Home Newsroom 2005 News releases (archive) 2005-05-15: Police Week 2005 2005-05-15: Law Enforcement in Canada

Law Enforcement in Canada

Every day, police services from coast to coast work to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. The Government of Canada is strongly committed to supporting law enforcement in their efforts to fight crime.

On April 4, 2005, Bill C-6 -- the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act -- came into force. The new department, under the purview of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Anne McLellan, integrates the former Solicitor General Canada, the former Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness and the National Crime Prevention Centre.

The PSEPC Portfolio includes the RCMP, CSIS, National Parole Board, Canada Firearms Centre, Correctional Service of Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency. It also comprises three review Agencies: the RCMP External Review Committee; the Office of Correctional Investigator; and the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP.

On the national level, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness provides strategic policy direction on law enforcement issues. The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (PSEP) is responsible for providing federal policy cohesion for the law enforcement community on effective national and international responses to criminal activities. The PSEP Portfolio is also committed to working with our partners in the provinces, territories and internationally, with community and stakeholder groups, and with Canadians to achieve these goals.

The RCMP, Canada’s national police service, enforces federal law across the nation. The force acts as the provincial police in all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, and as the territorial police in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut. It also is the local police force for about 200 municipalities. The force is about 22,000 strong, of which 16,000 are uniformed members, the remainder being civilian and public service employees.

In order to best achieve its objectives, the RCMP sets operational and organizational goals. This year’s five strategic priorities are organized crime, terrorism, youth, international policing, and aboriginal communities.