List of law enforcement agencies 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. Canada's provinces are responsible for the development and maintenance of police forces and special constabularies, 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. 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, 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. 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," while in neighbouring Quebec, the responsibilities of a police force are dependent on the population it serves. 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.
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; 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. 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. Generally, a special constabulary is any law enforcement organization composed of special constables, peace officers, or safety 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, 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, and may be variously appointed as special constables, municipal law enforcement officers, provincial offences officers, or generically as peace officers.
For the purposes of this list, agencies are grouped by their primary responsibilities and legislative definitions.

Federal

Police services

Railway police

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. These officers are hired, 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. Railway police officers receive training through an accredited police college including but not limited to the RCMP Depot Academy or Ontario Police College. There are three such federally-authorized police forces in the country:

Nuclear Security Officers

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission may appoint nuclear security officers as peace officers on high-risk sites. These officers have jurisdiction only on the site to which they work, and have limited authority as peace officers.

Civil law enforcement agencies

Security agencies

Alberta

Police services

Special constabularies

  • Alberta Health Services, Protective Services
  • Covenant Health, Protective Services
  • Calgary Transit Public Safety and Enforcement Section
  • Edmonton Transit Protective Services
  • University of Alberta Protective Services
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Protective Services
  • Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Protective Services

Provincial law enforcement agencies

Community peace officers

Community peace officers are law enforcement officers appointed by municipalities, regional sub divisions, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations.
The duties of a community peace officer varies depending on their appointment, which specifies which provincial laws the appointed community peace officer may enforce.
Uniquely, community peace officers employed by Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health are empowered to enforce the Mental Health Act. Powers under this act allow for the apprehension of individuals that the peace officer reasonably believes may be suffering from a mental disorder and is a danger to themselves and/or others.
Other common roles include but are not limited to traffic enforcement, enforcement of the trespass act and its provisions, as well as enforcement of alcohol and cannabis related legislation.
Peace officers are armed with a baton and OC spray, as well as body armour. Some peace officers are equipped with shotguns for dispatching wildlife.
Peace officers are not police officers and generally do not have the authority to conduct criminal investigations, however they may arrest people under the criminal code when someone is found committing an offence.

British Columbia

Police services

Designated Policing Units

In British Columbia, the [Ministry of Public Safety and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (British Columbia)|Solicitor General (British Columbia)|Solicitor General] may establish a "designated policing unit" to provide specialized police services in a geographic area alongside the police service of jurisdiction. 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. There are three such units in the province:

Special constabularies

  • Legislative Assembly Protective Services

Civil law enforcement agencies

Manitoba

Police services

  • Altona Police Service
  • Brandon Police Service
  • Morden Police Service
  • RM of Cornwallis Police Service
  • Sainte-Anne Police Service
  • Springfield Police Service
  • Victoria Beach Police
  • Winkler Police Service
  • Winnipeg Police Service

Special constabularies

  • University of Manitoba Campus Safety and Security
  • Winnipeg Transit Safety Officers

Civil law enforcement agencies

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

New Brunswick

Police services

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • 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

Police services

Special constabularies

  • Memorial University Campus Enforcement and Patrol

Civil law enforcement agencies

Northwest Territories

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • Northwest Territories Highway Patrol
  • Northwest Territories Renewable Resources Officer Service
  • Northwest Territories Parks Officer Service
  • Northwest Territories Sheriff Service
  • Northwest Territories Corrections Service

Nova Scotia

Police services

  • Amherst Police Department
  • Annapolis Royal Police Department
  • Bridgewater Police Service
  • Cape Breton Regional Police Service
  • Halifax Regional Police
  • Kentville Police Service
  • New Glasgow Regional Police Service
  • Stellarton Police Service
  • Truro Police Service
  • Westville Police Service

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • 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 Territory

Civil law enforcement agencies

Ontario

Police services

Special constabularies

Civil law enforcement agencies

Prince Edward Island

Police services

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • 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
  • Prince Edward Island Humane Society - Animal Protection Officers
  • Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture - Animal Protection Officers
  • Health PEI - Environmental Health Officers
  • Workers Compensation Board of PEI - Occupational Heath and Safety Officers
  • Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission - Liquor Inspectors

Quebec

Police services

  • Sûreté du Québec
  • Service de police de la Ville de Montréal
  • Service de police de la Ville de Québec
  • Service de police de la Ville de Laval
  • Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil
  • Service de police de la Ville de Blainville
  • Service de police de Châteauguay
  • Régie de police de Lac des Deux-Montagnes
  • Service de police de l'Assomption/St-Sulpice
  • Service de police de la Ville de Lévis
  • Service de la sécurité publique Ville de Mascouche
  • Service de police de Mercier
  • Service de police de Mirabel
  • Service de police de la MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais
  • Service de sécurité publique de la Ville de Repentigny
  • Régie intermunicipale de police Richelieu-Saint-Laurent
  • Régie intermunicipale de police de Roussillon
  • Service de sécurité publique de Saguenay
  • Sécurité publique de Saint-Eustache
  • Service de police de la Ville de Sherbrooke
  • Service de police de Terrebonne
  • Régie intermunicipale de police de Thérèse-de-Blainville
  • Service de sécurité publique de Trois-Rivières
  • Service de police de la Ville de Bromont
  • Service de police de la Ville de Granby
  • Régie de police de Memphrémagog
  • Service de police de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
  • Service de police de la Ville de Saint-Jérôme

Special constabularies

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • Service de la protection de la faune
  • Contrôle Routier Québec
  • Direction de la sécurité dans les palais de justice
  • Bureau du taxi de Montréal
  • Sécurité publique des arrondissements et Villes liées de Montréal
  • Bureau de la lutte contre le tabagisme Québec
  • Enquête SPCA
  • MAPAQ
  • Enquête Contrôle animalier Montreal
  • Enquête Hydro Québec

Saskatchewan

Police services

Special constabularies

  • Legislature District Security Unit
  • Candle Lake Regional Special Constable Service
  • University of Saskatchewan Protective Services
  • Wascana Community Safety Officers
  • North Battleford Community Safety Officers

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • Saskatchewan Firearms Office
  • Saskatchewan Corrections
  • Animal Protection Officers
  • Provincial Protective Services Branch
  • * Saskatchewan Highway Patrol
  • * Saskatchewan Deputy Sheriffs Service
  • * Saskatchewan Conservation Officers
  • * Wascana Community Safety Officers

Yukon Territory

Civil law enforcement agencies

  • Yukon Highway & Public Works - Carrier Compliance Division
  • Yukon Sheriffs Office
  • Yukon Conservation Officer Service

Indigenous police

Alberta

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

British Columbia

Manitoba

  • Manitoba First Nation Police Services - MFNPS 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

Self-administered police services

OPP-administered police services

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 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
  • Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek Police
  • 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

  • Services de police Wôlinak et d’Odanak
  • Services de police Timiskaming
  • Kahnawake Peacekeepers
  • Akwesasne Mohawk Police
  • 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 du 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

  • File Hill First Nations Police Service

Fictional

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

  • Immigration and Customs Security ' - 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 ' - 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 - 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, CFPC - national police force in the CBC Series Allegiance is a fictional version of the RCMP.

Provincial

Local

  • 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.
  • 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 ' - the local police service in the 2004 Radio-Canada TV series Grande Ourse. It covers the fictional mining town of Grande Ourse in northern Quebec.
  • Service de Police Métropolitain ' - 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.

Defunct