Police resources in Canada, 2019
by Patricia Conor, Sophie Carrière, Suzanne Amey, Sharon Marcellus and Julie Sauvé, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics
Highlights
- The cost of operating police services in Canada has generally been on the increase since 1996/1997 and continued to inch up in 2018/2019 reaching $15.7 billion. After accounting for inflation, total operating expenditures rose by 1% from the previous year. Higher salary and non-salary costs contributed to greater operating costs overall.
- The cost of salaries, wages and benefits for police service personnel increased 3% in 2018/2019 reaching $12.8 billion in 2018/2019. As has historically been the case, these were the largest cost to police services, accounting for 81% of operating expenditures in 2018/2019.
- The average amount spent on police officer salaries and wages (regular pay, overtime pay and other pay) was approximately $118,000 per officer in 2018/2019, about $4,000 more than the average for the previous year.
- Non-salary costs for police services also grew in 2018/2019 in terms of both operating costs (+8%) and capital expenditures (+4%). Expenses related to information technology (IT) operations and services drove the increase in non-salary costs. Police services spent $412.5 million on Information Technology (IT) operations in 2018/2019, 9% more than spent in the previous year.
- As of May 15, 2019, there were 68,718 police officers in Canada, 186 more than in 2018. This, represented a rate of police strength of 183 officers per 100,000 population, a rate that was 1% lower than the previous year due to an increase in the Canadian population since 2018.
- The number of civilians employed by police services has been steadily on the rise since 1962. In addition to sworn officers, police services employed the equivalent of 31,699 full-time staff members on May 15, 2019, 2% more than in 2018. Officer recruits (who are considered civilian until fully sworn in) accounted for most of the overall growth in civilian personnel, with an additional 540 recruits in 2019.
- The representation of women as police officers has been steadily increasing since 1986 when data on gender were first collected and women represented 4% of officers. On May 15, 2019, there were 325 more female police officers in Canada over the previous year. The 15,268 female officers in 2019 accounted for 22% of all police officers.
- As of May 15, 2019, 4% of police officers and 3% of recruits self-identified as Indigenous. In the 2016 Census, Indigenous people represented 5% of the total Canadian population.
- As of May 15, 2019, 8% of police officers and 11% of recruits in Canada identified as visible minorities. Individuals designated as visible minority population represented 22% of Canada’s population in the 2016 Census.
- The proportion of officers in the older age groups has been increasing since 2012, when age data were first collected. Officers over the age of 50 accounted for 18% of officers in 2019 compared to 15% in 2012.
- In 2018/2019, 7,297 police officers, or 11%, were eligible to retire, with unrestricted pension based on age or years of services. This proportion has been relatively the same since 2012 when national collection started on information on eligibility to retire.
- Women accounted for 71% of civilian personnel within police services, 35% of special constables and 26% of recruits. In terms of civilian positions, the presence of women ranged from 23% of vehicle maintenance personnel to 91% of clerical staff.
Canadian police services are mandated with the essential task of administering and maintaining law and order across Canada and ensuring public safety. Within this realm, the roles and responsibilities of police services have changed over time, creating new challenges in areas such as crime prevention, law enforcement, public assistance, maintenance of public order and responding to emergencies (Council of Canadian Academies 2014; Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security 2014). Police services are one of the first responders to mental health calls, drug crises, suicides, disturbances, motor vehicle accidents and many other community well-being and safety issues that may not be criminal (Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 2015). These calls, along with responding to crime, require an abundance of police resources. Data from Statistics Canada’s Police Administration Survey (PAS) provides insight into Canada’s police personnel and expenditures. Since 1962, it has been the source for information on police administration for the policing community, governing bodies and policy makers, and the general public.
Tracking police strength and composition over time through the PAS helps Canada monitor the changing trends in human resources, the cost-drivers for policing and the increasing demands on police services as they promote and protect public safety. Data collected on police resources will serve as indicators within the Canadian Police Performance Metrics Framework (CPPMF) (Mazowita and Rotenberg 2019). Readers should note that while these data predate the pandemic, they provide important insight for the provincial and federal policy makers, individual police services as well as officials responsible for police budgets.
This Juristat article provides findings from the 2019 data reported by Canada’s municipal, First Nations, provincial and federal police services to the PAS. First, trends in the expenditures of these police services will be explored, followed by an examination of the diverse characteristics of the personnel. This article includes trend analysis of key indicators such as police strength, information on civilians and special constables and their duties and functions; full and part-time positions; long-term leave; salaries, wages and benefits; and detailed breakdowns of operating expenditures and capital expenditures.Note
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Types
of police services in Canada
Police services vary throughout regions of Canada. As a result, they may have different mandates, serve different sizes of population, be presented with different community circumstances and operational requirements, all of which may affect their resources and expenditures.
Policing in Canada is administered on three levels: municipal, provincial, and federal. In 2019, at the municipal level, there were 137 stand-alone police services and 36 First Nations self-administered services. Self-administered First Nations police services are created under agreements between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments along with the communities looking to administer their own police service, under a cost-sharing agreement between the federal government (52%) and provincial/territorial governments (48%) (Kiedrowski et al. 2013). The communities are responsible for governing the police service through a police board, band council, or other authority (Lithopoulos and Ruddell 2013).
There are three provinces that provide provincial police services. The provincial police service of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is responsible for providing police services to St. John's, Corner Brook and Labrador West. The other two provincial services—Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), with 183 detachments across Ontario and Sûreté du Québec (SQ), with 87 detachments across Québec—are responsible for serving communities in those provinces without stand-alone municipal forces. They are also responsible for provincial highways and other areas under provincial jurisdiction.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), consisting of 672 detachments across Canada, provides provincial, municipal, rural and First Nations policing (where self-administered police services have not been established). The RCMP is also responsible for all federal policing matters such as serious and organized crime and financial crime, as well as specialized policing services such as the Canadian Firearms Program and the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre.
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Operating expenditures on policing rose 1% from the previous year reaching $15.7 billion in 2018/2019
Across Canada, the 2018/2019 total operating expenditures for all police services amounted to $15.7 billion in current dollars (Table 1).Note These expenditures comprise salaries and wages (65%), benefits (16%), and other operating expenditures (19%).Note Historically, these proportions have remained relatively consistent.
Operating expenditures increased in the following jurisdictions: Quebec (+10%), Prince Edward Island (+9%), Saskatchewan (+4%), Manitoba and Ontario (+3% each), Alberta (+2%) and Yukon (+1%). Costs declined in the remaining provinces and territories, ranging from a 2% decrease in British Columbia and in Nova Scotia to a decrease of 10% in Newfoundland and Labrador (Table 2).
After accounting for inflation, total operating expenditures rose by 1% from the previous year, and have generally been on the rise since 1996/1997Note (Table 1). On a per capita basis for Canada, using constant dollars, policing operating expenditures amounted to a cost of $317 per person in 2018/2019, which stable from the previous year. The per capital cost in 2018/2019, however, was the second highest per capita cost since 2012/2013 (Chart 1; Table 1).
Chart 1 start
Data table for Chart 1
| Year | Current dollars | Constant dollars |
|---|---|---|
| dollars–per capita expenditures | ||
| 1988/1989 | 164 | 230 |
| 1989/1990 | 172 | 230 |
| 1990/1991 | 189 | 242 |
| 1991/1992 | 194 | 234 |
| 1992/1993 | 202 | 240 |
| 1993/1994 | 202 | 236 |
| 1994/1995 | 199 | 233 |
| 1995/1996 | 197 | 225 |
| 1996/1997 | 198 | 222 |
| 1997/1998 | 200 | 222 |
| 1998/1999 | 206 | 226 |
| 1999/2000 | 210 | 226 |
| 2000/2001 | 222 | 232 |
| 2001/2002 | 234 | 240 |
| 2002/2003 | 250 | 250 |
| 2003/2004 | 263 | 256 |
| 2004/2005 | 274 | 262 |
| 2005/2006 | 288 | 269 |
| 2006/2007 | 303 | 278 |
| 2007/2008 | 321 | 288 |
| 2008/2009 | 344 | 302 |
| 2009/2010 | 366 | 320 |
| 2010/2011 | 372 | 319 |
| 2011/2012 | 377 | 315 |
| 2012/2013 | 390 | 321 |
| 2013/2014 | 388 | 316 |
| 2014/2015 | 392 | 313 |
| 2015/2016 | 398 | 314 |
| 2016/2017 | 406 | 316 |
| 2017/2018 | 414 | 318 |
| 2018/2019 | 423 | 317 |
|
Note: Current dollars express the cost of items in terms of the year in which the expenditure occurs. Constant dollars are adjusted (by inflation or deflation) to show changes in the purchasing power of the dollar. The Consumer Price Index was used to calculate constant dollars over a base year of 2002 (2002=100). Populations are based on July 1st, 2019 estimates using Census 2016 data. Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 1 end
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Personnel
in police services
There are many positions within police services, both uniform and civilian, that are required for a police service to meet its mandate and objectives. Most police services consist of sworn police officers, civilian personnel, special constables and/or recruits. The following provides the standard definitions used by PAS to collect information on police personnel in Canada.
Sworn officers consist of commissioned, non-commissioned and constables.
Commissioned officers include personnel who have obtained senior officer status, normally at the rank of lieutenant or higher, such as chief, deputy chiefs, staff superintendents, superintendents, staff inspectors, inspectors, senior constables, lieutenants, and other equivalent ranks.
Non-Commissioned officers include personnel between the ranks such as corporal sergeant majors, sergeant majors, staff sergeant majors, staff sergeants, sergeants, corporals and other equivalent ranks.
Constables consist of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class constables.
Civilian personnel are employees of the police service paid from the police service budget who are not police officers, special constables, or recruits. Their roles could include reception services, financial services, human resources, public and media relations, court services, legal services, custody and detention services, information technology services, vehicle and facility services, research, forensics, clerical, communication and other duties that aid the core function of the police service.
Special constables are appointed civilians who have conferred the powers of a police officer, to the extent and for the specific purpose set out in the appointment. Their roles could include traffic control duties, court security, prisoner transport, by-law, and parking enforcement.
Recruits i.e., police officers in training: the definition and terminology used to describe a recruit varies depending on the police service type and geographic location. For the purposes of this survey, recruits are personnel engaged in police officer training programs intended to enable them to achieve the status of a fully-sworn police officer.
Total personnel includes all sworn police officers, civilian personnel, special constables and recruits.
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Nationally, salaries and wages amounted to approximately $118,000 per officer in 2018-2019
Salaries, wages and benefits are the largest cost in policing, accounting for 81% of total operating expenditures. Of the $12.8 billion in salaries, wages and benefitsNote paid by police services in 2018/2019, 79% was for police officers, 18% for civilians, 2% for special constables and 1% for recruits.
In 2018/2019, total spending on police salaries and wages increased 2% from the previous year. This includes spending on regular pay, overtime pay and any other pay. This increase is expected given that different levels of policing saw contract increases in 2018. The amount paid for benefits (employer’s contribution to Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance, and dental and health benefits) rose 10%.
Overall, the average amount spent on salaries and wages for a police officer in Canada in 2018/2019 was $117,731, up from $113,693 in the previous year. Average salaries and wages ranged from $100,493 for RNC officers to $126,962 for the RCMP officers. On average, salaries and wages for First Nation officers ($103,197), SQ officers ($108,409) and municipal police officers ($114,884) were below this national average, while OPP was slightly above ($117,986) (Chart 2).
Chart 2 start
Data table for Chart 2
| Police officers | Civilians | Special constables | |
|---|---|---|---|
| dollars | |||
| First Nations | 103,197 | 67,088 | 86,135 |
| Municipals | 114,884 | 86,169 | 67,799 |
| Ontario Provincial Police | 117,986 | 109,147 | 119,523 |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police | 126,962 | 46,450 | 110,051 |
| Royal Newfoundland Constabulary | 100,493 | 64,401 | Note ...: not applicable |
| Sûreté du Québec | 108,409 | 67,567 | Note ...: not applicable |
|
... not applicable Note: Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Sûreté du Québec did not report special constables on the 2019 Police Administration Survey. Average amount spent on salaries and wages are calculated using the full-time equivalent counts for police service personnel in the following categories police officers (including commissioned, non-commissioned, constables), civilians and special constables. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 2 end
Among the different types of police services in Canada, the majority reported spending more money on salaries and wages in 2018/2019, with the exception of RNC and OPP which remained unchanged from 2017/2018. First Nation police services spent 8% more on salaries and wages,Note followed closely by the RCMP (+10%). The SQ reported an increase spending on salaries and wages by 6%, and total municipal police services reported a 4% increase.
Police services spent $412.5 million on information technology in 2018/2019, increasing 9% from the previous year
Non-salary costs for police services grew in 2018/2019 in terms of both operating costs (+8%) and capital expenditures (+4%). Expenses related to information technology (IT) operations and services drove the increase in non-salary costs. Police services spent $412.5 million on Information Technology (IT) operations in 2018/2019, 9% more than spent in the previous year. Spending on other police equipment, however, decreased 12% and was reported at $250.1 million. Further, capital spending on new buildings fell below the previous year.
Some of the largest cost-drivers for Canada’s police services in 2018/2019 included the costNote of radios ($103.1 million); software, applications and computer systems ($86.0 million); computers and hardware ($68.8 million) and other telecommunication devices ($46.7 million). Although these amounts have decreased from the previous fiscal, the amount paid on IT storage fees increased 33% to $9.4 million in 2018/2019. These amounts lend insight into the cost pressures facing police services across Canada.
Police responded to 13.5 million calls for service in 2018/2019, 6% more than the previous year
A large proportion of police work involves responding to non-criminal events that are related to public safety and well-being. These events are called “calls for service”. It has been estimated that 50% to 80% of the calls police respond to are in fact non-criminal in nature and comprise incidents such as alarms, disturbances, domestic disputes, traffic accidents, sick or injured persons, overdoses and mental health-related calls (Mazowita and Rotenberg 2019). These types of calls can have a notable impact on police workload and resources and are not measured or reflected in annual police-reported crime statistics as they are not “criminal incidents”. Statistics Canada has been working with the policing community and other partners to build a national program to collect detailed information on calls for service in order to help understand the impact calls for service have on police forces and to monitor emerging social issues, for example increased uses of harmful drugs.
In 2018/2019 police services across Canada received 6% more calls for service than the previous year, reaching 13.5 million calls.Note This means that, police in Canada responded to an average of 1,540 calls for service every hour in 2018/2019.
Of all the calls for service reported by police, municipal police handled 67% while RCMP was involved in 22%, followed by provincial police (11%) and First Nations police services (1%). All levels of policing reported an increase in the number of calls for service from 2017/2018. When accounting for population served, First Nations officers responded to a higher ratio of calls, i.e. 90,228 calls for service per 100,000 population (Chart 3). In comparison, municipal police services received 38,371 calls for service per 100,000 population, followed by a rate of 37,689 for OPP, 36,308 for RCMP, 25,697 for RNC and 20,206 for SQ.
Chart 3 start
Data table for Chart 3
| 2017/2018 | 2018/2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| calls for service per 100,000 population | ||
| Sûreté du Québec | 19,605 | 20,206 |
| Royal Newfoundland Constabulary | 16,929 | 25,697 |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police | 33,744 | 36,308 |
| Ontario Provincial Police | 36,031 | 37,689 |
| Municipals | 36,813 | 38,371 |
| First Nations | 85,780 | 90,228 |
|
Note: Calls for service includes all citizen-generated, police officer initiated and any unknown sources. Populations are based on July 1st, 2018 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 3 end
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Text box 3
Policing
in rural areas
Recent high-profile events have brought the topic of rural crime and policing to the forefront (House of Commons, Canada). As a result, the province of Saskatchewan recently announced a series of measures to tackle rural crime, including the launch of a dedicated team of 258 police officers (Government of Saskatchewan 2018). Similar measures were also implemented in Alberta (Government of Alberta 2018). In 2018, there were 768 police services serving rural areas and 466 policing urban areas.
Reports suggest that overall rates of violent crime in Canada, including homicide, are higher in rural areas than urban areas and that higher rates of rural crime are mainly observed in the northern areas of the provinces (Perreault 2019; Roy and Marcellus 2019). For instance, according to 2017 crime statistics, police services serving a mostly rural population served 16% of the population in the ten provinces that year, but reported 23% of the violent crimes, 17% of the property crimes, 27% of the Criminal Code traffic offences, and 23% of the other Criminal Code violations.
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Text box 4
Police
services continued to invest in enforcement of the legalization of cannabis in
2018/2019
On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into effect. It provides the legal framework for the legalization and regulation of the production, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis in Canada. In the same year, new legislation on impaired driving (Bill C-46) was also enacted in order to strengthen the Criminal Code provisions related to driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs (including cannabis).Note
In 2018/2019, police services spent $24.0 million on salary dollars to provide or participate in training, research, development or implementing changes to prepare for the legislation of cannabis. In addition, police services spent $7.4 million on non-salary costs for such preparation (e.g. travel, cost of courses).
Police services reported they had received $24.3 million in funding from various sources in 2018/2019 related to cannabis legalization. At the time of data collection, the majority of this funding was reported by the RCMP. This is likely because the distribution of federal funding to support police services to prepare for the legalization of cannabis and to support the changes to impaired driving laws began in 2017/2018.
There were approximately 236,690 training hours devoted to the enforcement of new cannabis laws, which can be broken down to 143,740 hours on Standardized Field Sobriety testing (SFST), 18,830 on Standardized Field Sobriety testing - refresher course (SFST) and 74,120 on Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training.Note This resulted in 4,725 police officers who successfully completed the SFST course, 3,439 completed the SFST refresher course and 1,002 police officers that are DRE certified in 2018/2019.
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The rate of police strength has been declining in Canada since 2011
The rate of police strength has been declining since 2011 and 2019 marks the lowest rate since 2001. As of May 15, 2019, there were 68,718 police officers in Canada, 186 more than in 2018. This represents a rate of police strengthNote of 183 officers per 100,000 population, a rate that was 1% lower than the previous year due to an increase in the Canadian population since 2018 (Chart 4, Table 3).Note
Chart 4 start
Data table for Chart 4
| Year | Police officers | Civilians |
|---|---|---|
| police and civilians per 100,000 population | ||
| 1962 | 141 | 31 |
| 1963 | 144 | 31 |
| 1964 | 149 | 35 |
| 1965 | 154 | 36 |
| 1966 | 160 | 38 |
| 1967 | 166 | 39 |
| 1968 | 169 | 40 |
| 1969 | 173 | 43 |
| 1970 | 178 | 47 |
| 1971 | 183 | 48 |
| 1972 | 186 | 53 |
| 1973 | 192 | 55 |
| 1974 | 199 | 53 |
| 1975 | 206 | 60 |
| 1976 | 206 | 61 |
| 1977 | 206 | 64 |
| 1978 | 203 | 66 |
| 1979 | 202 | 62 |
| 1980 | 203 | 67 |
| 1981 | 204 | 69 |
| 1982 | 201 | 71 |
| 1983 | 197 | 68 |
| 1984 | 195 | 68 |
| 1985 | 195 | 69 |
| 1986 | 197 | 70 |
| 1987 | 199 | 74 |
| 1988 | 199 | 72 |
| 1989 | 199 | 72 |
| 1990 | 202 | 70 |
| 1991 | 203 | 69 |
| 1992 | 201 | 71 |
| 1993 | 198 | 70 |
| 1994 | 193 | 67 |
| 1995 | 188 | 66 |
| 1996 | 183 | 66 |
| 1997 | 183 | 66 |
| 1998 | 182 | 64 |
| 1999 | 182 | 66 |
| 2000 | 182 | 65 |
| 2001 | 184 | 64 |
| 2002 | 186 | 66 |
| 2003 | 188 | 68 |
| 2004 | 187 | 70 |
| 2005 | 189 | 73 |
| 2006 | 192 | 73 |
| 2007 | 195 | 77 |
| 2008 | 196 | 77 |
| 2009 | 200 | 80 |
| 2010 | 203 | 80 |
| 2011 | 202 | 82 |
| 2012 | 200 | 81 |
| 2013 | 197 | 79 |
| 2014 | 194 | 80 |
| 2015 | 193 | 79 |
| 2016 | 191 | 79 |
| 2017 | 189 | 80 |
| 2018 | 185 | 84 |
| 2019 | 183 | 84 |
|
Note: Police officers represent the full-time equivalent permanent, fully-sworn police officers of all ranks. Civilian personnel include permanent civilian personnel, permanent special constables and recruits employed by a police service. Populations are based on July 1st, 2019 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. Additional data are available on Statistics Canada tables 35-10-0076 and 35-10-0078. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 4 end
Excluding officers involved in RCMP corporate duties (i.e., assigned to RCMP’s operation and corporate headquarters, training academy Depot division and forensic labs), the provincial and territorial rate of police strength was 180 police officers per 100,000 population in 2019 (Table 4). Throughout the country’s provinces, the rate of police strength ranged from 137 officers per 100,000 in Prince Edward Island to 203 officers per 100,000 population in Saskatchewan. The following five provinces reported a rate of police strength greater than the provincial and territorial rate in 2019: Saskatchewan (203), Manitoba (191), Nova Scotia (191), Quebec (184) and British Columbia (183) (Chart 5). All three territories remained above the provincial and territorial rate (Table 4).
Chart 5 start
Data table for Chart 5
| Province and territory | Police officers per 100,000 population | |
|---|---|---|
| N.L. | 173 | 180 |
| P.E.I. | 137 | 180 |
| N.S. | 191 | 180 |
| N.B. | 161 | 180 |
| Que. | 184 | 180 |
| Ont. | 174 | 180 |
| Man. | 191 | 180 |
| Sask. | 203 | 180 |
| Alta. | 176 | 180 |
| B.C. | 183 | 180 |
| Y.T. | 321 | 180 |
| N.W.T. | 433 | 180 |
| Nvt. | 348 | 180 |
|
Note: The provincial and territorial total excludes the Royal Canadian Mounted Police operation and corporate headquarters, training at Depot and forensic labs. Populations are based on July 1st, 2019 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. Additional data are available on Statistics Canada tables 35-10-0076 and 35-10-0078. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 5 end
In 2019, there were 50 stand-alone municipal police services or municipalities policed by the RCMP that served a population greater than 100,000.Note Of these police services, about half (26) saw an increase in their rate of police strength from the previous year, while 14 saw a decrease, and 9 had no notable change in 2019.Note Note The largest increases in the rate of police strength were seen in Windsor, Ontario (+11%), Thunder Bay, Ontario (+8%), Richmond, British Columbia (+7%), Calgary, Alberta (+6%) and Brantford, Ontario (+5%). The police services of Montréal, Quebec (-5%), and Saanich, British Columbia (-4%) reported the largest decreases in the rate of police strength (Table 5).
Of these 50 police services, Victoria reported the highest rate of police strength (214 per 100,000) followed by Montréal (212 per 100,000). From 2008 to 2018, Montréal reported the highest rate of police strength except in 2012 and 2013 when Victoria had the highest rate. In 2019, there were an additional 5 police services with a rate of police strength greater than the provincial/territorial average: Windsor (205),Note Thunder Bay (205), Vancouver (196), Edmonton (188), and Winnipeg (186) (Table 5).
Meanwhile, the lowest rates of municipal police strength were all found in the province of Quebec: Richelieu-Saint-Laurent (102 per 100,000 population), Roussillon Region (104) and Lévis (106) (Table 5).
Consistent with previous years, over half of police officers (56% or 38,326) were employed by stand-alone municipal police services which included 894 officers serving with First Nations self-administered police services. In addition, 20% of all police officers in Canada were employed by RCMP in contract policing. Police officers employed by the OPP and the SQ each accounted for 8% of the total police officers in Canada, while officers employed in RCMP’s federal policing accounted for 6%. Those employed within the RCMP’s operation and corporate headquarters, training academy Depot division and forensic labs accounted for 2% and the remaining 1% of police officers in Canada were members of RNC (Table 4).
Constables accounted for seven out of ten police officers in 2019
Of the police officers in Canada on May 15, 2019, 68% were constables, and an additional 27% were non-commissioned officers, meaning corporal sergeant majors, sergeant majors, staff-sergeant majors, staff sergeants, sergeants, corporals and other equivalent ranks. The remaining 5% were commissioned officers, which are those who have obtained senior status, normally at the rank of lieutenant or higher, such as chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains, staff superintendents, superintendents, staff inspectors and inspectors.Note These proportions have been relatively consistent going back to 1986. Across Canada, the number of commissioned officers (-163) and constables (-222) decreased from the previous year, as the number of non-commissioned officers grew by 571 officers.
While the OPP, the RCMP, the SQ and municipal stand-alone police services are structured much like the national portrait, structures in the RNC and the First Nation police services are different. The RNC comprises a greater proportion of constables (82%) and fewer officers in the higher ranks (15% are non-commissioned and 3% are commissioned officers). The First Nations police services, on the other hand, reported a lower proportion of constables (71%) and greater proportion of officers among the higher ranks, with non-commissioned officers accounting for 17% of officers and commissioned officers accounting for 13% (Chart 6).
Chart 6 start
Data table for Chart 6
| Rank/Position | Percent |
|---|---|
| Inspectors | 31 |
| Senior constables | 31 |
| Superintendents | 10 |
| Commissioned lieutenants | 8 |
| Other commissioned | 20 |
| Sergeants | 64 |
| Corporals | 21 |
| Staff sergeants | 13 |
| Other non-commissioned | 2 |
| Constables | 68 |
| Commissioned | 5 |
| Non-commissioned | 27 |
|
Note: Commissioned officers includes personnel who have obtained senior officer status, normally at the rank of lieutenant or higher, such as chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains, staff superintendents, superintendents, staff inspectors, inspectors, lieutenants, and other equivalent ranks. Other commissioned officers includes; commissioners, chiefs, assistant commissioners, deputy commissioners, deputy chiefs, captains, staff superintendents, chief superintendents, staff inspectors, and all unspecified commissioned ranks. Non-commissioned officers include personnel between the rank such as corporal sergeant majors, sergeant majors, staff sergeant majors, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal and other equivalent ranks. Other non-commissioned police officers includes; non-commissioned lieutenants, corporal sergeant majors, sergeant majors, staff sergeant majors and all unspecified non-commissioned ranks. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
|
Chart 6 end
The number of female officers in all ranks continues to grow
On May 15, 2019, there were 15,268 female police officers in Canada, an increase of 325 officers compared to the previous year. Female officers accounted for 22% of total sworn officers in 2019, a proportion that has been increasing steadily since the survey began in 1986, when women accounted for just under 4% of all officers.
Across the different officer ranks, female police personnel occupied mostly constable positions, making up 23% of all constables in Canada. Although women account for a slightly smaller proportion of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, their presence in these roles continues to increase and is almost equivalent to the proportion of female constables. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of female commissioned officers increased from 556 to 655, accounting for 19% of commissioned officers in 2019. This marks the highest proportion of female commissioned officers since collection began in 1986. Meanwhile, in 2019, there were 3,673 female non-commissioned officers in Canada, an increase of 250 compared to 2018. Non-commissioned female officers accounted for 20% of non-commissioned officers in Canada, which has increased steadily in the last 15 years when women represented 9% in 2004 (Chart 7).
Chart 7 start
Data table for Chart 7
| Year | Female commissioned | Female non-commissioned | Female constables | Female total officers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | ||||
| 1989 | 0.31 | 1.12 | 7.91 | 5.80 |
| 1990 | 0.38 | 1.26 | 8.60 | 6.38 |
| 1991 | 0.42 | 1.35 | 9.47 | 6.98 |
| 1992 | 0.75 | 1.59 | 10.16 | 7.52 |
| 1993 | 1.25 | 1.80 | 10.78 | 8.02 |
| 1994 | 1.32 | 2.20 | 12.02 | 9.05 |
| 1995 | 1.58 | 2.73 | 12.81 | 9.78 |
| 1996 | 1.73 | 3.01 | 13.46 | 10.37 |
| 1997 | 2.06 | 3.44 | 14.28 | 11.13 |
| 1998 | 2.17 | 3.91 | 15.52 | 12.21 |
| 1999 | 2.76 | 4.73 | 16.24 | 12.93 |
| 2000 | 3.10 | 5.45 | 17.01 | 13.67 |
| 2001 | 3.45 | 6.33 | 17.77 | 14.49 |
| 2002 | 3.97 | 7.08 | 18.58 | 15.26 |
| 2003 | 4.65 | 7.71 | 19.09 | 15.74 |
| 2004 | 5.18 | 8.86 | 19.76 | 16.49 |
| 2005 | 5.48 | 9.68 | 20.67 | 17.33 |
| 2006 | 6.06 | 10.85 | 21.11 | 17.95 |
| 2007 | 7.21 | 11.99 | 21.46 | 18.51 |
| 2008 | 7.75 | 13.34 | 21.24 | 18.70 |
| 2009 | 8.28 | 14.40 | 21.39 | 19.07 |
| 2010 | 8.66 | 15.14 | 21.37 | 19.23 |
| 2011 | 9.50 | 15.82 | 21.59 | 19.60 |
| 2012 | 9.95 | 16.38 | 21.77 | 19.90 |
| 2013 | 10.44 | 17.06 | 21.91 | 20.21 |
| 2014 | 10.89 | 17.59 | 22.19 | 20.57 |
| 2015 | 12.39 | 18.05 | 22.32 | 20.84 |
| 2016 | 13.22 | 18.22 | 22.61 | 21.14 |
| 2017 | 14.53 | 18.66 | 22.87 | 21.36 |
| 2018 | 15.35 | 19.31 | 23.24 | 21.80 |
| 2019 | 18.92 | 20.07 | 23.30 | 22.22 |
|
Note: Commissioned officers includes personnel who have obtained senior officer status, normally at the rank of lieutenant or higher, such as chief, deputy chiefs, captains, staff superintendents, superintendents, staff inspectors, inspectors, lieutenants, and other equivalent ranks. Non-commissioned officers include personnel between the rank such as corporal sergeant majors, sergeant majors, staff sergeant majors, staff sergeants, sergeants, corporals and other equivalent ranks. Additional data are available on Statistics Canada tables 35-10-0076 and 35-10-0078. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 7 end
Since 2011, the RNC has reported the highest proportion of female officers each year when compared to other types of police services. In 2019, 30% of officers in the RNC were female. That year, the SQ reported 24% of their police officers as female followed by the OPP, the RCMP and total municipal police services with each reporting 22% of officers as female. Of the 894 officers employed in First Nations self-administered services, 13% (119) were female.
Of the 50 municipal police services serving a population of 100,000 or more, police services in Quebec reported the highest proportion of female officers, with Longueuil at the top with 35%, followed by Montréal at 33%. There were twenty-three police services that reported rates of female officers equal to or above the national average of 22%.Note Another twenty-six of those 50 municipal police services were found to be below the national average, with the lowest in Brantford, Ontario at 14% (Table 5). Findings of highest and lowest presence of female officers are consistent with previous years.
Less than one in ten police officers identified as visible minority
Individuals designated as visible minority population as defined by Employment Equity ActNote represented 22% of Canada’s population, according to the 2016 Census. In 2019, 8% of all police officers (which was unchanged from the previous year) and 11% of recruits in Canada (12% in 2018) identified as visible minorities. Visible minority officers were most prevalent in First Nation police services (24%), the RCMP (12%) and stand-alone municipals (7%).
Among the largest stand-alone municipal police services that provides visible minority data,Note relatively high rates of visible minority officers were reported by Vancouver Police Department (26%), Toronto Police Service (26%), and York Regional Police Service (19%), according to the survey.Note However, these rates were lower than the presence of visible minority populations in these cities. According to the 2016 Census, visible minorities represent 51% of Toronto’s population, as do 49% of York’s population and 48% of Vancouver’s population.Note While one third of Montréal’s population was designated as visible minorities, the same was true for 8% of the Montréal police service’s officers.
4% of police officers identified as Indigenous
Based on the 2016 Census, it was estimated that there were 1,673,780 Indigenous people in Canada, accounting for 5% of the population.Note Of the total number of police officers on May 15, 2019, 4% (or 2,714) reported their identity as Indigenous and 3% of recruits (or 69) self-identified as Indigenous.Note In Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, the representation of Indigenous police officers is relatively close to the proportion of the Indigenous population for those provinces. Compared to representation in the general population, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia had a larger proportion of officers identifying as Indigenous. The remaining provinces had a lower proportion of Indigenous officers compared to the proportion of Indigenous people in the total provincial population.Note
Within First Nation police services, 63% of police officers self-identified as Indigenous. The proportion of Indigenous officers in stand-alone municipals was 1%, SQ and OPP were 2% and the RCMP reported 7%.Note
Overall proportion of officers aged 50 and older has grown
Succession planning in the workforce and understanding the number of employees at risk of leaving are key to ensuring sufficient resources in coming years. In 2019, 55% of Canada's police officers were over the age of 40 (Chart 8). The proportion of officers in the older age categories has been increasing since 2012, when age data were first collected. For instance, the proportion of police officers over the age of 50 has grown from 15% in 2012 to 18% in 2019.
Chart 8 start
Data table for Chart 8
| Age group (years) | Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Ontario Provincial Police | Sûreté du Québec | Royal Newfoundland Constabulary |
Municipals | First Nations | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | |||||||
| Under 30 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 27 | 12 |
| 30 to 39 | 35 | 27 | 34 | 41 | 32 | 32 | 33 |
| 40 to 49 | 35 | 38 | 31 | 22 | 38 | 27 | 37 |
| 50 to 54 | 11 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 12 |
| 55 and older | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
|
Note: Information on age of police officers is not available for 0.4% of police officers employed by police services across Canada. Where age information is not available for police officers, they are excluded from percentage calculations. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 8 end
The age profile of officers varied among the different types of police services. The age profile of police officers among the RCMP, the SQ, and municipal police services are relatively close to that of the national profile. For the OPP, however, 25% of sworn officers were aged 50 years or older (Chart 8). In contrast, First NationsNote police services have a much younger complement of officers, with just 13% of the sworn officers aged 50 years or older.
In addition, 11% of police officers in Canada, or 7,297, were eligible to retire as of the 2018 calendar year or the 2018/2019 fiscal year end (Table 6). This proportion has been relatively stable since 2012 when national collection started on information on eligibility to retire. Within the different types of policing services across Canada, First Nation police services had the lowest percentage of police officers eligible to retire at 4% and the RCMP the highest rate with 17%.
Number of civilians working for police services continued to grow, increasing 2% in 2019
Police services are increasingly made up of civilian members such as clerks, communications staff, managers, and other professionals. This may be due to a movement toward assigning non-sworn employees to jobs that do not require the authority or special training of a sworn police officer (Griffiths et al. 2006). It is likely also associated with areas in police services that have expanded and require specialized training such as information technology and digital solutions, business and crime analytics, social media relations, and officer and employee well-being.
In addition to sworn officers, police services employed the equivalent of 31,699 full-time individuals on May 15, 2019, an increase of 671 employees from 2018 (Table 3). This consisted of 26,878 civilian personnel (85%), 2,621 special constables (8%) and 2,200 recruits (7%).Note
Recruits accounted for most of the overall growth in civilian personnel, with an additional 540 recruits in 2019 from the previous year. Toronto Police Service and the Montréal Police Service were the largest contributors to this increase, with 218 and 213 more recruits respectively. The number of civilian personnel increased by 50 and special constables increased by 82.
Special constables are civilian personnel who have been appointed with special constable status which gives limited authority as a police officer for a specific purpose defined in the appointment. The number of full-time equivalent special constables grew by 3% over the previous year.
The number of employees who were not sworn officers has been steadily on the rise since data collection began in 1962. At that time, these employees represented 18% of total police service personnel, compared to 32% in 2019 (Table 3).
The RCMP had the highest proportion of civilians and special constables among the different types of police services, making up 36% of their total personnel.Note Civilians and special constables made up 27% of municipal police services’ entire personnel, 26% of OPP’s and 24% within the SQ. First NationsNote police services reported 20% of their total personnel as civilian and special constables, the RNC followed with 19% (Chart 9).
Chart 9 start
Data table for Chart 9
| Police officers | Civilians | Special constables | Recruits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | ||||
| First Nations | 76.3 | 18.2 | 1.4 | 4.1 |
| Municipals | 70.2 | 23.0 | 4.2 | 2.6 |
| Ontario Provincial Police | 72.9 | 22.2 | 3.4 | 1.5 |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police | 62.0 | 35.6 | 0.4 | 2.0 |
| Royal Newfoundland Constabulary | 76.0 | 18.8 | 0.0 | 5.1 |
| Sûreté du Québec | 76.0 | 23.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
|
Note: All personnel, with the exception of recruits, represent the full-time equivalent counts as of May 15, 2019. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey. |
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Chart 9 end
Women accounted for seven in ten civilians working in police services
As of May 15, 2019, women accounted for 71% of civilian personnel within police services, 35% of special constables and 26% of recruits. Based on police services other than the RCMP,Note women were predominantly seen in the following civilian positions: clerical, reception and front desk services, court services, human resources, finances, legal services and operational communications (Chart 10). Women were also visible in non-traditional positions such as research, custody and forensics. Overall, women accounted for anywhere from 23% of vehicle maintenance personnel to 91% of clerical staff. These proportions remained consistent between 2018 and 2019.
Chart 10 start
Data table for Chart 10
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Reception | 14 | 86 |
| Finances | 18 | 82 |
| Human resources | 16 | 84 |
| Public relations | 34 | 66 |
| Court services | 15 | 85 |
| Legal services | 20 | 80 |
| Custody and detention | 66 | 34 |
| IT services | 64 | 36 |
| Vehicle and facility | 77 | 23 |
| Research and analysis | 27 | 73 |
| Forensics | 40 | 60 |
| Clerical support | 9 | 91 |
| Operational communication | 24 | 76 |
| Total | 29 | 71 |
|
Note: This chart does not include other unspecified civilians duties and function, however this count is represented in civilian total. Royal Canadian Mounted Police was excluded from the duties and functions cateogries in this chart as this detail could not be provided but are included in the total column. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Police Administration Survey |
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Chart 10 end
Excluding the RCMP,Note the top five duties and functions of all civilian personnel in policing were clerical (27%), operational communication (20%), information technology (10%), reception and front desk services (6%), vehicle and facility services (5%).
Municipal police services had the greatest proportion of special constables
As the demand on police services continues to expand, some police services have been employing special constables to re-distribute some tasks. Special constables take on duties such as traffic control, court services, prisoner transport and other duties that help support core functions within the police service.
Eighty-five percent of the 2,621 special constables in Canada were located in stand-alone municipal police services. The largest number of full-time equivalent special constables were reported by Toronto Police Service (1,009), Peel Regional Police Service (88), Montréal Police Service (82) and Winnipeg Police Service (81). Across stand-alone municipal police services, 54% of special constables performed duties in the area of court services, 26% in custody and detention services, and 19% in other unspecified areas. This remains relatively unchanged from 2018.
Part-time positions very rare among officers
A challenge for modern policing is the 24/7 demands of police work and the ability to respond to requests for part-time hours and leave. With the retirement of baby boomer police officers, newer generations of officers are seeking greater work / life balance due to changes in work culture and the desire to accommodate today’s family model of double income and shared parental responsibilities (CBC News 2012). As well, with the recognition of the physical and mental hazards of policing comes the recognition of the need to accommodate those impacted by the high stress environment of policing (Roufa 2018; Ahlgren 2017).
Part-time officers are a rare occurrence in Canada. In 2019, there were 223 permanent part-time officers, accounting for less than half of one percent of officers. The presence of part-time workers was more prevalent in civilian positions. Among civilian personnel, 6% were employed on a permanent part-time basis. Further, 19% of all civilians held non-permanent positions.
Women accounted for 65% of part-time positions and 50% of non-permanent positions.
The largest percentage of police officers on long-term leave are on medical leave
In Canada, there were 5,090 permanent employees among police services who were on authorized leave of 12 weeks or more during the year 2018/2019, just 26 fewer than in the previous year. Among these employees, 66% were permanent police officers, 32% were civilian personnel and 2% were special constables.Note
Of police officers on long-term leave in 2018/2019, 67% (or 2,243) were on leave for medical reasons, which includes, for example, long-term disability, mental health, medical emergencies, injury while on duty etc. The number of police officers on medical leave increased by 174 from the year before. Other types of long-term leave included parental leave (20% of officers on leave, or 668) and other types of leave (13% or 425). Long-term leave may or may not have been paid by police service.
Among OPP officers on long-term leave, 75% were on leave for medical reasons. In comparison, the same was true for 71% of RCMP officers on long-term leave and 67% among stand-alone municipals (including First Nations police services).Note The RNC had the lowest proportion of officers on long-term leave for medical reasons (17%), and the largest proportion on parental leave (50%).
Male officers were more likely to be on long-term leave than female officers (59% versus 41%). Parental leave and medical leave was the most common reasons for female officers to be on long-term leave (both 38%), whereas medical leave was the most common reason among male officers on long-term leave (49%).
Summary
Police services face new and unforeseen challenges every year and are continually evolving to respond to new standards and policies, advances in information and communications technology, and the needs of the diverse communities they serve.
The demand for policing continues to grow as evidenced by the 13.5 million calls for service police received in 2018/2019, 6% more than the previous year.
While costs of policing rise, the rate of officers per 100,000 has declined. In 2018/2019, costs increased in the area of salaries and wages and operating expenditures also grew along with capital expenditures. Spending on information technology increased by 9% although spending on police equipment dropped 12% from the previous year.
The rate of police strength, meaning the number of officers per 100,000 declined, although the number of recruits grew notably in 2019 which signals a move to increase the number of officers.
To support decision-makers, the ongoing collection of data from the Police Administration Survey over time will provide more understanding of changing trends in human resources and the cost-drivers for policing.
Detailed data tables
Table 2 Total expenditures on policing, current dollars, by province and territory, 2018/2019
Table 3 Trends in police personnel, Canada, 1962 to 2019
Table 4 Police officers by level of policing, by province and territory, 2019
Table 5 Municipal police services serving a population of 100,000 or more, Canada, 2019
Table 6 Hirings and departures of police officers, by province and territory, Canada, 2018/2019
Survey description
The Police Administration Survey collects data on police personnel and expenditures from each municipal, provincial and federal police services in Canada. The following security agencies are excluded from the survey: the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, railway and military police, and government departments enforcing specific statutes in the areas of income tax, customs and excise, immigration, fisheries and wildlife. Additionally, private security services and private investigators are not included in the survey.
Data presented in this report represent police personnel as of May 15, 2019 and year-end expenditures for the 2018 calendar year or the 2018/2019 fiscal year. Full-time equivalent counts include all permanent sworn police officers available for active duty as of May 15, 2019. Part-time permanent personnel are converted to a full-time equivalent. Police expenditures represent actual operating expenditures and include salaries and wages, benefits, and other operating expenses such as accommodation costs, fuel, and maintenance, as well as capital expenditures. Expenditure data represent gross expenditure, and does not funding from external sources, or cost recovery dollars. These amounts are provided separately.
From 2012 to 2017, the Police Administration Survey included a Supplemental questionnaire which captured detailed information on hires, departures, eligibility to retire, years of service, age, education, visible minority status, and language. Due to data quality issues, some of this information is not published.
In 2018, the Police Administration Survey was redesigned, in collaboration with the policing community. The new survey provides the number of police officers, civilians, special constables and recruits employed by the police service (in full-time equivalents). The actual number (headcount) of employees by their status as paid or unpaid, permanent or non-permanent, and full or part-time, is also collected. Information for police officers is categorized by rank (i.e., commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and Constables) and by gender and age group. Information for civilians and special constables is provided by their duties and functions in the police service. Information on hiring, departures, long-term leave, and eligibility to retire is provided, as well as Aboriginal and visible minority identity of employees. Other questions collect data on operating expenditures broken down into salaries/wages and benefits, and other non-salary operating expenditures by type of expenditure. Information on capital expenses are also collected by type of expense. In addition, detailed spending amounts on selected types of policing information technology and police equipment is collected. Lastly, information on current and emerging issues related to policing in Canada is collected.
For more information on survey definitions and methods, refer to the Statistics Canada survey information page: Police Administration Survey.
References
Ahlgren, A. 2017. “The mental health of police personnel: what we know & what we need to know and do.” Journal of Community Safety & Well-Being. (CACP-MHCC Conference 13-15 February 2017).
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. 2015. The Dollars and Sense of Policing, Public Safety and Well-Being in Your Community.
CBC News. 2012. Stigma of Mental Illness Among Police Officers Waning, say Experts., Ottawa. April 24, 2012.
Council of Canadian Academies. 2014. “Policing Canada in the 21st Century: New policing for new challenges.” The Expert Panel on the Future of Canadian Policing Models, Council of Canadian Academies.
Government of Alberta. 2018. “More police and resources to fight rural crime.” News Release. March 9, 2018.
Government of Saskatchewan. 2018. “Rural crime initiative receives funding in 2018-2019 budget.” News Release. April 10, 2018.
Griffiths, C. T., A. Palmer, L. Weeks and B. Polidore. 2006. Civilianization in the Vancouver Police Department. Public Safety Canada.
House of Commons, Canada. 2019. “Study on crime in rural areas in Canada”, Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. 42nd Parliament, 1st Session.
Kiedrowski, J., Petrunik, M., Macdonald, T. and Melchers, R. 2013. Canadian Police Board Views on the Use of Police Performance Metrics. Ottawa, Ontario. Public Safety Canada.
Lithopoulos, S. and R. Ruddell. 2013. “Aboriginal policing in rural Canada: Establishing a research agenda.” International Journal of Rural Criminology. Vol. 2, no. 1.
Mazowita, B. and Rotenberg, C. 2019. “The Canadian Police Performance Metrics Framework: Standardized indicators for police services in Canada.” Juristat. Catalogue no. 85-205-X.
Perreault, S. 2019. “Police-reported crime in rural and urban areas in the Canadian provinces, 2017.” Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-0002-X.
Roufa, T. 2018. “Police work and poor health.” The Balance Careers.
Roy, J. and Marcellus, S. 2019. “Homicide in Canada, 2018.” Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X.
Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. 2014. Economics of Policing: Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. House of Commons Canada.
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