What is the Difference Between City Police, the OPP, and the RCMP in Ontario?
Intro
City Police, the OPP, and the RCMP serve distinct roles in Ontario law enforcement. Understanding their differences helps clarify their responsibilities, including why the OPP makes the most DUI arrests in the province.
Key Takeaways
- City Police: Handle local crime and traffic enforcement within city limits, like the Toronto Police Service (TPS).
- Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): Patrols highways, waterways, and unincorporated areas, focusing on provincial law enforcement, including the majority of DUI arrests.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Canada’s federal law enforcement, with limited presence in Ontario, focusing on federal crimes like organized crime and national security.
- DUI Enforcement: OPP leads in provincial DUI arrests, while municipal police handle city-specific enforcement, and RCMP involvement is minimal.
Which Ontario police service arrests the most people for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs?
If you responded with either the “Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)” or “Toronto Police Service (TPS),” no gold star for you! However, you can proudly display that gold star if your answer is “Ontario Provincial Police (OPP),” which is responsible for most provincial DUI arrests.
RCMP, TPS, OPP—What’s the difference, and why do OPP officers make the most DUI arrests in Ontario? After all, as the country’s largest police agency, shouldn’t the RCMP be making the most DUI arrests?
Good questions and the Greater Toronto Area defence lawyers of TorontoDUI can tell you that the difference between the services is related to their distinct jurisdictions and operations, which also influences their DUI arrest numbers. As the country’s largest police agency, the RCMP does make the most DUI arrests nationally but has a small presence and limited operations in Ontario. Meanwhile, DUI arrests by municipal police forces like the TPS are limited by their relatively small jurisdictions. Now, let’s look at what differentiates the RCMP, TPS, and OPP.
The National Reach of the RCMP
Established in 1920 by the merger of the Royal North-West Mounted Police and Dominion Police, the RCMP is Canada’s federal law enforcement agency. It is responsible for handling federal law enforcement issues like national security, organized crime, terrorism, drug enforcement, and criminal investigation of any crimes falling under federal jurisdiction. RCMP officers have legal authority to enforce federal, provincial, and municipal laws across the country, and the agency provides provincial and municipal police services under contract in jurisdictions lacking them. This includes all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, over 150 municipalities, and 600 indigenous communities.
In Ontario, the RCMP operates 13 detachments, with a force of almost 1,100 officers. Known as the RCMP O Division, the force categorizes its primary operations and services into five distinct categories:
- Serious and organized crime
- Financial crime
- Cybercrime
- National security
- Protective policing
When enforcing federal law beyond their primary operations and services, RCMP officers usually collaborate with provincial and municipal agencies. Regarding DUI, the RCMP does not typically conduct roadside checks for impaired driving in Ontario. However, it will actively enforce DUI laws on federal lands and sometimes collaborates with other agencies in conducting targeted DUI enforcement campaigns.
Q: What is the difference between City Police, the OPP, and the RCMP in Ontario?
A: City Police manage local law enforcement within city boundaries. The OPP covers provincial highways, unincorporated areas, and supports municipalities, leading DUI enforcement in Ontario. The RCMP focuses on federal crimes, with limited jurisdiction in Ontario.
Why Does Ontario have the OPP?
Ontario had its own police services before it became a Canadian province. Constabulary-style policing was established in 1792 during the 1 st Parliament of Upper Canada, with policing jurisdictions set up in districts, townships, and parishes. This volunteer constabulary force operated piecemeal and as local budgets and volunteerism allowed. When Ontario was part of the Province of Canada in the mid-1800s, legislators created a mounted police service to help protect public works construction projects. After the Canadian federation, it became the Ontario Mounted Police Force, and legislators extended its jurisdiction to allow officers to act throughout the province.
The Ontario Provincial Police force was officially formed in 1909 when legislators decreed the establishment of a permanent police organization of salaried constables under the direction of a superintendent. Headquartered in Toronto, the number of officers and detachments grew steadily throughout the century. Today, almost 6,000 OPP officers serve in 165 detachments across the province, and the service is the second-largest police agency in Canada. With province-wide authority, officers primarily focus on enforcing federal and provincial laws, criminal investigations, traffic safety, and supporting municipal police forces as needed. Along with patrolling highways and waterways, the OPP provides police services to unincorporated areas and municipalities without their own police.
With their extensive patrol coverage of provincial highways and a specialized traffic safety and enforcement branch, OPP officers are the province’s primary enforcers of impaired driving. Along with specialized units dedicated to combating impaired driving, the OPP conducts routine and specialized roadside sobriety checks.
TPS and Other Municipal Forces Handle the Cities
The Toronto Police Service is one of 44 municipal police agencies in Ontario and the fourth largest police force in Canada after the RCMP, OPP, and Sûreté Quebec. Founded in 1834 when the town of York was incorporated as the City of Toronto, the TPS was the first municipal police agency established to serve a North American city. Today, about 5,400 officers operate out of 17 divisions throughout Toronto.
With jurisdiction covering the entire city of Toronto, the TPS primarily deals with localized crime, traffic enforcement (except on 400-series highways), public order maintenance, and emergency response. The TPS collaborates extensively with the RCMP, OPP, and surrounding municipal police forces to conduct enforcement initiatives — like impaired driving campaigns — and, as needed, when conducting criminal investigations.
The OPP Makes the Majority of DUI Arrests
Whether in collaboration with other forces or alone, OPP officers make by far the most DUI arrests in the province. The OPP has been averaging between 7,000 to 9,000 DUI arrests per year since Canada enacted tougher impaired driving laws — including enhanced drug-impaired driving enforcement — in 2018. Since then, TPS officers have been making between 1,200 and 1,500 DUI arrests yearly. With limited engagement in municipal and provincial law enforcement responsibilities, the RCMP annual DUI arrest count in the province is likely in the low 100s.
No matter which police service’s blue lights are flashing while their officer charges you with impaired driving, you do not want to face the life-changing consequences that come with a criminal DUI conviction. To secure the best potential outcome from any DUI-related charges, turn to the experience of skilled criminal defence DUI lawyers, like the ones at TorontoDUI. With decades of proven success securing favourable outcomes for their Greater Toronto Area DUI clients, contact TorontoDUI to begin strategizing your criminal defence.
