The Relationship between Police Boards and Chiefs of Police in Canada
| Author | Colin Hayes |
| Published date | 01 April 2001 |
| Date | 01 April 2001 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X0107400206 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DR COLIN HAYES
Formerly Chief
of
Police, Parry Sound, Ontario,
and
lately
Lecturer in Criminology, The University
of
Texas
of
the Permian
Basin, Odessa
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
POLICE BOARDS AND CHIEFS OF
POLICE IN CANADA
The history of policing in Canada started long before Canada became a
nation and by the time of Confederation in 1867 policing systems were
already well established in many parts of the land. Kelly and Kelly
(1976) note that the first 'policemen' in the Canadian colonies appeared
on the streets of Quebec City in 1651. During these early days, the
power to appoint constables in the Maritimes, both Upper and Lower
Canada, and on the West coast resided exclusively in justices of the
peace.
These early constables performed a variety of functions, many not
associated with policing duties. In smaller communities these included
such extra jobs as sanitary inspector, truant officer, town hall cleaner,
relief officer and tax collector.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the development of
urban communities evidenced the need for a different kind of police
officer, whose primary role would be that of protection and keeping the
peace. Initially the power to appoint urban constables, and create the
first municipal police forces in the larger centres, fell to justices of the
peace and police magistrates. In some cases that power was also given
to grand juries, such as in Nova Scotia's Townships and Officers Act
(Rev Statutes, 1864 (3rd Series) ch. 47).
Early local government statutes typically gave municipal councils
the right to pass bylaws, establish municipal police forces and regulate
the conduct and duties of their members. Such officers were appointed
by the council, and held office at the pleasure of the council. The
charters of many of the larger cities and towns at that time contained
provisions authorising their municipal councils to establish and main-
tain police forces.
McDougall (1971) notes that members of the police forces were
appointed annually, with selection of the officers based on patronage,
and the faction in control of the municipal government was not above
using the police as a partisan force when riots and religious rivalry
shattered the peace of the community.
The influence of partisan political interests over the operation and
control of these recently established urban police forces was seen as a
result of the transfer of the powers to appoint and control the police
The Police Journal, Volume 74 (2001) 149
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