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The structure of police services in B.C.

Last updated on June 23, 2025

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Federal policing

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is Canada's national police service. The RCMP is the only police service in the world that acts as a federal, provincial and municipal service. It enforces federal laws in British Columbia and handles border integrity and national security, drugs and organized crime, financial crime and international policing.

See Federal and International Operations on the RCMP website for more information.

Provincial policing

The Provincial Police Service Agreement between the province and Canada makes the RCMP British Columbia’s provincial police service.

The RCMP in B.C. is called E-Division. It has two main responsibilities:

  • Detachment policing
  • The provincial police infrastructure

Detachment policing

Detachment policing serves municipalities with populations fewer than 5,000 and unincorporated areas. It includes:

  • Uniformed patrols
  • Response-to-call duties
  • Investigative services
  • Community-based policing
  • Traffic enforcement
  • Administrative support to provincial detachments

Policing infrastructure

E-Division maintains the province’s policing infrastructure, which includes:

  • Capital-intensive services such as aircraft and marine vessels
  • Specialized units that provide major criminal investigative support
  • Targeting major or serious crimes, organized crime, and serial and unsolved homicides
  • Providing support services such as human or technological surveillance

This infrastructure provides centralized, specialized police services to the entire province.

The police tax and funding police services in small communities

Municipalities with populations under 5,000 and unincorporated areas pay for some police services through the Police Tax.

For information on the Police Tax, see:

Municipal policing

Under the Police Act, municipalities with populations 5,000 and over must provide their own law enforcement by:

  • Forming their own police department
  • Contracting with an existing police department
  • Contracting with the provincial government for RCMP police services

Municipal police departments

Twelve municipalities in British Columbia have eleven municipal police departments. They are:

  • Abbotsford
  • Central Saanich
  • Delta
  • Nelson
  • New Westminster
  • Oak Bay
  • Port Moody
  • Saanich
  • Vancouver
  • Victoria/Esquimalt
  • West Vancouver

These departments are governed by municipal police boards.

Funding

There are currently 12 municipalities in B.C. policed by 11 independent municipal police departments. These municipalities pay 100 percent of their policing costs from local property taxes.

RCMP municipal police units

There are 63 municipalities in B.C. that contract with the province for RCMP municipal police services. The RCMP operates stand-alone, integrated and regional detachments across the province.

An integrated detachment is two or more municipal or provincial RCMP units working in the same building. The North Vancouver city, district and provincial RCMP units, for example, make up the North Vancouver detachment. The members from each unit in an integrated detachment report to the same commanding officer. Integrated detachments usually provide services to the combined municipal and provincial policing areas.

A regional detachment will manage integrated and independent detachments in an area. For example, the Kelowna Regional Detachment manages the West Kelowna Integrated Detachment (West Kelowna municipal unit and the Kelowna provincial unit) and the Lake Country Detachment (Lake Country municipal unit).

These arrangements allow specialized and administrative police services to be delivered regionally.

RCMP municipal police service agreements

The Municipal Police Service Agreement (PDF) between British Columbia and Canada permits the province to sub-contract the RCMP provincial services to municipalities.

There are different cost-sharing formulas for municipalities with RCMP contracts.

Municipalities with populations from 5,000 to 14,999 pay 70 percent of the cost base described in the policing agreements. The federal government pays the remaining 30 percent.

Municipalities with populations of 15,000 or more pay 90 percent of the cost base described in the policing agreements. The federal government pays the remaining 10 percent.

The costs are outlined in the agreement, including:

  • Members' pay and allowances
  • Employer contributions to member pension and benefits
  • Transportation
  • Professional and special services
  • Equipment
  • Recruit training costs
  • Some administration costs

There are some policing costs for which the municipality is 100 percent responsible, including:

  • Detachment buildings and cells
  • Civilian support staff and furniture

First Nations policing

The province provides policing services in First Nations communities in rural areas or in First Nations communities in municipalities with populations up to 5,000. Municipalities with populations greater than 5,000 provide policing to First Nations located in their boundaries.

The Stl'atl'imx (Stat-la-mic) Tribal Police Service is the only First Nations administered police service in British Columbia. The Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police Service is a designated policing unit under the Police Act. It is like an independent municipal police department, and has a police board comprised of community members.

Stl'atl'imx police are experienced officers or graduates of the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Its officers are appointed under the Police Act.

The First Nations Community Policing Services (FNCPS) program provides many First Nations communities across the province with police services. This enhanced local police service is provided by additional RCMP members who are familiar with First Nations’ cultures and traditions.

See First Nations Policing for more information.

Integrated policing units

Integrated units provide services to more than one jurisdiction. A unit may comprise officers from more than one police agency or from two or more levels of policing (i.e. federal, provincial, municipal). More than one police jurisdiction may fund an integrated unit.

Federal integrated units

Federal integrated units are funded primarily by the federal government. They may include members from independent municipal, RCMP municipal, provincial and federal services. Federal integrated units are under Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC). FSOC comprises multi-discipline units and no longer operate separately.

Provincial integrated units

Provincial integrated units are primarily funded by the provincial government. They may include members from independent municipal, RCMP municipal, provincial and federal services. Provincial integrated units include the:

  • Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit
  • Integrated Road Safety Unit
  • Integrated Child Exploitation Team
  • Hate Crime Task Force
  • Integrated Sexual Predator Observation Team
  • Integrated Gang Task Force
  • Integrated Technological Crime Unit

Regional integrated units

Regional integrated units provide services to specific regions of the province. They may include members from independent municipal, RCMP municipal, provincial and federal services. For example, the Integrated Forensic Identification Services provides service to all RCMP municipal and provincial policing jurisdiction in the RCMP Lower Mainland District.

Jurisdictions generally share the cost of these units based on a pre-determined funding formula.

Transit police

Commonly called the transit police, the South Coast British Columbia Transit Authority Police Service provides law enforcement on and around the Lower Mainland’s transit system. It supplements the services provided by police in the 22 jurisdictions the transit system passes though. Transit police officers enforce the Criminal Code, other federal statutes, provincial and municipal laws, and have the same powers as other police officers.

Railway police

The Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway have their own police services in British Columbia. They protect the property and personnel of the railways, and increase public safety and border security. Railway police officers work under the federal Railway Safety Act. They have the same powers of arrest as other police officers in Canada.

Auxiliary program

British Columbia’s Auxiliary Program provides an opportunity for members of the public to volunteer with police to address crime and disorder, and to strengthen communities.

Volunteers participate in community policing and crime prevention activities under the direct supervision of a police officer or under the general supervision of the detachment or department.

Activities can include:

  • Accompanying police officers on patrol
  • Assisting at community events
  • Presenting crime prevention strategies in schools
  • Conducting traffic control
  • Doing foot or bike patrols
  • Participating in search and rescue, parades and other ceremonial events

The Auxiliary Program Provincial Policy is the province’s policy on auxiliaries. 

Contact your local police detachment to find out more about the Auxiliary Program and how to apply.

Independent Investigation Office

The Independent Investigation Office (IIO) is mandated to conduct investigations into police-involved incidents of death or serious harm. There does not need to be any allegation of wrongdoing for the IIO to conduct an investigation.  

The IIO is led by the Chief Civilian Director (CCD) who cannot ever have served as a police officer. The position is a five-year order-in-council appointment. Based on the evidence, the CCD will determine whether reasonable grounds exist to believe any officer may have committed an offence. If the CCD finds that reasonable grounds do exist, the incident will be referred to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges. If charges are approved, they are laid by the IIO.

The IIO is operationally independent from government. The office is subject to usual fiscal and public service regulation, and the CCD is accountable to the Deputy Attorney General for the operation of the office.

B.C. police agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the IIO in 2020. It represents the agreements made between the IIO, the RCMP and all other police agencies in British Columbia to facilitate efficient, effective and timely investigations.

In 2020, the IIO issued the Guidelines and Expectations with Respect to the Conduct of IIO Investigations, a supplementary document to the above-noted MOU. These are intended to provide clarity for officers with respect to the protocols and expectations of the IIO in its investigations, and with respect to the statutory requirement that all officers cooperate fully with IIO investigators in the execution of their duty.

The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is an independent office of the legislature. It examines the conduct of members of independent municipal police departments. It does not engage in criminal investigations.

The federal Civilian Review and Complaints Commission responds to complaints about the conduct of members of the RCMP.

B.C. Police Services

Find your local police service.

Police Honours Night

The annual Police Honours Night recognizes police services members who have performed an exemplary service for British Columbians.

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of the Policing and Security Branch.