Police Services Act of Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Police Services Act of Ontario (formal: Police Services Act: Revised Statutes of Ontario
, 1990, Chapter P. 15) is a provincial act governing the conduct of police officers in the Canadian province
of Ontario
. This legislation is within the responsibility of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
. The Act is usually invoked in investigation or charges against police officers for direputable conduct.
) and to create the Special Investigations Unit
. It replaced the earlier Police Act of Ontario, which was introduced in 1946, to define the role of all police forces in Ontario. Before the Police Act there were two statutes governing the role of police in the province:
Revised Statutes of Ontario
Revised Statutes of Ontario is a consolidated list of public acts in the province of Ontario.The list of acts are published every 10 years to cover changes to acts and printed by the Queen's Printer for Ontario....
, 1990, Chapter P. 15) is a provincial act governing the conduct of police officers in the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. This legislation is within the responsibility of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is responsible for law enforcement services in the Canadian province of Ontario, including the Ontario Provincial Police, correctional centres, detention centres/jails The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (French:...
. The Act is usually invoked in investigation or charges against police officers for direputable conduct.
History
The Act became law in 1990 to provide a legal means to define the role for all police forces in Ontario (excluding the RCMPRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
) and to create the Special Investigations Unit
Special Investigations Unit
The Special Investigations Unit of Ontario, Canada, is a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. However all full-time SIU investigators are former law enforcement...
. It replaced the earlier Police Act of Ontario, which was introduced in 1946, to define the role of all police forces in Ontario. Before the Police Act there were two statutes governing the role of police in the province:
- Municipal Act of Ontario, 1944Ontario Municipal ActOntario's Municipal Act, 2001 is the main statute governing the creation, administration and government of municipalities in the Canadian province of Ontario. After being adopted in its current form in 2001, it came into force on 1 January 2003, replacing the Municipal Act, 1990...
- govering smaller police forces in villages, towns and cities; it also allowed the contracting of the OPP for local policing needs - Constables Act of Ontario, 1877 - governing the Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial PoliceThe Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
and county police services (with amendements in 1922); first introduced to allow the formation of constables whom provided law and order in the towns and cities of early years of OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
(Upper CanadaUpper CanadaThe Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Canada West).