Annual Report 2000 - Halifax Regional Municipality

H
Public Safety —
Halifax Regional Police
alifax Regional Police is
responsible for policing
Halifax, Dartmouth and
Bedford. The RCMP is
responsible for policing
the remainder of the
municipality. The
philosophy of the Halifax
Regional Police is
community - oriented
policing. A dedication to
citizens, which focuses on
their needs and concerns;
the implementation of
positive change; and the
provision of a well-trained
and accessible police
organization that is open
to new ideas; is their
commitment. Halifax
Regional Police exists “To
Serve and Protect.”
Halifax Regional Police
operational divisions
include: the Office of the
Chief of Police, which is
responsible for the overall
operation of the
organization including
executive level support,
legal services, chaplaincy
unit, audit and policy,
public affairs and media;
Operations Division is
responsible for the day-today
patrol activities,
including Emergency
Response Team, K-9 Unit,
Victim Services,
Community Relations /
Crime Prevention;
Operational Support
Division provides
assistance to the
Operations Division in
areas of investigative and
specialized services
including, Crime Analysis,
Fraud Unit, Joint Forces
Operation, Major Crime,
Drugs, Vice, Polygraph;
and Administration
Division includes training,
records, properties and
exhibits.
Accomplishments
Reorganization
Community Relations/
Crime Prevention Unit
reorganized to allow
officers to specialize in
certain aspects of crime
prevention and develop a
greater involvement of the
community and
volunteers with police.
General Investigation
Section (GIS)
A new section was
formed to concentrate on
crimes against persons
and crimes against
property.
Youth Programs
The Community
Relations / Crime
Prevention Unit has
worked closely with
schools to establish a
number of new programs
aimed at zero tolerance
for violence in schools.
Break and Enter Burglaries
Clearance rate for
break and enters and
robberies has risen
dramatically. Halifax
Regional Police has one of
the best clearance rates for
bank robberies in Canada.
Current Initiatives
Power Shift
Provision of more
police officers at peak
policing hours.
Police Visibility
Increase visibility
within the communities.
Community Involvement
Increase community
involvement in
community problemsolving.
Enforcement Increase
Increase summary
offence enforcement – i.e.,
crosswalks, speeding
violations.
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At a glance...
• 393 sworn members
• 69 civilians
• 65 marked police vehicles
• 75 unmarked police vehicles
• 16 motorcycles
• 14 mountain bikes
• 226 volunteers
• 1998 - patrol unit responded
to 124,863 calls for service
• Halifax Regional Police
maintains one of the best
response times in Canada
• 7 fully trained critical
incident negotiators
• 5 Police Service dogs
• Fully functional Emergency
Response Team (ERT) and
Explosive Ordinance Disposal
Unit (EOD)
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