Table of Contents

• Structure of Policing in British Columbia: 2
• British Columbia Policing Jurisdictions: 6
• First Nations Community Policing Services Statistics, 2020: 7
• Municipal Police Statistics, 2020: 9
• Provincial Police Statistics, 2020: 11
• Police Statistics Summary, 2020: 13
• Government Contributions to Policing, 2020: 15
• British Columbia Authorized Strength by Responsibility 2011-2020: 16
• Authorized Strength by Jurisdiction, 2011-2020: 17
• Key Impacts on Crime Statistics: 26
• Police Resource Definitions and Data Qualifiers: 27

Date Prepared: November 2021

Effective Jan 1, 2019, new CCJS scoring rules and provincial PRIME policy changes were introduced regarding how incidents are categorized. Incidents of crime that could not be substantiated when followed up by the police are no longer considered “unsubstantiated,” unless police find evidence to show the offence did not occur. Consequently, more crimes are now being categorized as “founded,” contributing to increases in the number of occurrences for many jurisdictions beginning in 2019. In addition, changes were seen in occurrence counts in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

*Caution should be used in comparing police jurisdiction crime data, policing costs, authorized strengths, or case loads.

Variances in crime statistics in recent years may be attributable in part to changes in reporting practices and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please refer to the Police Resource Definitions and Data Qualifiers on page 27.

Additional police and crime statistics information can be found on the PSB website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/policing-in-bc

Structure of Policing in British Columbia

Policing in Canada is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments. Under the Constitution Act, 1867, the federal government has the exclusive authority to enact legislation regarding criminal law and procedure. In addition, the federal government is responsible for providing a federal police service to enforce federal statutes and to protect national security. The Constitution Act, 1867, delegates responsibility for the administration of justice, which includes policing, to provincial governments. Each province has a Police Act that sets out the terms by which police are governed. Provinces may delegate responsibility for policing within municipal boundaries to the municipality. Under the BC Police Act, municipalities 5,000 population and over are responsible for providing police services within their municipal boundaries.

In BC, policing is provided mainly by the RCMP (federal, provincial and municipal services), municipal police departments, and one First Nations self-administered Police Service. Notably, there are integrated teams operating throughout the province; these teams provide specialized policing services and are funded and/or resourced from two or more policing jurisdictions or agencies.

In addition, there are also several agencies that provide supplemental policing in BC; that is, they are mandated to provide policing in geographic areas already served by provincial or municipal police agencies but for a specific purpose. For example, in the Lower Mainland area of the province, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS) provides policing on and around the transit system which is supplemental to the jurisdictional police. Similarly, the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railway police agencies provide specialized law enforcement on any property within 500 metres of lands that the railway company owns, possesses or administers.

RCMP Federal Service

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada’s national police service. Established under the RCMP Act, the RCMP serves as the federal police service across Canada including within British Columbia. The RCMP falls within the portfolio of the Minister of Public Safety Canada and operates under the direction of the RCMP Commissioner. As the federal police service, the RCMP enforces federal statutes across the province and is responsible for border integrity, national security, drugs and organized crime, financial crime and international policing.

In 2020, the authorized strength of the federal service in British Columbia was 965 member positions which included 130 protective policing positions.

RCMP Provincial Service

Under the Police Act, the provincial government must provide policing and law enforcement to rural/unincorporated areas and municipalities under 5,000 population. Effective April 1, 2012 the Province signed a new 20-year Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA) with the Government of Canada to contract the RCMP as BC’s Provincial Police Service. Under the terms of the PPSA, the provincial government pays 70% of the cost-base described in the Agreement with the federal government paying the remaining 30%¹.

A portion of the provincial cost is recovered through the Police Tax. In 2007, municipalities under 5,000 population and unincorporated areas began to pay the Police Tax which covers a portion of the costs of the General Duty and General Investigative Services (GD/GIS) provided by the RCMP Provincial Service. In 2020, the Police Tax raised a total of $34M which was 32 per cent of the Province’s estimated 70 per cent share of rural and small community GD/GIS costs. Revenues go into the Province’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.

The RCMP Provincial Service can be broken into two main categories: detachment policing and the provincial police services. Detachment policing provides local police services to municipalities under 5,000 population and unincorporated areas throughout the province by means of uniformed patrols, response-to-call duties, investigative services, community-based policing, traffic enforcement, and administrative support to provincial detachments.

In addition to detachment policing, the Provincial Service maintains the capacity and expertise to resolve the highest risk incidents; target organized crime, gang & gun violence, and serial crimes; and respond to large scale, provincial emergencies or events. This would also include capital-intensive equipment such as boats and aircraft.

In 2020, 801 member positions were assigned to provide GD/GIS at provincial detachments, serving a population of 686,617 including 85 municipalities with populations below 5,000 persons in addition to unincorporated areas. The total authorized strength of BC’s Provincial Police Service was 2,602.

Municipal Policing

Under the BC Police Act, a municipality is responsible for providing its police services when its population exceeds 5,000 persons. The municipality also becomes responsible for bearing all the costs relating to its municipal police services. These municipalities may choose to form their own municipal police department, contract with an existing municipal police department, or contract with the provincial government for RCMP municipal police services.

In 2020, there were 77 municipalities in BC responsible for providing police services within their municipal boundaries. Twelve municipalities were policed by municipal police departments and 65 were policed by the RCMP.

Municipal Police Departments

Twelve municipalities in BC are policed by eleven municipal police departments as established under section 23 of the Police Act. The municipal police departments are: Vancouver, Victoria (which polices the municipalities of Victoria and Esquimalt), Saanich, Central Saanich, Oak Bay, Delta, Abbotsford, New Westminster, West Vancouver, Nelson and Port Moody.

These municipal police departments are governed by a police board, whose role is to provide general direction to the department, in accordance with relevant legislation and in response to community needs. Each police board consists of civilians and is chaired by the municipality’s mayor; one board member is appointed by the municipal council and up to seven people appointed by the provincial government. Municipalities which provide their policing by means of a municipal police department pay for 100% of their policing costs.

In 2020, the total authorized strength of all the municipal police departments was 2,494 officer positions (Note: Includes adjusted strength figures for municipalities participating in Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams).

RCMP Municipal Services

In addition to the Provincial Police Services Agreement, the provincial and federal governments signed the Municipal Police Service Agreement (MPSA), a master agreement which enables the provincial government to sub-contract the RCMP Provincial Service to municipalities and describes the terms and conditions for the provision of RCMP municipal police services. To contract RCMP municipal services, each municipality must sign a Municipal Police Unit Agreement (MPUA) with the provincial government.

The terms of the MPSA and the MPUA require that municipalities between 5,000 and 14,999 population pay 70% of the RCMP cost-base; municipalities 15,000 population and over pay 90%. The remaining 30% and 10%, respectively, are paid by the federal government¹. Municipalities are responsible for 100% of certain costs, such as accommodation (i.e., the detachment) and support staff.

The RCMP operates regional and integrated detachments in many areas of the province. An integrated detachment is comprised of two or more provincial and/or municipal police units. For example, the North Vancouver Detachment houses three policing units: two municipal (North Vancouver District and North Vancouver City) and one provincial (North Vancouver Provincial). The detachment works on a post-dispatch system which means members respond to calls in any of the three policing jurisdictions regardless of whether the member is assigned to the North Vancouver City Municipal Unit or the North Vancouver Provincial Unit etc. In integrated detachments, RCMP members from each policing unit report to one detachment commander.

The regional detachment structure adds another layer to integration. Regional detachments offer a central point of management, coordination and comptrollership for multiple integrated or stand-alone detachments in the area. For example, the Kelowna Regional Detachment is located in the City of Kelowna and the Kelowna Municipal Unit is the only policing unit that works out of that building. However, the West Kelowna Integrated Detachment (consisting of the West Kelowna Municipal Unit, the Peachland Municipal Unit and the Kelowna Provincial Unit) and the Lake Country Detachment (Lake Country Municipal Unit) fall under the umbrella of the Kelowna Regional Detachment. These types of arrangements allow for specialized and/or administrative police services to be delivered regionally.

In 2020, there were 65 municipalities in BC that contracted with the provincial government for RCMP municipal police services. The total authorized strength of the RCMP municipal services was 4,018 members.

There were 31 municipalities 15,000 population and over with RCMP municipal services and a total strength of 3,547 member positions. There were 34 municipalities between 5,000 and 14,999 population with RCMP municipal services, with a total strength of 471 member positions. (Note: Includes adjusted strength figures for municipalities participating in Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams).

First Nations Self-Administered Policing

Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police is the only First Nation self-administered Police Service in British Columbia and is governed by a police board whose members are selected from each of the ten communities it serves. Police officers recruited by the police board are either experienced officers or graduates of the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Police Academy. All officers are appointed under the Police Act. In 2020, the Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police renewed their agreement and increased their authorized strength to 14 police officer positions.

Enhanced Policing to First Nations Communities

Through the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP), both the federal and provincial governments provide funding to support policing services in addition to the level of policing already provided to the community. The FNPP was established in 1991 to enhance policing that is professional, dedicated and responsive to First Nations and was designed to enable greater input over the delivery of policing services within their communities.

First Nations Community Policing Services (FNCPS)

In April 2020, the Framework Agreement between the federal government and the provincial government for RCMP FNCPS in British Columbia was amended, with an increase in member positions. Communities who were successful in their submissions to Canada for additional resources are in the process of signing amendments to their Community Tripartite Agreements to reflect additional resources to their communities. In 2020, the total authorized strength for First Nations policing under this Agreement is 117.5 member positions through 59 Community Tripartite Agreements (Renewal of 55 CTAs, 4 Former ACCP Agreements being transitioned to CTAs, 1 NCO and 1 Recruiter position). Each FNCPS Unit is established under a tripartite agreement between the provincial government, the federal government and the participating First Nation communities. The provincial share of funding the FNCPS is 48% and the federal share is 52%. See page 7 and 8 for a listing of FNCPS positions by Community and RCMP Detachment.

Integrated First Nations Police Units

In 2007, a policing agreement was signed by the provincial government, the West Vancouver Police Board, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations to create the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit. This Unit is comprised of a total of five positions staffed by members within the RCMP and the West Vancouver Police Department and one member funded under the First Nations Policing Program. This policing arrangement provides enhanced, dedicated services to reserve lands located in North Vancouver, West Vancouver and the Squamish Valley.

Tsawwassen Quadripartite Agreement

In 2019, a new five year policing agreement was signed between the federal government, the provincial government, the City of Delta, and the Tsawwassen First Nation to enable the Delta Police Department to deliver enhanced policing to the Tsawwassen First Nation. The funding of this agreement is shared by the provincial and federal governments, 48% and 52% respectively. There is currently one member providing enhanced policing under this Agreement.

Integrated Teams in BC

There are a number of integrated teams in the province. These teams may be “integrated” in one or more ways:

• They are comprised of police officers from more than one police agency or members from at least two levels of policing (i.e., federal, provincial, municipal); and/or
• Multiple governments (federal, provincial, municipal) contribute to funding the team.

In addition, integrated teams provide services to more than one policing jurisdiction. In BC, there are three broad categories of integrated teams: federal, provincial and regional/municipal.

Federal Integrated Teams: includes members from municipal, provincial, and/or other federal agencies (Canadian and US) which are funded primarily by the federal government. Most Federal integrated teams are managed under the Federal Policing program. Such multi-disciplined groups deal with National Security, Transnational Organized Crime, Money Laundering, Integrated Market Enforcement, Drug Enforcement and Border Integrity.

Provincial Integrated Teams: may include members from municipal, provincial, and/or federal agencies but are funded primarily by the provincial government. The provincial teams include Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), Hate Crime Task Force, Integrated Sexual Predator Observation Team (ISPOT), Integrated Witness Protection Services, and the Unsolved Homicide Unit.

Regional Integrated Teams: may include members from municipal, provincial, and/or federal police agencies. These teams are formed to provide specialized services to specific regions of the province and are funded by the participating jurisdictions according to predetermined funding formula. For example, the Lower Mainland District (LMD) Police Dog Service provides service to all RCMP municipal and provincial policing jurisdictions in the RCMP Lower Mainland District, as well as Abbotsford, Delta, New Westminster, and Port Moody Police Departments.

British Columbia Policing Jurisdictions

MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS

• Abbotsford Mun
• Central Saanich Mun
• Delta Mun
• Nelson Mun
• New Westminster Mun
• Oak Bay Mun
• Port Moody Mun
• Saanich Mun
• Vancouver Mun
• Victoria Mun
• West Vancouver Mun

RCMP ISLAND DISTRICT

• Alert Bay Prov
• Campbell River Mun
• Campbell River Prov
• Colwood Mun
• Comox Mun
• Comox Valley Prov
• Courtenay Mun
• Duncan Prov
• Gabriola Island Prov
• Ladysmith Mun
• Ladysmith Prov
• Lake Cowichan Prov
• Langford Mun
• Nanaimo Mun
• Nanaimo Prov
• Nootka Sound Prov
• North Cowichan Mun
• North Saanich Mun
• Oceanside Prov
• Outer Gulf Islands Prov
• Parksville Mun
• Port Alberni Mun
• Port Alberni Prov
• Port Alice Prov
• Port Hardy Prov
• Port McNeill Prov
• Powell River Mun
• Powell River Prov
• Quadra Island Prov
• Qualicum Beach Mun
• Saltspring Island Prov
• Sayward Prov
• Shawnigan Lake Prov
• Sidney Mun
• Sidney Prov
• Sooke Mun
• Sooke Prov
• Texada Island Prov
• Tofino Prov
• Ucluelet Prov
• View Royal Mun
• West Shore Prov

RCMP LOWER MAINLAND DISTRICT

• Agassiz Prov
• Boston Bar Prov
• Bowen Island Prov
• Burnaby Mun
• Chilliwack Mun
• Chilliwack Prov
• Coquitlam Mun
• Coquitlam Prov
• Hope Mun
• Hope Prov
• Kent Mun
• Langley City Mun
• Langley Township Mun
• Maple Ridge Mun
• Mission Mun
• Mission Prov
• North Vancouver City Mun
• North Vancouver District Mun
• North Vancouver Prov
• Pemberton Prov
• Pitt Meadows Mun
• Port Coquitlam Mun
• Richmond Mun
• Ridge Meadows Prov
• Sechelt Mun
• Squamish Mun
• Squamish Prov
• Sunshine Coast Prov
• Surrey Mun
• Surrey Prov
• University Prov
• Whistler Mun
• Whistler Prov
• White Rock Mun

RCMP NORTH DISTRICT

• Alexis Creek Prov
• Anahim Lake Prov
• Atlin Prov
• Bella Bella Prov
• Bella Coola Prov
• Burns Lake Prov
• Chetwynd Prov
• Dawson Creek Mun
• Dawson Creek Prov
• Dease Lake Prov
• Fort St. James Prov
• Fort St. John Mun
• Fort St. John Prov
• Fraser Lake Prov
• Houston Granisle Prov
• Hudson’s Hope Prov
• Kitimat Mun
• Kitimat Prov
• Lisims/Nass Valley Prov
• Mackenzie Prov
• Masset Prov
• McBride Prov
• New Hazelton Prov
• Northern Rockies Prov
• One Hundred Mile House Prov
• Prince George Mun
• Prince George Prov
• Prince Rupert Mun
• Prince Rupert Prov
• Queen Charlotte City Prov
• Quesnel Mun
• Quesnel Prov
• Smithers Mun
• Smithers Prov
• Stewart Prov
• Takla Landing Prov
• Terrace Mun
• Terrace Prov
• Tsay Keh Dene Prov
• Tumbler Ridge Prov
• Valemount Prov
• Vanderhoof Prov
• Wells Prov
• Williams Lake Mun
• Williams Lake Prov

RCMP SOUTHEAST DISTRICT

• Armstrong Mun
• Armstrong Prov
• Ashcroft Prov
• Barriere Prov
• Castlegar Mun
• Castlegar Prov
• Chase Prov
• Clearwater Prov
• Clinton Prov
• Coldstream Mun
• Columbia Valley Prov
• Cranbrook Mun
• Cranbrook Prov
• Creston Mun
• Creston Prov
• Elkford Prov
• Enderby Prov
• Falkland Prov
• Fernie Mun
• Fernie Prov
• Golden Prov
• Grand Forks Prov
• Kamloops Mun
• Kaslo Prov
• Kelowna Mun
• Kelowna Prov
• Kimberley Mun
• Kimberley Prov
• Keremeos Prov
• Lake Country Mun
• Lillooet Prov
• Logan Lake Prov
• Lumby Prov
• Lytton Prov
• Merritt Mun
• Merritt Prov
• Midway Prov
• Nakusp Prov
• Nelson Prov
• Oliver Prov
• Osoyoos Mun
• Osoyoos Prov
• Peachland Mun
• Penticton Mun
• Penticton Prov
• Princeton Prov
• Revelstoke Mun
• Revelstoke Prov
• Salmo Prov
• Salmon Arm Mun
• Salmon Arm Prov
• Sicamous Prov
• Slocan Lake Prov
• Spallumcheen Mun
• Sparwood Prov
• Summerland Mun
• T’Kumlups Prov
• Trail & Greater District Prov
• Trail Mun
• Vernon Mun
• Vernon Prov
• West Kelowna Mun

FIRST NATIONS SELF-ADMINISTERED POLICE SERVICE

• Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police

Mun = Municipal Prov = Provincial

First Nations Community Policing Services Statistics, 2020

FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES POLICED BY DETACHMENT

Municipal Police Statistics, 2020

RCMP MUNICIPAL UNITS: 15,000 POPULATION AND OVER

RCMP MUNICIPAL UNITS: 5,000 TO 14,999 POPULATION

MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS⁸

Participating LMD Integrated Team municipalities and their adjusted strength figures are italicized in the Municipal Police Statistics, 2020 table. The adjusted strength has been used to calculate population per officer and case load. See Endnotes and Police Resource Definitions and Data Qualifiers on page 22 and page 27, respectively for additional explanatory notes.