / St. Vital - Patrols Police District 5 - 227 Provencher Blvd. - 204-986-6200
Division 16 - South Assiniboine Park / Fort Rouge / Fort Garry - Patrols Police District 6 - 1350 Pembina Hwy - 204-986-6042
Specialized units include:
- Bicycle Patrol Unit
- Canine Unit
- Traffic Unit
- Photo Enforcement Unit
- Pawn Unit
- River Patrol Unit
- Victim Services Unit
- Street Crime Unit
- Training Unit - WPS Training academy.
- Division 40 - Criminal Investigation Bureau - Homicide, Drugs, Hate Crimes, Major Crimes, Morals, Integrated Proceeds of Crime (IPOC), Organized Crime and Crime Stoppers
- Division 41 - Criminal Investigation Bureau - Missing Persons, Child Abuse, Internet Child Exploitation (ICE), Domestic Violence, High Risk Offenders, Sex Crimes, Vulnerable Persons, and Youth Crime
- Division 42 - Criminal Investigation Bureau – Arson, Commercial Crime, Stolen Auto, Pawn, Surveillance and Forensic Services
The Winnipeg Police Service also has an Emergency Response Unit, made up of officers trained for special circumstances, such as hostage situations or armed and barricaded incidents.
| Police demographics As of 2006 |
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|---|---|
| Ethnic origin | Number |
| Caucasian | 1,076 |
| Aboriginal | 137 |
| Black | 23 |
| Filipino | 4 |
| East Indian | 25 |
| Other | 21 |
| By gender | |
| Gender | Number |
| Male | 1,110 |
| Female | 177 |
[edit] Recruitment
Potential trainees must be at least eighteen years old and able to complete the Police Officer's Physical Aptitude Test, which determines a recruit's physical ability. Training takes 37 weeks and is free for the trainee. After passing the training course, recruits are assigned to Field Training Officers, who supervise them while they carry out needed services. After this process is finished the recruit is inducted into the police service. After five years of general patrol service, officers may apply for specialty divisions.
[edit] Statistics
As of 2006:
- Winnipeg Population - 648,600
- Police Per Residents - 1/499
- Operating Expenses - $134,318,216
- Per Capita Cost - $207.09
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- Total Incoming Phone Calls
- Emergency 9-1-1 Calls - 196,189
- Non-Emergency Calls - 366,484
- Busiest Day: Friday, June 30, 2006, with 2241 incoming calls
- Busiest Average Month: June
- Slowest Day: Monday, December 25, 2006, with 831 incoming calls
- Slowest Average Month: December
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- Top Five Events For Service
- Domestic Disturbance -16,639
- Traffic Stop - 15,180
- Disturbance - 8,933
- Traffic Complaint - 8,596
- Suspicious Person - 6,600
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- In 2006, 80 marijuana grow operations were dismantled by the WPS' "Green Team" with more than $253,000 in equipment, and over $14,000,000 in plants seized.
- The WPS Bomb Unit was deployed 42 times.
- The Crisis Negotiators Unit was activated 19 times.
- The Crown Management Unit attended three incidents.
- The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) was called out 15 times.
- The Underwater Search & Recovery Unit was deployed 19 times.
[edit] Winnipeg Police Museum
The Winnipeg Police Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The museum displays the history of the Winnipeg Police Service from 1874 to the present. Pictures, equipment, vehicles and other artifacts are presented within the museum. An original 1911 jail cell from the North End Station is one of the highlights of the museum.
[edit] Photos
 Unmarked cruiser |
 Smashed cruisers following pursuit |
 Stolen car following pursuit |
