Formed 1973 Population 560,000 (2014) | Annual budget $140,000,000 (2014) | |
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Size 1,382 km² or 533.59 sq mi | ||
The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) provides policing services for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada which encompasses the cities of Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge, as well as the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. WRPS was established in 1973 to replace the individual police departments in the region. The cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Galt; Towns of Preston, Hespeler, Elmira and New Hamburg; the Village of Bridgeport and Waterloo Township had their own respective police department. The Townships of Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot and North Dumfries were under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Provincial Police. In 1991 Waterloo Regional Police Force was renamed with the current name.
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Organization
On July 15, 2014, Bryan Larkin was named Chief of Police. He replaced Matt Torigian, who had been Chief of Police since December, 2007. In 1991, to minimize the negativity associated with the word "force", the department changed its name from Waterloo Regional Police Force to Waterloo Regional Police Service.
Headquarters
Headquarters is located at 200 Maple Grove Road on the border with Cambridge and Kitchener. This site was chosen as it is geographically center to all the urban areas within the region. Waterloo Regional Police headquarters has a museum in the lobby complete with old uniforms, equipment and information on the departments prior to 1973.
Operational Patrol Divisions
NORTH Formerly Division 3- 45 Columbia St. E., Waterloo
CENTRAL Formerly Division 1- 134 Frederick St, Kitchener
SOUTH Formerly Division 2- 176 Hespeler Rd, Cambridge
RURAL NORTH Formerly Division 3A- 13 Industrial Dr, Elmira
RURAL SOUTH Formerly Division 1A- 34 Peel St, New Hamburg
Branches & Divisions
Waterloo Regional Police Service is made up of:
Patrol Divisions
All divisions also each have a Criminal Investigations Branch.
Investigative Services
Strategic & Tactical Services (Division 7)
Support Services
Community & Corporate Services
Policing Standards
Executive Office
Shoulder Flashes
Shoulder Flashes worn on the uniforms of Waterloo Regional Police Officers.
Fleet
Currently in use:
Marked cruisers are white, with hood, trunk lid, front and rear quarter panels and bumpers painted navy blue. The words Waterloo Regional Police appear in white retroreflective text with a navy blue outline. A distinct solid red line curves from the front, through to the rear of the vehicle, with the motto "People Helping People" and "911" on the rear quarter panel. A series of white horizontal stripes appear above and below the curved red stripe. The crest of the police service appears on the rear pillar as well. A Canadian flag in addition to any special designations for the vehicle, such as "Supervisor", "Traffic", "Duty Officer" are displayed on the front fender. On the rear of the cruiser, the text "Waterloo Regional Police" is displayed on the left side of the trunk lid, and the vehicle number and divisional designation (where applicable) on the right side. On the bumper appears the police service website (wrps.on.ca), along with the Crime Stoppers tip-line number encompassed by retroreflective chevrons. Affixed to the roof is a red and blue LED light bar, as well as several antennas for communication and GPS.
The WRPS Traffic Branch also employs marked "stealth" cars, which features the same markings, except in a retroreflective black-on-black design.
Previously:
Officer Ranks
The rank structure used by the WRPS is defined by regulations of Ontario's Police Services Act.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service does not use the ranks of Staff Superintendent or Staff Inspector.
Auxiliary Unit
The Waterloo Regional Police Service also has an auxiliary unit, composed of approximately 75 unpaid civilian volunteers. Auxiliary Officers assist with special events, parades, as well as community programs.