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The province is made up of many types of communities  – from highly populated, large urban centers to small villages

with low population density. The residents of each community or region have varying policing needs which are reflected

in how policing is delivered throughout the province.

Under the Police Act the Ministry must ensure that an adequate and effective level of policing and law enforcement is

maintained throughout B.C. Policing in the province is provided mainly by the RCMP (federal, provincial and municipal

forces) and independent police departments, including one First Nations administered police service.

We receive police services from: an RCMP provincial force; 61 RCMP municipal forces; 11 independent municipal police

departments; one First Nations administered force and the RCMP federal force.

There are also several police agencies and integrated teams that provide supplemental or enhanced policing services to

areas in B.C. For example, the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service is a designated

police unit in the Lower Mainland. There are also enhanced police services at the Vancouver and Victoria International

Airports.

There are also several agencies that provide supplemental policing in B.C. For example, in the lower mainland area of

the province, the South Coast British Columbia Transit Authority Police Service provides policing on and around the

transit system – this police service is supplemental to jurisdictional police. Similarly, the Canadian National and Canadian

Pacific railway police forces provide specialized law enforcement within the province. There are also enhanced police

services at the Vancouver and Victoria International Airports, enhanced First Nations police services operating in

numerous communities, and a number of integrated teams operating throughout the province.

Federal Policing

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada's national police force. The RCMP is unique because it is the only

police force in the world that serves as federal, provincial and municipal police services. As the federal police force, the

RCMP enforces federal statutes across the province and is responsible for border integrity and national security, drugs

and organized crime, financial crime and international policing. The RCMP in British Columbia is referred to

administratively as E-Division.

Provincial Policing

The RCMP is B.C.'s provincial police force. The RCMP provincial force can be broken into two main categories:

detachment policing and the provincial police infrastructure.

Detachment policing provides local police services to municipalities under 5,000 population and unincorporated (often

rural) areas throughout the province. Detachment policing includes 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 RCMP provincial force maintains the policing infrastructure for the province.

This infrastructure has the capacity and expertise to resolve high risk incidents, target organized crime, gang violence

and serial crimes, respond to existing and emerging crime trends and to provide security and policing services for large

scale community events and emergencies. The provincial force also includes capital-intensive items such as boats and

planes and provincial operational communications centers which provide dispatch services to all provincial and

municipal police units outside the lower mainland. Under the umbrella of the provincial police force, the provincial

police infrastructure provides services to the entire province including municipalities with independent police forces.

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Municipal Policing

Under the Police Act municipalities over 5,000 population are responsible for providing police services within their

municipal boundaries. These municipalities may form their own independent municipal police department, contract

with an existing independent police department or contract with the provincial government for RCMP municipal police

services.

First Nations Policing

The Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service is currently the only First Nations administered police service in British Columbia. The

Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service is a designated policing unit as established under section 4.1 of the Police Act. This police

service is modeled on the structure of an independent municipal police department. Police officers recruited by the

police board are either experienced officers or graduates from the Police Academy of the Justice Institute of British

Columbia. All officers are appointed under the Police Act.

In other areas of the province, dedicated policing for First Nations communities is provided by First Nations Community

Policing Services (FNCPS) program and the Aboriginal Community Constable Program (ACCP). Both FNCPS and ACCP are

an enhancement to local policing services.

South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police

In 2005 the South Coast British Columbia Transit Police Service was established by B.C.'s Solicitor General as a

designated policing unit under section 4.1 of the Police Act. This police unit provides policing and law enforcement on

and around the lower mainland transit system and is commonly referred to as the Transit Police. Transit police services

are supplemental to the policing already provided by the 21 police jurisdictions the transit system passes though. Transit

police officers have the same authorities and powers as other police officers while enforcing the Criminal Code of

Canada, other federal statutes and provincial laws.

CN and CP Railway Police Forces

The Canadian National (CN) Railway Police and the Canadian Pacific (CP) Police Service both operate in British Columbia.

These unique police forces are responsible for policing the property owned or administered by the respective railway

company and the protection of persons and property on those lands. CN and CP railway police officers are sworn under

the federal Railway Safety Act and have the same powers of arrest as other police officers in Canada.

Community Policing – Auxiliary/Reserve Constables

British Columbia’s Auxiliary/Reserve Constable Program strengthens community and police partnerships by providing an

opportunity for citizen volunteers to perform authorized activities in support of strategies to address the causes of, or

reduce the fear of, crime and disorder.

The volunteers participate in community policing and crime prevention activities under the direct supervision of a police

officer or under the general supervision of the detachment or department.

Some of the activities Auxiliary/Reserve Constables may participate in include ride-alongs, assisting at community

events, presenting crime prevention initiatives in schools, conducting traffic control, doing foot or bike patrols,

participating in search and rescue, parades and other ceremonial events.