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Cross-border policing

Cross-border policing

The Interprovincial Policing Act, 2009 (the Act) establishes a system for temporarily appointing police officers from other Canadian provinces and territories (extra-provincial) as police officers in Ontario.

It also recognizes the possibility that Ontario police officers may be temporarily appointed as police officers in other Canadian provinces and territories, and addresses Ontario’s continuing supervision over Ontario police officers so appointed.

The Act is based on the Uniform Law Conference of Canada’s model for cross-border policing. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec all have similar legislation.

This cross-border policing legislation helps to improve community safety by:

  • making it easier to investigate crimes that occur across jurisdictions
  • improving coordinated cross-border investigations
  • making police officers from other provinces or territories operating in Ontario accountable for their actions just as regular Ontario police are
  • allowing “appointing officials” to grant full police powers to extra-provincial police officers
  • creating a straightforward system to allow police to continue investigations outside their home province

Information for Extra-provincial Police Officers:

The Act sets out a standard procedure for appointing a police officer from another Canadian jurisdiction as a police officer in Ontario.

There are two processes that may be followed:

1. Standard Appointment Procedures (Part II of the Act):

  1. Request is made by the extra-provincial police officer’s commanding officer to an Ontario Appointing Official.
  2. The Appointing Official makes the decision to approve or deny the application within seven days of the request.
  3. The appointment is for a maximum of three years.

2. Appointment Procedure in Urgent Circumstances (Part III of the Act):

  1. If the operation or investigation in Ontario would be compromised by the delay of applying under the standard procedure, the chief of police of an Ontario police force or a commander of a detachment may appoint an extra-provincial police officer for a maximum of 72 hours.
  2. The commander must make a decision of whether to approve or deny as soon as reasonably possible after the request is made.
  3. The appointment may be renewed further 72-hour periods if a standard procedure request has been submitted but not yet decided.

Standard application

Appointment Request Application Form

Approval Form

Urgent application

Appointment Request Application Form

Approval Form

Urgent applications must be made to the local commander of the police service in the area where the operation or investigation is likely to mainly be carried out.

Termination of appointment

Termination Form

Application contacts

Ontario Provincial Police

E-mail jus.g.opp.ghq.projectsupportcenter@opp.ca, or contact:
Melissa Shelswell / Lisa Shipley
777 Memorial Avenue, 4th Floor
Orillia ON L3V 7V3

Melissa Shelswell 705-329-7697
Lisa Shipley 705-329-6345

Hamilton Police Service

E-mail egirt@hamiltonpolice.on.ca, or contact:
Eric Girt, Chief of Police
155 King William St., Box 1060
Hamilton ON L8N 4C1

Chief Eric Girt 905-546-4710

London Police Service

E-mail bduncan@police.london.ca, or contact:
Chief Bradley S. Duncan
601 Dundas Street
London ON N6B 1X1

Chief Bradley S. Duncan 519-661-5666

Niagara Regional Police Service  

E-mail 5291@nrps.on.ca or contact:
Deputy Chief Joe Matthews
68 Church Street
St. Catharines ON L2R 3C6

Deputy Chief Joe Matthews 905-688-3911 (ext. 5111)

Ottawa Police Service

E-mail fortunatom@ottawapolice.ca, or contact:
Ms. Maria Fortunato
Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police
474 Elgin Group
Ottawa ON K2P 2J6

Maria Fortunato 613-236-1222 ext. 5566

Peel Regional Police

E-mail Angela.Butterwick@peelpolice.ca, or contact:
Angela Butterwick
7750 Hurontario Street
Brampton ON L6V 3W6

Angela Butterwick 905-453-3311, ext. 4001

Greater Sudbury Police Service

E-mail frank.elsner@police.sudbury.on.ca
Chief Frank Elsner
90 Brady Street
Greater Sudbury ON  P3E 1C7

Chief Frank Elsner 705-675-9171 ext.2264

Thunder Bay Police Service

E-mail jlevesque@thunderbay.ca, or contact:
Deputy Chief Jean-Paul Levesque
1200 Balmoral Street
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5Z5

Deputy Chief Jean-Paul Levesque 807-684-1219

York Regional Police

47 Don Hillock Drive
Aurora, ON L4G 0S7
Telephone: 1-886-876-5423

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For more information about the process, contact the manager, Operations Unit at 416-326-9347.