List of law enforcement agencies in British Columbia
The following is a list of law enforcement agencies operating in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
Federal police
- RCMP "E" Division – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the largest police body operating in British Columbia, providing federal, provincial, and municipal policing throughout the province. “E” Division has a strength of 5,900 sworn members and employs 1,700 civilian members and public service employees. In addition, approximately 1,200 auxiliary constables volunteer with “E” Division. It is the largest RCMP division, and along with “M” Division in the Yukon, makes up the Pacific Region, one of the four geographical regions of Canada under the RCMP’s policing scheme. “E” Division operates out of 127 local detachments. In 2013, the headquarters was moved from Vancouver to the purpose-built Green Timbers complex in Surrey, which allowed the amalgamation of numerous individual buildings around the Lower Mainland area. It polices all but 12 municipalities in the province and its Commanding Officer is Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens.[1]
Provincial agencies
- British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (COS) Part of the Compliance Division of the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, the Conservation Officer Service is responsible for enforcing over 20 federal and provincial environmental statutes and for responding to wildlife/human conflicts where public safety is at risk. Its headquarters are in Victoria and it has 44 offices throughout the province. It consists of Commercial Environmental Investigations Unit, the Special Investigations Unit, and the Ceremonial Unit. The COS has a strength of 120 regional conservation officers, excluding headquarter staff.[2]
- British Columbia Sheriff Service (BCSS) Tracing its roots to the first sheriff appointed by Governor James Douglas for the Colony of Vancouver Island, the modern BCSS was formed after a consolidation of county sheriffs by the NDP government in 1974, and placed under the Ministry of the Attorney General. BCSS responsibilities include transporting prisoners by ground and air, protection of all Supreme,Appeals, Provincial Courts in B.C., assembling and supervising protecting juries, serving court documents, executing warrants, planning and undertaking High Security Operations for large scale trials such as Air India, protecting Federal and Provincial Judiciary, Crown Prosecutors and assisting the Provincial Coroners Office, carrying out court orders.Basic training is undertaken at the Justice Institute of British Columbia.[3]
CVSE Shoulder Flash
- British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (BCCVSE) began in 1958 as the B.C. Department of Commercial Transport and became responsible for 15 fixed scale facilities and six portable patrol vehicles throughout the Province of BC to protect the highway infrastructure from overloaded vehicles. In the late 1980s the "Weighmasters" began getting under trucks for closer inspections and became known as the "Commercial Vehicle Inspectors" with a broader focus on public safety ensuring that commercial vehicles were in good condition, cargo was safely loaded and drivers were qualified and competent. Today CVSE is responsible for the inspection and enforcement of the National Safety Code and Vehicle Inspection Standards of hundreds of thousands of commercial vehicles. In 2005 CVSE Peace Officers began to conduct speed enforcement for heavy trucks to enhance safety on B.C.’s highway system. As a founding member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, it represents BC in the tri-national (Canada, Mexico and the United States) conferences. In addition, transport of Dangerous Goods falls under the jurisdiction of CVSE. There are over 230 CVSE officers that are appointed as peace officers under the Motor Vehicle Act Inspectors Authorization Regulation and can issue violation tickets to all motor vehicles on the roads of British Columbia.[4][5]
- Special Provincial Constable SPC - Approximately 25 Provincial Agencies and Crown Corporations employ Special Provincial Constables whose duties vary from Criminal Investigations (Fraud, Forgery, False Pretences, Identity Theft/Fraud) to Regulatory Investigations, Intelligence Gathering and Protective Services. Typical roles are Fraud Investigators (Benefits/Claims Fraud and Identity Fraud for ICBC, WorkSafeBC, Income Assistance, Childcare and Healthcare); Compliance and Enforcement Investigations regarding, Consumer Protection, Film Classification, Financial Institutions, Securities/Markets, Gaming Enforcement, Liquor, Tobacco Tax, General Revenue, Conservation Officer Service, Natural Resource Operations, Intersection Safety Cameras, Security Programs, SPCA, and the Federal Competition Bureau; Protection and Risk Services for the Legislature, Government and Courts. The following Memorandum of Understanding with the Independent Investigations Office list all the SPC Agencies in British Columbia.
Regional agencies
- Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team
- Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - British Columbia (CFSEU-BC)
- Integrated Illegal Gaming Enforcement Team
- Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crimes Team (IMPACT)
- Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams
- Violence Suppression Team
- South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS) – Created in 2005 to police the TransLink transit system, the SCBCTAPS is the only transit police agency in Canada with full police powers.
Municipal police
- Abbotsford Police Department Formed as the Matsqui Police Department in 1955, the department was renamed in 1995 following the amalgamation of Matsqui and Abbotsford into the City of Abbotsford. The strength of the force in 2005 was 201.[6]
- Central Saanich Police Service (CSPS) Established in 1951, the CSPS has gone from one member to a strength of 27 in 2007, including one detective. Its headquarters are in Saanichton neighbourhood of the Central Saanich district municipality in Greater Victoria.[7]
- Delta Police Department
- Nelson Police Department
- New Westminster Police Service
- Oak Bay Police Department
- Port Moody Police Department
- Saanich Police Department
- Vancouver Police Department
- Victoria Police Department
- West Vancouver Police Department
Aboriginal police
- Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service (STPS).[8] The STPS was created in 1992. It operated as a pilot project for the next several years, with its officers sworn in as special constables. In 1999, it became a fully empowered police agency responsible for ten participating Stl'atl'imx communities. It operates out of the Lillooet Detachment and the Mount Currie Detachment.[9]
Historical agencies
- British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP) This was the provincial police force of BC from 1871 until 1950, when it was absorbed into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Its predecessor was the Colonial Constabulary.
- Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia (OCABC) Established as an independent law enforcement agency in 1999, the mandate of the OCABC is to “facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime” which has since become the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia.[10]
See also
- Policing in Canada
- List of law enforcement agencies in Canada
- Aboriginal Police in Canada
- List of emergency organizations in British Columbia
- British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
- British Columbia, Police International.com
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References
- ↑ RCMP in BC, official website of RCMP “E” Division. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ↑ Conservation Officer Service official website. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
- ↑ Sheriffs of British Columbia, unofficial website. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
- ↑ "Key Facts" th.gov.bc.ca. Updated January 9, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Commercial Vehicle Safety & Enforcement" official website. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ↑ Abbotsford Police Department official website. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
- ↑ Central Saanich Police Service official website. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
- ↑ Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service
- ↑ Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service official website. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ↑ OCABC official website