Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service

Private railroad police force

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Law enforcement agency

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service

Fmr. Canadian Pacific Railway Police (Canadian Shoulder Flash)

Fmr. crest of the Canadian Pacific Railway Police Service

Fmr. Canadian Pacific Railway Police (US Shoulder Flash)

Common name| CPKC Police Service
Abbreviation| CPKCPS
Agency overview
Formed| 1913 (as Department of Investigations)
Preceding agency|

* CPR Special Services Department

Jurisdictional structure
International agency|
Countries|

* Canada
* United States

General nature|

* Civilian police

Specialist jurisdiction|

* Railways, tramways, and/or rail transit systems.

Operational structure
Agency executives|

* Al Sauve, Chief of Police
* Kelly Clough, Chief of Police - United States Operations

Parent agency| Canadian Pacific Kansas City
Website
CPKC Police Service Website

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service (CPKC Police Service), formerly known as Canadian Pacific Police Service (CPPS) until 2023, is a railway police service responsible for providing police services on, around, and in relation to Canadian Pacific Kansas City property and rail lines in Canada and the United States.

## History

[edit]

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service is one of the oldest police services in Canada. CPKC Police Service, formerly Canadian Pacific Police Service and CP Railway Police, have a long and storied past within Canada and CP Rail is a part of Canada's history. Railway police were called upon many times to police railway towns, and to keep the peace during the building of the Canadian Railways from coast to coast. The railway police history dates many years and continues the tradition of protecting Canada's vast section of railway.

Years ago, the CPKC Police provided police services to union station buildings, CP Hotels, CP Ships and CP Air. CPR is now their main responsibility, as the above CP departments have been sold.

### Conflict of interest controversy

[edit]

In 2019, the Canadian Pacific Police Service was criticized by its own officers for having a conflict of interest and failing to properly investigate a CP train crash near Field, British Columbia that resulted in three deaths.[1] The incident called into question the role of private police forces.

## Organization

[edit]

### Authority

[edit]

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service are responsible for all aspects of railway security. They are duly appointed and armed federal police officers that gather their authority in Canada via the Railway Safety Act as well as other acts.[2]

The Railway Safety Act is a federal act that allows for any federal railway to appoint officers as police constables. These police constables have all the powers of a regular police officer as it relates to the protection of property owned, possessed or administered by a railway company and the protection of persons and property on that property.[3] Railway police are unique in Canada as they are the only sworn peace officers employed by a privately owned law enforcement agency. CPKCPS are "a fully authorized federal force, bound to uphold Canada's laws" and licensed to carry arms.[4]

The main duties of a railway police officer are to protect the public using the company facilities, the employees and its assets. This includes public education on trespassing, school awareness programs, investigating crimes against the railway, assist the local police services, issuing tickets and many other duties including security of property and buildings. CPKC Rail assigns individual officers large sections of railway tracks to patrol and conduct active enforcement and public safety initiatives.[citation needed]

## Operations

[edit]

The police service is led by two separate chiefs - one for the Canadian operation, and the other for the American operation.[2]

All CPKC Police officers must have knowledge of federal and provincial laws as the railway properties cross many jurisdictions (federal, provincial, municipal, county) and have to collaborate with their respective police departments. The job of a railway police officer is sometimes lonely, patrolling miles of track alone, with little back-up. They are paid on par with regular police officers in Canada and receive similar benefits. CP Rail is a private company and pays taxes that includes public police protection, thus CPR has downsized their police department over several decades. CPKC Police numbers have remained steady at about 100 officers in the United States and Canada. Jurisdictional public police departments maintain the overall responsibility for public safety and law enforcement in their respective territories including CPR property. CPKC Police will assist local police if necessary, and conduct its own investigations. CPR also uses its police department to conduct investigations into employee conduct dealing with collective agreement violations involving alcohol and drugs, as well as criminal matters.

### Training

[edit]

CPKC Police recruits attend different federal and provincial police academies as there is no government-mandated training college for railway police in Canada. Currently, CPKC Police have an agreement with the Lethbridge Police Service and the Lethbridge College in Alberta to provide recruit training to new officers. In 2010, CP Police used the Saskatchewan Municipal Police College (SKPC) to train recruits. The SKPC also offers continuing education and specialized courses to experienced members. Before 2010, CP Police recruits used to get their basic training at the RCMP Academy at Depot in Regina, Saskatchewan. For specialized police training, members may attend different provincial police colleges, as well as the Canadian Police College in Ottawa.

## Equipment

[edit]

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The CPKC uniform consists of a dark blue shirt, dark blue cargo pants with body armour; they are armed with the usual police use-of-force equipment, as well as a Glock 9mm pistol, Remington 870 shotgun and SIG Sauer M400 patrol rifle. They are issued a standard police-style forage cap. In addition, CPKC police sometimes work in a plain-clothes capacity.

### Fleet

[edit]

Current:

* Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle

A new CPKC Ford Police Interceptor Utility, Calgary, 2024

* 2009-2012 Ford Explorer
* Ram pickup 4 X 4
* Ford F-150 4 X 4
* Chevrolet Silverado

Former:

* Ford Crown Victoria
* 2009-2014 Ford F-150 4 X 4
* Dodge Magnum
* 1997-2011 Dodge Dakota

## See also

[edit]

* Canadian National Police Service
* Law enforcement in the United States
* Law enforcement in Canada
* Railroad police

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Campbell, Bruce (September 21, 2022). "Why major Canadian railways must no longer be permitted to police themselves". The Conversation. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
2. ^ a b "CPKC recognizes Rail Safety Week Sept. 18 to 24". PR Newswire (Press release).
3. ^ Railway Safety Act - R.S., 1985, c. 32 (4th Supp.)
4. ^ "Police officer suspects internal 'coverup' by CP Rail in fatal B.C. mountain crash". CBC. January 24, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* CPKC Police Service Website

* v
* t
* e

Law enforcement agencies in Canada

Federal|

* Canada Border Services Agency
* Canadian Forces Military Police
* Canadian Forces National Investigation Service
* Canada Revenue Agency
* Competition Bureau
* Correctional Service of Canada
* Environment and Climate Change Canada Enforcement Branch
* Fishery officers
* Parks Canada wardens
* Royal Canadian Mounted Police
* Transport Canada

Provincial|

| Provincial police|

* Ontario Provincial Police
* Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
* Sûreté du Québec

|

Other law
enforcement|

* Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams
* Alberta Sheriffs Branch
* British Columbia Sheriff Service
* British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement
* British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
* Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – British Columbia
* Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia
* High Sheriff of Newfoundland and Labrador
* Ontario conservation officers
* Contrôle routier Québec [fr]
* Protection de la faune du Québec [fr]
* Saskatchewan Highway Patrol
* Saskatchewan Marshals Service
* Unité permanente anticorruption

Regional
and
municipal|

* Abbotsford Police Department
* Barrie Police Service
* Belleville Police Service
* Brockville Police Service
* Calgary Police Service
* Camrose Police Service
* Central Saanich Police Service
* Cobourg Police Service
* Charlottetown Police Services
* Delta Police Department
* Durham Regional Police Service
* Edmonton Police Service
* Fredericton Police
* Greater Sudbury Police Service
* Guelph Police Service
* Halifax Regional Police
* Halton Regional Police Service
* Hamilton Police Service
* Kennebecasis Regional Police Force
* Kingston Police Force
* Lacombe Police Service
* Lethbridge Police Service
* London Police Service
* Medicine Hat Police Service
* Nelson Police Department
* New Westminster Police Department
* Niagara Regional Police Service
* North Bay Police Service
* Nunavik Police Service
* Oak Bay Police Department
* Ottawa Police Service
* Peel Regional Police
* Port Moody Police Department
* Regina Police Service
* Saskatoon Police Service
* Service de police de la Ville de Laval
* Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil
* Service de police de la Ville de Montréal
* Service de police de la Ville de Québec
* Saugeen Shores Police Service
* South Simcoe Police Service
* Stratford Police Service
* Summerside Police Department
* Surrey Police Service
* Taber Police Service
* Thunder Bay Police Service
* Toronto Police Service
* Vancouver Police Department
* Victoria Police Department
* Waterloo Regional Police Service
* West Grey Police
* West Vancouver Police Department
* Windsor Police Service
* Winnipeg Police Service
* York Regional Police

Indigenous police services|

* Anishinabek Police Service
* Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
* Treaty Three Police Service
* Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service

Special constabularies|

* Calgary Transit Public Safety and Enforcement Section
* GO Transit Special Constables
* Niagara Parks Police Service
* McMaster University Security Service
* Transit Enforcement Unit
* University of Alberta Protective Services
* University of Toronto Campus Safety
* YRT/Viva Special Constable Services

Specialized|

* Canadian National Police Service
* Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service
* Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams
* Integrated Security Unit
* Ottawa By-law Services
* Metro Vancouver Transit Police
* Via Rail Police Service

Police
oversight|

* Alberta Serious Incident Response Team
* Independent Investigations Office (BC)
* Independent Investigation Unit (MB)
* Serious Incident Response Team (NS)
* Special Investigations Unit and Office of the Independent Police Review Director (ON)

Defunct|

* Alberta Provincial Police
* British Columbia Provincial Police
* Dominion Police
* Manitoba Provincial Police
* New Brunswick Highway Patrol
* New Brunswick Provincial Police
* Newfoundland Ranger Force
* North-West Mounted Police
* Nova Scotia Police
* Prince Edward Island Provincial Police
* Régie intermunicipale de police de la Rivière-du-Nord
* Saskatchewan Provincial Police
* Shelburne Police Service

Staffing|

* Aircraft Protective Officers
* Auxiliary constables
* Bylaw enforcement officers
* Firearms officers
* Peace officers
* Special constables

Boards and
commissions|

* Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
* Military Police Complaints Commission
* Toronto Police Services Board
* Police board

Lists|

* Indigenous police in Canada
* List of law enforcement agencies in British Columbia
* List of law enforcement agencies in Canada
* List of police firearms in Canada
* Provincial correctional services in Canada
* Police ranks in Canada

Museums|

* Ontario Provincial Police Museum
* RCMP Heritage Centre
* Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections
* Vancouver Police Museum
* Winnipeg Police Museum

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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