York Regional Police

A list of chiefs of the York Regional Police since its creation in 1971:

• Bruce Allan Crawford 1971-1987, former Metropolitan Toronto Police officer, former Chief of the Toronto Harbour Commission Police
• Donald Hillock 1987-1992, former Aurora Township Police officer
• Bryan Cousineau 1992-1997, retired former Whitchurch Township officer; charged with breach of trust during his time as chief
• Peter Scott 1997-1998, acting chief after the retirement of Bryan Cousineau
• Julian Fantino 1998-2000, former senior Metro Toronto Police officer, chief of the London Police, later as Toronto Police chief, provincial commissioner of emergency management (assistant deputy minister) and former Commissioner of the OPP
• Robert Middaugh 2000-December 12, 2002, 34-year career police officer; former deputy chief in Halton, chief in Hamilton-Wentworth
• Armand P. La Barge December 12, 2002-December 2010, former York Regional Police Deputy Chief and career officer with the force
• Eric Jolliffe December 13, 2010 – May 1, 2020
• Jim MacSween May 1, 2020 – Present[5]

The York Regional Police are divided into five geographical districts:

• 1 District - 240 Prospect St, Newmarket serving:

→ Newmarket, Ontario

→ Aurora, Ontario

→ East Gwillimbury, Ontario

→ King, Ontario

• 2 District - 171 Major Mackenzie Dr West, Richmond Hill serving:

→ Richmond Hill, Ontario

→ Oak Ridges, Ontario

→ Thornhill, Ontario

• 3 District - 3527 Baseline Rd, Sutton serving:

→ Georgina, Ontario

→ Lake Simcoe (patrolled by the Marine Unit)

• 4 District - 2700 Rutherford Rd, Vaughan serving:

→ Vaughan, Ontario

• 5 District - 8700 McCowan Rd, Markham serving:

→ Markham, Ontario

→ Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario

Each district is headed by a superintendent and inspector.

• Whitchurch-Stouffville Community Substation, 111 Sandiford Dr, Whitchurch-Stouffville

The York Regional Police provide a substation to the community of Whitchurch-Stouffville. Numerous personnel work out of this substation to provide a police presence for the community.[6]

• King Community Policing Centre (Tristan Centre Arena), King Township

Opened in August 2011, the King Community Policing Centre hosts several events including safety clinics and community events. It is supported by several of the service's volunteers and civilian staff to strengthen the standards of safety, well-being and quality of life in the community.[7]

• Community Safety Village of York Region, Bruce's Mill Conservation Area, 3291 Stouffville Rd, Stouffville

York Regional Police's Community Safety Village is a resource used by the service to teach young children about fire, traffic and personal safety. The resource includes a 10,000 square foot replica town with crosswalks, functioning traffic lighting and signals. Usually the resource is utilized by local schools, however, several family events are held at the location yearly.[8]

• Community Resource Centre (collision reporting and customer service), 10720 Yonge St, Richmond Hill

This site hosts the service's Collision Reporting Centre for collisions that occur of the southern municipalities in the region. It also offers services that include Police Information Checks, Criminal Record Checks and several other services.[9]

The marine unit consists of 11 full-time members and patrols the southern shoreline of Lake Simcoe and other York Region waterways. It is responsible for approximately 350 square kilometers of Lake Simcoe and can service the entire lake if required. The marine unit operates out of 3 District Headquarters in Sutton. The unit has seven vessels at their disposal and are deployed from Keswick Community Policing Office 290 The Queensway South at Marina Drive.

Emergency support is a 23-member unit with an emergency response unit and explosive disposal unit.

• St. Edward's Crown
• Ribbon containing the words York Regional Police
• the escutcheon contains:
  • The "deer stricken by an arrow" represents the original state of the country
  • The "sheaf of wheat" represents the first progress in agriculture
  • The "tree with an axe" represents the first act of improvement
  • The "steam boat" represents the high state of technological advancement at the time[17]

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

• Superintendent
• Inspector

On-road enforcement and emergency response is supervised by:

• Staff sergeant (field command)
• Sergeant (district/area supervisors)

Investigations are divided into crimes against persons and crimes against property. These investigations are conducted by:

• Detective sergeant (equivalent to staff sergeant)[18]
• Detective (equivalent to sergeant)[18]
• Detective constable

• Constable - first class (4+ years), second class (3+ years), third class (2+ years), fourth class (1+ years), probationary (less than 1 year)

• Cadet
• Special constable (court security officers) - special constables are sworn-in pursuant to section 53 of the Police Services Act which confers peace officer status. Special constables have the powers of police officers to enforce federal statutes and various provincial statutes while in the execution of their duties.
• Station duty officers
• Police communicators
• Auxiliary constables (approximately 140 members since 2016) pursuant to section 52 of the Police Services Act, a chief of police can appoint auxiliary constables to act as volunteers. An auxiliary constable is not a peace officer but has the authority of a police officer only if he or she is accompanied or supervised by a police officer and is authorized to perform police duties by the chief of police.
• Fleet assistant - deal with maintenance of YRP vehicles

Communications is the branch of the York Regional Police responsible for receiving all 911 and non-emergency police calls. Under the supervision of information services, police communicators are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The communications center is located within police headquarters in Aurora, Ontario. The communications staff are non-sworn members of the York Regional Police, though the bureau is under the direction of an inspector and a staff sergeant.

On January 1, 2002, the traffic bureau was split into two separate entities, a traffic enforcement unit and a technical collision investigation unit (TCIU). The TCIU. was made up of six officers on two separate shifts supervised by one supervisor.

In 2004, the technical collision investigation unit was renamed the "collision reconstruction unit". The unit had eight members made up of investigators and collision reconstructionists. The unit was still working with two shifts and each shift had a supervisor.

At present the collision reconstruction unit is made up of 10 officers. Two teams of four investigators and collision reconstructionists and a supervisor. The team members specialize in investigative techniques and collision reconstruction.

On December 15, 2003, York Regional Police's collision reconstruction unit investigated a collision on Rutherford Road west of Pine Valley Drive in the City of Vaughan that killed former NHL Chicago Black Hawks player Keith Magnusson. Rob Ramage, another former NHL player, was arrested and charged with impaired operation causing death and bodily harm, dangerous operation causing death and bodily harm, as well as over 80mgs. At the trial in the fall of 2007, Ramage was convicted of all the counts except the over 80mgs. In January 2008, Ramage was sentenced to four years in prison. He appealed his conviction and sentence. On July 12, 2010, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence.

The members of the unit have received training in collision reconstruction, marine reconstruction and other related fields in Ontario as well as in the US

The enforcement unit is responsible for enforcement of all traffic laws. Officers from the enforcement unit perform breath tests and test drivers for sobriety utilizing standardized field sobriety testing and drug recognition experts. The York Regional Police's traffic bureau has trained over 100 frontline officers in the SFST battery and 15 officers trained as DREs

Officers from the enforcement unit utilize various speed measuring devices from hand-held radars and lasers to moving radar units in their police vehicles. Speed enforcement is conducted throughout the region. Special computerized ticket writing units are utilized in police vehicles to ensure there are no human errors.

The enforcement unit also instituted a prohibited driver program where officers investigate persons convicted of criminal driving offences whereby their driving privileges are revoked. Members use unmarked vehicles and conduct surveillance on suspects' home and court to catch violators.