Durham Regional Police Service

The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) is the police service operated by and serving the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The DRPS has a strength of over 900 sworn officers and over 300 unsworn members, and serves the following local municipalities, with a combined population of 706,200:

Durham Regional Police Service
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MottoLeaders in Community Safety
Agency overview
Formed1974
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionCanada
Operational structure
HeadquartersWhitby, Ontario
Sworn members904
Unsworn members307
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
  • Peter Moreira, [Chief of Police]
Divisions5
Facilities
Police cars398
Police boats2
Helicopters1
Dogs8 police service dogs
Website
Official website

The DRPS was formed in 1974 through the amalgamation of a number of local police forces in the area, coinciding with the establishment of the Regional Municipality of Durham.

Organization
A Durham Regional Police Service Dodge Charger police car

The Durham Regional Police Service is led by:[1]

  • Interim Chief of Police Todd Rollauer
  • Interim Deputy Chief Joe Mariano (operations)
  • Deputy Chief Dean Bertrim (operational support)
  • Chief Administrative Officer Stan MacLellan

Deputy Chief Todd Rollauer was announced as Interim Chief of Police (effective September 12, 2020) following the retirement of Chief of Police Paul Martin. A search for a new Chief of Police is on-going.

Durham Regional Police Headquarters is in Whitby, Ontario at the Regional Municipality of Durham Headquarters building. Budgeted expenditures for DRPS in Durham Region's 2020 budget were $241.4 million[2]

In October 2008, the Durham Regional Police Service was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, it was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.[3]

Durham Regional Police is a member of OALEP.

In late May 2019, after a request by the Ministry of the Solicitor General (Ontario), the Ontario Civilian Police Commission issued an order that appointed a retired Toronto deputy chief, Mike Federico, as administrator to oversee the force during the OCPC investigation[4] after some of the senior ranks were alleged to have been corrupt and of an abuse of power. As of May 24, 2019, none of the allegations had been proven.[5][6] Federico’s responsibilities were to include "approving promotions and overseeing all internal discipline".[7] The allegations were first brought to light in an April 19 report in the Toronto Star; at the time, a lawyer representing Chief Paul Martin said the allegations are "false and defamatory".[8] Martin announced on 9 July 2020 that he would be retiring from the Service effective September 2020.[9]

Police senior officers

The day-to-day and regional operations are commanded by senior officers:

  • Deputy Chief
  • Superintendent
  • Inspector
  • Civilian directors and managers

Police officers
  • Detective / Staff Sergeant
  • Detective / Sergeant
  • Detective Constable
  • Senior Constable
  • Constable - 1st class
  • Constable - 2nd class
  • Constable - 3rd class
  • Constable - 4th class
  • Special Constables

Operational support units

In 2014, the Durham Regional Police Service had an authorized strength of 871 sworn members and 331 civilians.[10]

Some of the units within the force are:

  • Air support unit
  • Auxiliary unit (auxiliary constable)
  • Canine unit
  • Case management unit
  • Central cellblock unit
  • Communications-911 unit
  • Community services unit
  • Corporate communications unit
  • Courts unit
  • Crime analysis unit
  • Diversity unit
  • Domestic violence investigative unit
  • Drug enforcement unit
  • E-crimes unit
  • Emergency measures/labour liaison unit
  • Explosive disposal unit
  • Facilities management unit
  • Financial services unit
  • Firearms unit
  • Fleet services unit
  • Forensic identification unit
  • Fraud unit
  • Freedom of information unit
  • Gun and gang unit
  • General occurrence auditing unit
  • Health, wellness and safety unit
  • Homicide unit
  • Hostage negotiators
  • Human resources unit
  • Information technology unit
  • Legal services unit
  • Marine unit
  • Major incident command
  • Mental health unit
  • Offender management unit
  • Patrol support unit
  • Polygraph unit
  • Prisoner transport unit
  • Professional standards unit
  • Property unit
  • Public order unit
  • Quality assurance unit
  • Regional youth unit
  • Robbery unit
  • Records unit
  • Senior support unit
  • Sexual assault and child abuse unit
  • Strategic planning unit
  • Surveillance unit
  • Tactical support unit
  • Technical services section
  • Threat assessment unit
  • Traffic services branch
  • Victim services unit
  • Volunteer unit
  • Warrant liaison unit

Policing divisions

The force is organized into several divisions:

  • West Division - Serving Ajax and Pickering
  • Central West Division - Serving Whitby and Western Oshawa
  • Central East Division - Serving Oshawa
  • East Division - Serving Clarington, Oshawa and Scugog
  • North Division - Serving Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge

The Durham Regional Police Service is one of two Greater Toronto Area police forces with police aviation capabilities, the other being the York Regional Police. They operate one Bell 206B-3 helicopter (callsign "AIR1") and delivered in 2003.[11] DRP Air Unit began in 2000 with a leased Bell Jet Ranger helicopter after shared a helicopter with York Regional Police[12] for a two years pilot trial [13] and was the Greater Toronto Region first police force to operate helicopters.[14]

Some vehicles bear the motto "Leaders in Community Safety".

Tactical Support Unit

The Tactical Support Unit is responsible for handling dangerous situations not handled by regular uniformed officers. The Durham Regional Police TSU also has a mutual-aid agreement with the York Regional Police Emergency Response Unit. In the event of a large-scale event, or a incident that could take a significant amount of time, both departments provide assistance to one another.

Marine unit

The marine unit is responsible for the enforcement of three bodies of water in the region: Lake Ontario, Lake Scugog, and Lake Simcoe. They also police the area of and around Beaverton, Thorah Island, and parts of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Members of the marine unit are specially trained for marine enforcement and rescue duties, including ice rescue. The unit is attached to the traffic enforcement unit.

The Durham Regional Police Marine Unit also has a mutual aid agreement with the Toronto Police Service for Lake Ontario as well as side-scan sonar and ROV. and with the York Regional Police for Lake Simcoe as well as side-scan sonar and diver services. In the event of a large-scale event, or a call-out that could take a significant amount of manpower, these police services provide mutual assistance to one another.

The Marine Unit consists of one officer, active during the summer months. Durham Police do not patrol the water ways during the off season and winter months.

Additional SAR support provided by PARA-Marine Search and Rescue, Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Forces 424 Squadron (air support from CFB Trenton).[15]

Equipment
  • a 26-foot Zodiac RHIB (2011) with two 200 hp Mercury outboard engines - transported by trailer to Lake Scugog and Lake Simcoe
  • a 34-foot Hike Metal Products patrol with two 260 hp supercharged diesel Volvo engines, search and rescue vessel (2004) - named "David Edwards"

Uniform

The DRPS crest is used on vehicles, headgear and uniforms, and consists of St. Edward's Crown over a round blue shield with the legend "Durham Regional Police" in white, encircling a red maple leaf overlaid with gold scales of justice. The crest is based on that of the former City of Oshawa police department, with the maple leaf and scales replacing the city's coat of arms.

Officers are issued Glock .40 caliber pistols.[16]

See also

References
  1. "Organization Chart". Durham Regional Police Service. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  2. "Durham Budget 2020: Approved 2020 Property Tax Supported Budget" (PDF). Regional Municipality of Durham. p. 5. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. "Reasons for Selection, 2009 Canada's Top 100 Employers Competition". Eluta Inc. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009.
  4. "Province launches investigation into Durham police chief, police services board". CityNews. Rogers Media. May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  5. "Province appoints administrator to oversee Durham police amid allegations of 'serious misconduct'". CBC News. May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  6. Wilson, Codi (May 24, 2019). "Province appoints administrator to oversee Durham police in wake of corruption allegations". CP24.com. Bell Media. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. McLean, Jesse; Kennedy, Brendan (May 24, 2019). "Provincial watchdog to probe Durham police, citing 'crisis of confidence' in top brass". The Toronto Star. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  8. McLean, Jesse (April 17, 2019). "Durham police in turmoil, watchdog called in after three veteran officers file complaints about chief and his brass". The Toronto Star. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  9. "Chief of Police: Paul Martin". Durham Region. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  10. "Chief of Police: Paul Martin". Durham Regional Police Service. August 7, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  11. "C-FASU Bell 206B-3 Jet Ranger C/N 4568".
  12. Alphonso, Caroline (12 January 2000). "Private helicopter given to York police". The Globe and Mail.
  13. "Durham Regional Police ASU reaches 10,000th flight hour".
  14. "Durham police mark 20 years with their helicopter: 'We're always watching' | Globalnews.ca".
  15. "Welcome to PARA Marine SAR". Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  16. "Frontline Officers - Tools of the Trade". Durham Regional Police Service. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018.
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