Niagara Regional Police Service


The Niagara Regional Police Service provides policing services for the Regional Municipality of Niagara in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The NRPS was established on January 1, 1971 and is the oldest regional police service in Ontario. Its headquarters is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Organization

The NRPS provides all general policing duties in the region, including patrol of municipal and regional roads and waterways within the region, including the Welland Canal, the Niagara River and lakes Ontario and Erie. Patrol of provincial highways in the region, such as the Queen Elizabeth Way, is handled by the Ontario Provincial Police, while patrol services on Niagara Parks Commission property is handled by the Niagara Parks Police Service. The NRPS is, however, mandated to investigate all major crimes in the region, including those that occur on provincial highways or on NPC property.

Police chiefs

Districts

The Niagara Regional Police Service is divided into six districts:
Headquarters and administrative offices are located at 5700 Valley Way, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Auxiliary and support services are located on Cushman Road in St. Catharines.

Units

The Niagara Regional Police Service is broken down into units of specific responsibility. Some of these units include
A partial list of the Niagara Regional Police's fleet consists of the following:
MakeOriginIn serviceNotes
Dodge Charger2006–present
Dodge Magnum2006–present
Ford Taurus2002–present
Chevrolet Impala2002–present
Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor1998–present
Ford Freestar RIDE vehicle2005–present
Chrysler PT Cruiser community/education vehicle2003–2005
Chevrolet Tahoe
Ford F350
Ford Expedition
Ford Explorer
Jeep Cherokee
Dodge Polara1970sRetired,
Chevrolet Caprice1970s-1998Retired

Following changes to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act in August 2007, the Niagara Regional Police Service began replacing red and white "Street Hawk" emergency lights on police vehicles with new blue and red LED lights. Older-style light bars were gradually phased out through attrition.
Niagara Regional Police Service marked patrol vehicles have historically been white in colour. In the late 1980s to the early 1990s, they were distinguished with royal blue hoods and a single blue stripe on the sides of the vehicle. In the mid-1990s, the service adopted the crest used today, switching to blue and green stripes on the sides of patrol vehicles, and abandoning the traditional blue hoods. This striping change was relatively short lived, with the service soon adopting red and blue striping more commonly seen on police vehicles in Ontario. In 2013, the Niagara Regional Police Service commenced a re-branding of marked patrol vehicles, adopting a black and white colour scheme, with silver and red graphics, which is being phased in as vehicles are replaced through attrition.

Niagara Regional Police Service pipes and drums

The Niagara Regional Police Pipe Band is a grade three pipe band based in Niagara Falls.
The band's pipe major is Peter MacKenzie.
There was a grade 2 pipe band in existence until the end of the 2009 season, led by Dave Goodall and Graham Kirkwood, however, that group dissolved in fall of 2009.

Niagara Regional Police Male Chorus

The Niagara Regional Police Male Chorus was formed in 1996 with the encouragement of Chief Grant Waddell to celebrate the force's twenty-fifth anniversary. With the sponsorship of Chief Waddell they were granted the right to perform.
The Niagara Regional Police Male Chorus, facing reduced numbers, was disbanded in 2011.

Niagara Regional Police Mounted Unit

Members of the mounted unit are part of the force's colour guard.
There are three horses in the unit with three other horses retired. Two of the three horses are owned by the NRP.
On November 25, 2010, the Niagara Regional Mounted Unit was disbanded for budgetary reasons. The annual budget of $30,000.00 used to care for the horses was redistributed elsewhere.

Members killed in the line of duty

Since its founding, the NRPS has lost seven of its officers in the line of duty.
Rank and nameDateCause of death
Constable Charles RichardsOctober 2, 1854Gunfire
Constable Joseph TruemanDecember 22, 1922Gunfire
Constable James A. McNicollSeptember 2, 1930Gunfire
Constable Dennis WinstanleyFebruary 3, 1962Struck by an automobile
Constable Luciano De SimoneMay 2, 1974Automobile accident
Constable Stephen PeazelJanuary 25, 1988Pulmonary embolism
Constable Jeffrey PaolozziFebruary 6, 1993Accidental gunfire
Constable Daniel RathonyiSeptember 15, 2005Heart failure