Table 3-2
Police officers and crime rates — Police officers in the 30 largest municipal police services

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Police officers in the 30 largest municipal police services


Table summary
This table displays the results of police officers in the 30 largest municipal police services. The information is grouped by police service (appearing as row headers), 2010  population, 2011  authorized strength, actual strength,  2010 crime severity index and 2011 number of police officers, calculated using 2011 number of police officers, 2011 policeofficers per 100,000  population, number and rate units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Police service 2010  populationNote 1 2011  authorized strengthNote 2 Actual strengthNote 3  2010 Crime Severity IndexNote 5
2011 number of police officers 2011 policeofficers per 100,000  populationNote 4
  number rate
Toronto census metropolitan
area police servicesNote 6		  
Toronto Police 2,720,024 5,587 5,776 212 74.0
Peel Regional Police 1,273,348 1,922 1,908 150 51.9
York Regional Police 1,040,165 1,461 1,466 141 43.2
Montréal census metropolitan
area police servicesNote 6		  
Montréal Police 1,934,082 4,585 4,533 234 103.3
Longueuil Police 401,764 546 536 133 77.6
Laval Police 398,667 516 530 133 69.2
Vancouver census metropolitan
area police servicesNote 6		  
Vancouver PoliceNote 7 660,496 1,327 1,376 208 110.4
Surrey, Royal Canadian Mounted
PoliceNote 8		 444,583 621 596 134 130.9
Burnaby, Royal Canadian Mounted
Police		 230,009 274 302 131 99.8
Richmond, Royal Canadian Mounted
PoliceNote 7		 196,856 229 229 116 83.3
Other large police services  
Halifax Regional PoliceNote 9 225,822 509 509 225 96.8
Windsor Police 221,310 473 466 211 85.3
Winnipeg PoliceNote 7 684,061 1,393 1,393 204 132.1
Regina Police 198,322 386 389 196 137.8
Edmonton Police 830,496 1,588 1,607 193 110.4
Saskatoon PoliceNote 10 229,342 430 440 192 141.9
St. John's, Royal Newfoundland
Constabulary		 186,242 342 336 180 101.9
Calgary Police 1,138,393 1,938 1,883 165 75.8
Niagara Regional Police 443,866 702 728 164 69.5
Greater Sudbury Police 164,357 264 260 158 84.2
London Police 378,809 591 587 155 92.8
Hamilton Police 533,280 784 816 153 82.3
Durham Regional PoliceNote 11 620,427 871 920 148 51.3
Ottawa Police 896,529 1,362 1,273 142 61.3
Gatineau Police 260,809 363 363 139 71.7
Waterloo Regional Police 522,968 724 725 139 67.6
Québec Police 547,102 721 716 131 61.6
Sherbrooke Regional Police 155,583 200 200 129 69.4
Halton Regional PoliceNote 11 506,900 628 637 126 37.5
Richelieu-Saint-Laurent Police 189,388 212 212 112 48.0
Note 1.

Populations are based on preliminary postcensal estimates for 2010, Statistics Canada, Demography Division. Populations are adjusted to follow policing boundaries. Populations for 2011 are not yet available.

Note 2.

Represents the number of fully-sworn police officer positions that the police department was allowed to fill during the calendar or fiscal year, whether or not that number of officers was hired.

Note 3.

Represents the actual number of permanent, fully-sworn police officers of all ranks (or their full-time equivalents) as of May 15, 2011. This number also includes officers who are deployed to contract positions and who are not available for general policing duties in their community. Police officers on long-term leave who are not being paid by the police service's annual budget are excluded.

Note 4.

Based on the number of police officers in 2011 and populations for 2010. Populations are adjusted to follow policing boundaries. Populations for 2011 are not yet available.

Note 5.

The Crime Severity Index takes into account both the volume and the seriousness of crime. In the calculation of the Crime Severity Index, each offence is assigned a weight, derived from average sentences handed down by criminal courts. The more serious the average sentence, the higher the weight for that offence. As a result, more serious offences have a greater impact on changes in the index. All Criminal Code offences, including traffic offences and other federal statute offences, are included in the Crime Severity Index.

Note 6.

The police services listed under the Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver census metropolitan areas do not represent all the police services in these census metropolitan areas.

Note 7.

Police officer counts include officers deployed to contract positions (e.g. airport, port, United Nation mission).

Note 8.

Included in this total are the positions that the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police authorizes for the Lower Mainland Integrated Teams.

Note 9.

Crime statistics include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Halifax District Detachment.

Note 10

Saskatoon reports that there may have been a problem with their 2010 clearance statistics and that the current rate may be revised in time for next year's report.

Note 11

Note that 63% of the crime handled by Halton Regional Police, and 30% of the crime handled by Durham Regional Police fall within Toronto census metropolitan area boundaries.

Note(s): The numbers in table 3-1 do not agree with those in table 3-2 (which report data at the level of individual police services) because most census metropolitan areas comprise more than one police service. The census metropolitan area of Oshawa is not included due to incongruities between policing jurisdiction and census metropolitan area boundaries. Crimes investigated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal personnel within census metropolitan areas are included; however police officer counts do not include Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal police officers. While table 3-1 may be used to compare major metropolitan areas, table 3-2 may be used to compare major police services in Canada.
Source(s): Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Police Administration Survey and Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
1.
Populations are based on preliminary postcensal estimates for 2010, Statistics Canada, Demography Division. Populations are adjusted to follow policing boundaries. Populations for 2011 are not yet available.
2.
Represents the number of fully-sworn police officer positions that the police department was allowed to fill during the calendar or fiscal year, whether or not that number of officers was hired.
3.
Represents the actual number of permanent, fully-sworn police officers of all ranks (or their full-time equivalents) as of May 15, 2011. This number also includes officers who are deployed to contract positions and who are not available for general policing duties in their community. Police officers on long-term leave who are not being paid by the police service's annual budget are excluded.
4.
Based on the number of police officers in 2011 and populations for 2010. Populations are adjusted to follow policing boundaries. Populations for 2011 are not yet available.
5.
The Crime Severity Index takes into account both the volume and the seriousness of crime. In the calculation of the Crime Severity Index, each offence is assigned a weight, derived from average sentences handed down by criminal courts. The more serious the average sentence, the higher the weight for that offence. As a result, more serious offences have a greater impact on changes in the index. All Criminal Code offences, including traffic offences and other federal statute offences, are included in the Crime Severity Index.
6.
The police services listed under the Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver census metropolitan areas do not represent all the police services in these census metropolitan areas.
7.
Police officer counts include officers deployed to contract positions (e.g. airport, port, United Nation mission).
8.
Included in this total are the positions that the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police authorizes for the Lower Mainland Integrated Teams.
9.
Crime statistics include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Halifax District Detachment.
10.
Saskatoon reports that there may have been a problem with their 2010 clearance statistics and that the current rate may be revised in time for next year's report.
11.
Note that 63% of the crime handled by Halton Regional Police, and 30% of the crime handled by Durham Regional Police fall within Toronto census metropolitan area boundaries.
Note(s):
The numbers in table 3-1 do not agree with those in table 3-2 (which report data at the level of individual police services) because most census metropolitan areas comprise more than one police service. The census metropolitan area of Oshawa is not included due to incongruities between policing jurisdiction and census metropolitan area boundaries. Crimes investigated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal personnel within census metropolitan areas are included; however police officer counts do not include Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal police officers. While table 3-1 may be used to compare major metropolitan areas, table 3-2 may be used to compare major police services in Canada.
Source(s):
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Police Administration Survey and Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.