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135-460: The Ontario Provincial Police ( OPP ) is the provincial police service of Ontario , Canada. The OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways; protects provincial government buildings and officials, with the exception of the legislative precinct ; patrols unincorporated areas in northern Ontario; provides training, operational support, and funding to some Indigenous police forces ; and investigates complex or multi-jurisdictional crimes across

270-574: A deputy commissioner. The commands are further divided into bureaus. The Culture and Strategy Services Command is responsible for corporate communications, strategic development, and the force's internal misconduct investigations unit; the Traffic Safety and Operational Support Command is responsible for highway policing, Indigenous policing, support services like the Tactics and Rescue Unit , and security at provincial government buildings excepting

405-410: A house within a year, and resided on the grant for at least five years would receive the title to that land. The government subsequently built over 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) of roads over the following 20   years to provide access to these grants, although the roads were often little more than a trail cut through the forest wide enough for a wagon. Like the lands to the south, statute labour

540-565: A mounted police service was created to keep the peace in areas surrounding the construction of public works. It became the Ontario Mounted Police Force after Canadian Confederation . In 1877, the Constables Act extended jurisdiction and gave designated police members authorization to act throughout the province. The first salaried provincial constable appointed to act as detective for the government of Ontario

675-741: A name instead; these are the Central Ontario Route , Georgian Bay Route , Lake Superior Route , Northern Ontario Route and Ottawa Valley Route . Several portions of the King's Highway are designated as part of the Trans-Canada Highway system within Ontario, with the TCH having a main route and several branches, often only following sections of any given provincial highway. They are: In addition to these classes of highways,

810-671: A network of east–west and north–south roads between the Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay . This area was known as the Ottawa–Huron Tract . In 1847, an exploration survey was carried out by Robert Bell to lay out the lines that would become the Opeongo, Hastings, and Addington colonization roads . The Public Lands Act, passed in 1853, permitted the granting of land to settlers who were at least 18. Those settlers who cleared at least 12 acres (4.9 ha) within four years, built

945-482: A new model of police force designated as civilian forces ( Fuerza Civil ) . In Spain there are autonomous police forces in four of its nineteen autonomous communities . Apart from this, some autonomous communities ( Andalusia , Aragon , Asturias , Galicia and Valencian Community ) have a special division part of the National Police Corps and autonomous government of each community. In

1080-672: A problem in northern Ontario . Police constables were gradually introduced in various areas, until an Order in Council decreed the establishment of a permanent organization of salaried constables designated as the Ontario Provincial Police Force on 13 October 1909. It consisted of 45 men under the direction of Superintendent Joseph E. Rogers. The starting salary for constables was $ 400 per annum, increased to $ 900 in 1912. There were many detachments simultaneously founded including Bala, Muskoka, and Niagara Falls. In

1215-516: A provincial highway system. The initial system, between Windsor and Quebec , was bookended by branches to Niagara and Ottawa . In 1919, the federal government passed the Canada Highways Act , which provided $ 20,000,000 to provinces under the condition that they establish an official highway network; up to 40% of construction costs would be subsidized. The first network plan was approved on February 26, 1920. At this time, Campbell

1350-508: A resource road, allowing for vehicles otherwise prohibited from public roads. Industrial roads are privately owned routes with which the MTO has entered an agreement to improve or allow public access, and are not considered part of the provincial highway network. The 407 ETR is likewise not considered part of the provincial highway network. While it is still subject to the rules set forth by the HTA, it

1485-488: A sleigh or carriage to pass. He completed the first 101 kilometres (63 mi) to Port Hope by December. The government ultimately decided that his road was unacceptable, and reportedly paid him less than owed. Portions of Danforth's road were later incorporated into Highway 2 , as well as several local roads in Scarborough . The majority of settlers up to this point were United Empire Loyalists — settlers of

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1620-451: A state department of public safety . Additionally, they may serve under different state departments such as the highway patrol under the state department of transportation and the marine patrol under the state department of natural resources . Twenty-three U.S. states use the term state police , fifteen use the term highway patrol , seven use the term state patrol , and three use the term state highway patrol , while Alaska's agency

1755-497: A statute labour system that required landowners to make improvements in lieu of taxes. Private companies constructed corduroy and later plank roads and charged tolls in the second half of the 19th century. The rising popularity of the bicycle led to the formation of the Ontario Good Roads Association, which advocated for the improvement of roads and recreation as the automobile rose to prominence. By

1890-939: A variety of use of force equipment in the performance of their duties. The current sidearm of the OPP is the Glock 17M pistol in 9x19mm. Previously, officers were issued either the Sig Sauer P229 DAO, or the P229 R DAK in .40S&W. Patrol vehicles are also equipped with the Colt Canada C8 patrol rifle in 5.56x45mm NATO, with the option of the Remington 870 in 12 gauge. All uniformed officers carry TASER X2 conducted energy weapons The Tactics and Rescue Unit have more specialized weapons at their disposal including: The Caledonia land dispute began in 2006 when members of

2025-481: Is Highway 537 in Greater Sudbury . They generally serve to connect remote communities to the King's Highway, or to interconnect the King's Highway. A few secondary highways remain gravel -surfaced, although most have been paved. The speed limit on nearly all of these routes is 80 km/h (50 mph), although Highway 655 is posted at 90 km/h (55 mph). The Secondary Highway system

2160-677: Is 80 km/h (50 mph), although design standards generally prevent such. Unlike other roads in the Provincial Highway Network, the MTO is not responsible for winter maintenance nor liable for damage incurred as a result of using these routes. The MTO introduced the Tertiary Road system in 1962. With the exception of Highway 802 , none end in settlements. The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) forms several major routes across Canada. The provincial governments are entirely responsible for signage and maintenance of

2295-676: Is almost no municipal/local law enforcement in Argentina, and if there is, they are generally limited to traffic duties. Prior to the Federation of Australia , each colony within Australia had numerous police forces, but these were largely amalgamated well before federation. Today each state of Australia , as well as the Northern Territory , has its own state police force. Municipalities do not have police forces and it

2430-598: Is left to the state forces to police all geographic areas within their respective states. Australia does have a national police force, the Australian Federal Police , whose role is to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth , both criminal law and civil law, as well as to protect the interests of the Commonwealth, both domestically and internationally. The AFP does, however, provide policing for

2565-438: Is nearly 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long, while the shortest is less than a kilometre. Some roads are unsigned highways , lacking signage to indicate their maintenance by the MTO; these may be remnants of highways that are still under provincial control whose designations were decommissioned , roadway segments left over from realignment projects, or proposed highway corridors. Predecessors to today's modern highways include

2700-708: Is otherwise governed independently under the legislation of the Highway 407 Act. Speed limits on provincial highways are legislated by sections of the road, and vary between 50 km/h (30 mph) and 110 km/h (70 mph). Freeways, including the 400-series highways, are generally signed at 100 km/h (60 mph), although sections exist that are signed lower. Three segments of freeway are part of an ongoing pilot project to test speed limits of 110   km/h in rural areas that are not subject to congestion. A fourth segment, located in Northern Ontario ,

2835-709: Is the "Division of Alaska State Troopers". The term highway patrol tends to be more common in the southeast and mountain west states. Hawaii is the only state with a Sheriff Division of the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement with statewide jurisdiction. In addition, all the territories of the United States have a police force with similar territory-wide authority: Highways in Ontario The Ontario Provincial Highway Network consists of all

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2970-534: Is the body to which all senior police officers of all states belong regardless of the agency for whom they work. The IPS officers provide senior level leadership to law enforcement agencies, both at the state and federal levels. Each of the 32 states of Mexico maintains a separate law enforcement agency or Policía Estatal . Each of these state forces is tasked with the protection of their citizens, keeping local order and combating insecurity and drug trafficking . Certain states including Veracruz and Nuevo León have

3105-746: The Alberta Sheriffs Branch is responsible for traffic enforcement in Alberta together with the RCMP, despite being a law enforcement agency and not a police force. The Landespolizei (or LaPo) is a term used in the Federal Republic of Germany to denote the law enforcement services that perform law enforcement duties in the States of Germany . The German federal constitution leaves the majority of law enforcement responsibilities to

3240-699: The Australian Capital Territory , Jervis Bay Territory , and Australia's other external territories such as Norfolk Island , Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands . The state and territory police forces are: Each federative unit in Brazil , beside its military firefighters corps and its penal and scientific polices, has two main police corporations working together with different skills: Law enforcement in Canada operates at

3375-802: The Chevrolet Suburban , Ford F250 Super Duty , and the Cambli International Thunder 1 armoured rescue vehicles used by the Tactics and Rescue Unit , as well as an International-based truck used by the Highway Safety Division and Mobile Support Units. Previously, models of the Ford Crown Victoria and Chevrolet Impala were used. During the 2022-23 fiscal year, the OPP engaged in a proof-of-concept program in East Region which included

3510-592: The Ipperwash Crisis . The park had been expropriated from the Stoney Point Ojibway during World War II. The protest increased in tensions, resulting in the shooting and subsequent death of a protester, Anthony O'Brien "Dudley" George, by Acting Sergeant Ken Deane of the Tactics and Rescue Unit. Deane was subsequently convicted of criminal negligence causing death. In 2003, an inquiry called

3645-640: The Ipperwash Inquiry , into the events at Ipperwash was convened, and concluded in 2007. The OPP now uses a variety of different methods in resolving conflicts at major events, most notably by the use of the Provincial Liaison Teams (PLT), formerly known as the Major Event Liaison Team (MELT) In 1993 an Ontario Divisional Court case, John Doe v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner) , Judge Matlow of

3780-803: The Ontario Legislative Building ; the Field Operations Command is responsible for frontline policing in communities that do not maintain independent police forces; the Investigations and Organized Crime Command is responsible for investigating complex, major, or multi-jurisdictional crimes or organized criminal networks across the province and administering firearms licenses; and the Corporate Services Command administers various business, contract, and career management bureaus. Previously,

3915-620: The Six Nations of the Grand River began an occupation of land that they believed belonged to them, to bring light to their land claims, and to the plight of aboriginal land claims across Canada. The land at the centre of the dispute was owned by a corporation planning to build a subdivision known as the Douglas Creek Estates. The Ontario Provincial Police were called in to keep the peace. Tensions led to violence and over

4050-471: The Thirteen Colonies loyal to Britain who fled north to the new colony. These pioneers endured starting anew in untamed wilderness, with little provisions beyond what they could carry. Many were strategically placed along Yonge Street and Dundas Street, and given the duty of clearing half the width of a road along the front of their property lot. Settlers were responsible for the upkeep, and often

4185-425: The director general of police (DGP) or commissioner of police (in metropolitan areas), who is an Indian Police Service officer. The state police forces operate under the authority of the respective state governments and are empowered to enforce laws, prevent crime, investigate offenses, and maintain public order. Most municipal or city police forces operate under their respective state police departments, with

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4320-476: The rules of the road . The Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act (PTHIA) sets forth the regulations concerning roads that are under the authority of the Province of Ontario. The act distinguishes and sets out the applicability of the HTA to provincial highways, which are designated as part of The King's Highway (primary), a secondary highway, or a tertiary road. Tertiary roads may also be designated as

4455-517: The shape of a shield , topped by a St Edward's Crown . In other cases, particularly when approaching the junction of another highway, a square crown marker is used, featuring the route number within an outline of the St Edward's Crown, paired with an arrow plate; exit signs on freeways and at major junctions also use this crown symbol. For secondary highways, the route number is within an outline of an isosceles trapezoid , while tertiary roads place

4590-448: The 16 states of the country. There also are several auxiliary state police forces. The Constitution of India delineates the roles and responsibilities of both the central and state governments, with matters related to police, public order, and law and order falling under the purview of the state governments. India has 28 state police agencies. Each state has a state police force and its own distinct state police services , headed by

4725-686: The 1920s, restructuring was undertaken with the passing of the Provincial Police Force Act, 1921 . The title of the commanding officer was changed to "commissioner" and given responsibility for enforcing the provisions of the Ontario Temperance Act and other liquor regulations. Major-General Harry Macintyre Cawthra-Elliot was appointed as the first commissioner. The OPP's first death in the line of duty occurred in 1923, when escaped convict Leo Rogers shot and killed Sergeant John Urquhart near North Bay . Rogers, who

4860-481: The 2022-23 fiscal year, the OPP engaged in a proof-of-concept program in East Region which included the use of body worn cameras (BWC), along with its accompanying mobile applications. Officers serving with specialty tactical units are also issued cargo pants without piping, utility tops, and subdued placards for their external tactical vests. Officers serving with the Tactics and Rescue Unit are issued olive green uniforms. Since 1985, wide, light blue stripes down

4995-491: The 2023 Annual Report. Officers mainly patrol using all-wheel drive versions of the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor , Ford Explorer Police Utility , Ford F-150 Police Responder , Dodge Charger Pursuit , Dodge Durango Special Service Package , Chevrolet Silverado , Chevrolet Tahoe , and Dodge Ram 2500 Power Wagon for frontline patrol. For specialized roles, a variety of vehicles are used, such as

5130-470: The 500s and 600s, with existing highways numbered between 502 and 673. Tertiary roads are remote routes entirely within Northern Ontario that provide access to resources (e.g. mining and forestry). Tertiary roads are numbered in the 800s, with the five existing highways numbered between 802 and 811. Most of these roads are gravel-surfaced and of low-standard. The speed limit on these routes

5265-514: The Beatles were on their way to Montreal. On the online social networking website Habbo Hotel Canada, OPP officers and spokespersons visit the online application to talk to teens on board the web site's "Infobus". During the weekly sessions, users of the Habbo service are able to ask the officers and spokespersons questions, primarily regarding online safety. In the television series Cardinal ,

5400-587: The Discovery Channel aired the reality TV series Heavy Rescue: 401 , following members of the OPP and local heavy tow operators, profiling their efforts during events and routine operations on Highway 401 , a highway that crosses southern Ontario. In the Canadian horror film Pontypool , the OPP is called into the eponymous town to control a zombie outbreak, ultimately resulting in a massacre. The film's lead character, Grant Mazzy, vocally denounces

5535-538: The FIPPA commissioner, but a judicial review of the FIPPA commissioner's order to release the report resulted in publication of the OPP report being banned. The OPPA was established in 1954 to represent sworn and civilian members of the OPP, as well as OPP retirees. In March 2015, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced they were investigating fraud allegations against three top executives of

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5670-670: The Harbour or from remaining within it.   ... I have good Information that a Road is very easy to be made to communicate with those Waters which fall into Lake Huron.   ... In regard to Lake Huron, tho' it is not so immediate an object of Attention, yet I consider it ultimately of the most extensive and serious Magnitude. John Graves Simcoe John Graves Simcoe , the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada , landed at Niagara on July   26, 1792, after overwintering in Quebec City , from England and set forth to colonize

5805-513: The King's Highway" or "the King's Highway known as n ". However, in common parlance they are simply referred to as "Highway n ". Ontario highways rank second safest in North America for fatality rates, with 0.55 fatalities per 10000 licensed drivers in 2019. The phrase "King's Highway" is used regardless of the gender of the monarch. The 400-series highways and the QEW form the backbone of

5940-414: The King's Highway, with other routes numbered from 2 to 148. The Ministry of Transportation never designated a Highway 1. Some highway numbers are suffixed with a letter A ("alternate route"), B ("business route"), or N ("new route"). In the past, there have also been routes with C and S ("scenic route") suffixes. The entire King's Highway network is fully paved. The term "the King's Highway"

6075-590: The Lincoln M. Alexander Building in Orillia , Ontario. The relocation of general headquarters to Orillia was part of a government move to decentralize ministries and operations to other parts of Ontario. Previously, from 1973 to 1995, the headquarters were located in Toronto at 90 Harbour Street, the site of the former Workmen's Compensation Board building. The force is organized into five commands, each answering to

6210-578: The MTO maintains other roads, such as resource roads or industrial roads, that are of strategic importance to the provincial government. These roads are designated with 7000-series numbers for internal inventory purposes, though they are not publicly marked as such. They are often, but not always, former highway segments which were decommissioned as a King's Highway, but remain important as connecting routes to communities or other highways in areas without municipal governance. There were formerly several designated Ontario Tourist Routes that were located throughout

6345-776: The Middle Road , which would become the Queen Elizabeth Way in 1939. In 1937, the DHO merged with the Department of Northern Development , extending the highway network into the Canadian Shield and Northern Ontario . Significant traffic engineering and surveying through the war years , during which construction came to a near standstill, led to the planning and initial construction of controlled-access highways . The 400-series highways were built beginning in

6480-446: The Middle Road and construction began to convert the existing sections to a divided highway. Work also began on Canada's first interchange at Highway 10. The Middle Road was ceremoniously renamed the Queen Elizabeth Way during the 1939 royal tour of Canada , taking its name from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , and was completed between Toronto and Niagara Falls on August   26, 1940. Beginning in 1935, McQuesten applied

6615-484: The OPP are uniquely known as "provincial constables". Detective ranks fall laterally with the uniform ranks and are not a promotion above. The rank of sergeant major is reserved for members of the Professional Standards Bureau, where the rank has a unique investigative function within the force's chain-of-command. (slip-on) (shoulder board) The Commissioner's Own Pipes and Drums serves as

6750-592: The OPP came into being. The Ontario Auxiliary Police were organized in 12 of the 17 OPP districts and by the end of the year, 376 volunteers had signed up to be equipped and trained by experienced OPP personnel. Two OPP inspectors were assigned to work with Emergency Measures Ontario as liaison officers for the volunteers. This close connection continues today with the OPP auxiliary playing a critical role in emergency and disaster planning and occurrences. By 1961 there were 466 auxiliary volunteers who accompanied regular provincials on traffic and law enforcement patrols and during

6885-529: The OPP is fictionalized as the Ontario Police Department (OPD), with a shoulder patch similar to that of the actual OPP except that the top element is replaced by three stylized maple leaves on a branch. OPP cruisers in the series are marked similar to actual cruisers, however the Queen's crown is replaced with a stylized beaver, and the vehicles are marked "O.P.D." instead of "O.P.P." In 2016,

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7020-467: The OPP switched to an all-white livery with blue and gold striping. Vehicles of this era were equipped with Federal Signal 's Vector light bars with integrated traffic advisers. In 2007, the OPP announced that it would return to a black and white colour scheme. The colour scheme is accomplished with the use of vinyl wraps during in-house vehicle outfitting. The change was implemented starting in March 2007 and

7155-589: The OPP was divided into seventeen different regions. In 1995, OPP operations were amalgamated into six regions, with five providing general policing services, and one providing traffic policing services on provincial highways in the Greater Toronto Area (local police services in the GTA are provided by municipal and regional police forces) following recommendations by the Ipperwash Inquiry . OPP police stations are known as "detachments". Police constables in

7290-402: The OPP's actions on the radio. 44°34′59″N 79°25′48″W  /  44.583°N 79.430°W  / 44.583; -79.430 State police In Argentina , as a federal country, each province has its own independent police force and its responsible of its funding, training and equipment. State police agencies are responsible of all the territory of a determinate state. There

7425-577: The OPP's officially recognised pipe band. Formed as the Ontario Provincial Pipes and Drums in 1968 by two constables, the band saw active service to wide acclaim in the 1970s and 80s before being disbanded in 1991 due to department financial constraints. The band was shortly re-formed three years after, and is now composed of volunteer officers, auxiliary officers, and civilian volunteers. The majority of policing services are provided by uniformed front-line police constables. In addition to

7560-505: The OPPA. In 2018, Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner, was nominated to replace outgoing Commissioner Vince Hawkes. The appointment of Taverner brought about controversy given the personal relationship between him and Premier Doug Ford , potential nepotism, and the OPP's role in investigating political corruption. It was also discovered that the requirements of the position were changed to allow someone in rank equivalent to Taverner to apply. Ultimately, Taverner rescinded his interest in

7695-411: The Ontario Divisional Court, suspected that four officers of the Toronto Police Service engaged in a fabrication of evidence and harassment of an accused party. Judge Matlow under the Ontario Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), sought access to the report of the Ontario Provincial Police exonerating the officers, but was denied access to it by the OPP. Access was later granted by

7830-440: The Provincial Civil Defence Organization was dissolved. A new oversight body known as the Emergency Measures Organization—Ontario (EMO) came into being. Each department of the government became responsible for its own operational planning. The organization of auxiliary police forces became the responsibility of all interested municipal police forces, as well as the OPP. In April 1960, a new organization more closely affiliated with

7965-430: The Provincial Police Academy and qualified with all use of force options. The auxiliary uniform is distinct from the uniform of a regular OPP officer. Auxiliary officers wear light blue shirts, checkered hat bands, and have their own cap badges. They wear slip-ons with the word "auxiliary" embroidered on them, and their jackets and dress uniforms have tabs sewn on that indicates that they are auxiliary officers. Following

8100-460: The QEW, which feature yellow text on a reflective blue background. For secondary highways, trailblazers simply add the word "TO" above the route number. Since August 2004, "Highway of Heroes" shields featuring a diagram of a poppy have been posted along Highway   401 between Toronto and CFB Trenton . These were erected to honour fallen Canadian soldiers, whose bodies were repatriated from Afghanistan in funeral convoys along that stretch of

8235-436: The US into Upper Canada in July 1794 — would complete the opening of the route to Bond Lake by the end of 1794. The remainder to Holland Landing was opened by the Rangers, under the supervision of Augustus Jones, between December   28, 1795, and February   16, 1796. In 1798, Asa Danforth was hired by the government of Upper Canada to build a road to the Trent River , in what in now Trenton , by July   1 of

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8370-483: The United States, state police (also termed highway patrol , state patrol, or state highway patrol), or state troopers , are a police body unique to 49 of the U.S. states, having statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations. Hawaii, despite a widely dispersed archipelago and having four separate county-based police agencies , still has its own statewide policing agency . In general, these police agencies perform functions outside

8505-444: The approach to roads and roadbuilding in the first years of the 20th century. In 1900, the provincial Instructor in Roadmaking was renamed as the Commissioner of Public Highways in 1900, as well as the Deputy Minister in the new Department of Public Works in 1905. The first legislation on driving was introduced in 1903, and included the first speed limits (15 miles per hour (24 km/h)). The first license plates were created that year,

8640-404: The arrival of news in May of France's declaration of war against Britain . Having reformed the Queen's Rangers , whom he fought alongside during the American War, Simcoe set out to establish military roads to connect his new capital with the Upper Great Lakes and other strategic points. The first road he ordered built was Dundas Street, from the head of Lake Ontario near present-day Dundas to

8775-452: The authority of a police officer. This can occur in an emergency situation, or where the OPP requires additional strength to assist with a special event. Auxiliary officers are unpaid, however are compensated for travel and meals. They are required to attend routine training administered by the OPP, and must contribute a certain number of hours monthly. The auxiliary is made up of people from diverse backgrounds. Auxiliary members are trained at

8910-420: The basic training provided to all police officers in Ontario, the OPP mandates additional training at the Provincial Police Academy before and after attendance at the Ontario Police College , resulting in the longest training period among Ontario police services. After this, probationary police constables are assigned to a detachment within the OPP's six regions with a coach officer for a year of field training. At

9045-516: The building of roads in this period, with each male over 21   years of age required to perform three or more days of statute labour per year, based on the value of their land. The intention was for settlers throughout the length of the roads to work on the portion fronting their lot, which was generally twenty chains , or 400 metres (1,300 ft) long. However, many lots were given to absent clergymen and English nobles, resulting in these "roads" being poorly-maintained quagmires of mud. During

9180-434: The concept of a dual-highway to several projects along Highway   2, including along Kingston Road in Scarborough Township. When widening in Scarborough reached the Highland Creek ravine in 1936, the Department of Highways began construction on a new bridge over the large valley, bypassing the former alignment around West Hill . From here the highway was constructed on a new alignment to Oshawa, avoiding construction on

9315-462: The congested Highway 2. As grading and bridge construction neared completion on the new highway between West Hill and Oshawa in September 1939, World War II broke out and gradually tax revenues were re-allocated from highway construction to the war effort. As the war came to a close, planning began in 1945 on the Toronto–Barrie Highway to ease the congestion on the parallel routes of Highway 11 and Highway 27 . The highway followed

9450-474: The deployment and implementation of In-Car Camera Systems which includes an integrated Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology. In March 2023, the OPP completed a provincial implementation of In-Car Camera systems with integrated ALPR into over 1,300 frontline vehicles across all regions of the province. Historically, from 1941 to 1989, the OPP livery was black and white . In 1989, in response to manufacturers no longer offering dual tone vehicles,

9585-446: The direct control of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India due to Delhi's status as both the national capital territory and a union territory. While they function under the respective union territory administrations for day-to-day operations and governance, their ultimate authority and oversight lie with the central government. The Indian Police Service (IPS) is not a law enforcement agency in its own right; rather it

9720-503: The disbanding of World War II auxiliary forces, growing Cold War tension and fear of a nuclear attack led to the belief that police services should "recruit and train volunteers to augment their strength in times of emergency". As a result, in 1954, the Provincial Civil Defence Auxiliary was created, but the need to more closely associate the auxiliary with the OPP soon became apparent. On 14 January 1960,

9855-555: The driver side. Licence plates on the cruisers are generally the standard Ontario licence plates with a special validation sticker denoting permanent registration. As of February 2023, the OPP has the following aircraft listed with Transport Canada as the Province Of Ontario, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, and operate as Nav Canada airline designator GD, and telephony GUARDIAN. Unmanned aerial vehicles Ontario Provincial Police officers carry

9990-457: The early 1800s, the government of Upper Canada appropriated settlers to various lots which had been surveyed along the lake shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . The townships established along these fronts contained generally fertile land composed of glacial till and clay-rich loam . As these townships filled up, business opportunities presented themselves for investors to purchase native lands and open them to settlement. The Canada Company

10125-476: The early 20th century, the province had taken interest in road improvement and began funding it through counties. The increasing adoption of the automobile resulted in the formation of the Department of Public Highways of Ontario (DPHO) in 1916. The passing of the Canada Highways Act in 1919 resulted in the establishment of a provincial network of highways. The DPHO assigned internal highway numbers to roads in

10260-544: The early years of the 21st century, although several major infrastructure projects including the Herb Gray Parkway and expansion of Highway 69 have proceeded. Recent construction has included the controversial Bradford Bypass and Highway 413 . In Ontario, all public roads are legally considered highways under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), which sets forth regulations for traffic, or

10395-628: The end of probation, a decision is made regarding retention. First Nations constables employed by OPP-supported police services undergo the same training as OPP officers, spending time at the Provincial Police Academy as well as at the Ontario Police College before returning to their home communities. Auxiliary members have no police authority. They must rely on the same arrest provisions as regular citizens. There are some instances when an auxiliary member may have

10530-496: The entire province. However, beginning in February 1997, Tourism-Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) began to appear on highways. Tourist Routes no longer appeared on maps after 1998. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century, transportation across what became Ontario was generally via the thousands of lakes and rivers. Short trails existed between bodies of water, known as a portage or carrying place, as well as along

10665-728: The exception of the Kolkata Police . State police agencies typically have jurisdiction across the entire state. However, in West Bengal , the jurisdiction of the state police excludes Kolkata , which is served by the Kolkata Police. The police forces of union territories in India are either directly or indirectly under the purview of the union government . Unlike state police forces, the Delhi Police operate under

10800-431: The federal, provincial, and local levels. Three provinces of Canada have a dedicated police force, with jurisdiction over some or all of the province: The federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provides provincial-level policing in the remaining land area of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the remaining seven provinces and three territories. The RCMP began being contracted to provide provincial policing in

10935-442: The first concrete road in Ontario. The highway became the favourite drive of many motorists, and it quickly became a tradition for many families to drive it every Sunday. Roads and highways in Ontario were given their first serious consideration by the provincial government when the Department of Public Highways (DPHO), predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation of Ontario , was established on January 17, 1916. Until then,

11070-566: The first highway patrol established in 1907, licences for chauffeurs in 1909 (regular drivers did not require a licence until 1927), and safety requirements such as headlights. These laws culminated in the creation of the Highway Traffic Act in 1923. Roadbuilding advanced considerably, with the most notable project of the period being the Toronto–Hamilton Highway, the first paved intercity road in Ontario. The highway

11205-460: The following year. He began at the Don River , where Queen Street crosses it today, on June   5 of that year, and proceeded east. Danforth was paid $ 90 per mile to cut a road 10 metres (33 ft) wide, of which the middle half was cut to the level of the ground. He was also to build 5.0-metre (16.5 ft)-wide causeways "wherever necessary" and ensure that slopes were gradual enough for

11340-489: The foot trails and portages used by indigenous peoples in the time before European settlement. Shortly after the creation of the Province of Upper Canada in 1791, the new government under John Graves Simcoe built overland military roads to supplement water-based transportation, including Yonge Street and Dundas Street . At the time, road construction was under the control of the township and county governments. Local township roads were financed and constructed through

11475-563: The forks of the Thames River in present-day London . His Rangers began work on this route on September   10, 1793. Between September   25 and October   14, Simcoe travelled with native guides to Penetanguishene and back. Following the advice of an Ojibwa named Old Sail, the return voyage followed the east branch of the Holland River and thence south to Toronto (known as York from 1793 to 1834); this would become

11610-410: The highway. Ontario has several distinct classes of highways: The King's Highway is the primary highway network of Ontario, and constitutes the majority of the principal inter-urban roadways in the province. As a whole, it is referred to in the singular form as opposed to as a group of its parts (i.e. "the King's Highway", not "the King's Highways"). Individual highways are known as "part of

11745-488: The increasing adoption of the bicycle as a means of transport, and the desire of farmers to get their goods to market quicker, the Ontario Good Roads Association was formed in 1894 by representatives from numerous townships, villages and cities. The Good Roads Movement encouraged education on the building of proper roads, and later equipment to aid in the improvement of roads, as well as lobbying

11880-573: The jurisdiction of the county sheriff , such as enforcing traffic laws on state highways and interstate expressways, overseeing the security of the state capitol complex, protecting the governor, training new officers for local police forces too small to operate an academy, providing technological and scientific services, supporting local police and helping to coordinate multi-jurisdictional task force activity in serious or complicated cases in those states that grant full police powers statewide. A general trend has been to bring all of these agencies under

12015-610: The late 1920s as provincial police forces were disbanded and their duties contracted out to provincial divisions of the RCMP. The most recent provincial police force to be disbanded, the British Columbia Provincial Police , existed from the mid-19th century until its jurisdiction was transferred to RCMP "E" Division on August 15, 1950. Provinces which have disbanded their provincial police may retain other provincial law enforcement agencies, such as sheriff services or conservation officers . For example,

12150-691: The late 1940s and numbered in 1952. The vast majority of modern road infrastructure in Ontario was built throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. The cancellation of the Spadina Expressway and the introduction of the Environmental Assessment Act in the 1970s resulted in a decline in new highway construction in the decades since. In the late 1990s, nearly 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) of provincial highways were transferred, or "downloaded" back to lower levels of government. Few new provincial highways have been built in

12285-418: The latter which became standard in the design for the widening of Highway 401 through Toronto in 1962. The Institute of Traffic Engineers subsequently recommended this design to replace the cloverleaf interchange throughout North America. Secondary highways exist solely within the districts of Northern Ontario that lack a county road system , to which they are analogous. The sole exception to this

12420-573: The lay of the land, as opposed to the straight tangents of the surveyed roads yet to come. Some roads in Ontario still closely follow these early Native and European trails, including the Kente Portage Trail (Old Portage Road) in Carrying Place , the oldest continuously used road in the province. The Spit of Land which forms its Entrance is capable of being fortified with a few heavy Guns as to prevent any Vessel from entering

12555-593: The local First Nations. For the next 150   years, France and Britain wrestled for control of the colony of Canada while simultaneously exploiting the land for the fur trade of North America . This culminated in the global Seven Years' War that ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 , which ceded Canada to the British. The colony of Canada was renamed the Province of Quebec until 1791, when it

12690-426: The majority of the primary roads through southern Ontario formed part of the county road systems. The Department of Public Works paid up to 60% of the construction and maintenance costs for these roads, while the counties were responsible for the remaining 40%. The Ontario government passed an act in 1917 to permit the newly formed Department of Public Highways (DPHO) to take over (or assume) responsibility and upkeep of

12825-489: The most successful undercover operation ever ran by the OPP. In 1994, as part of a tripartite agreement between the government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, the OPP began the process of relinquishing a majority of northern policing duties to the newly created Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service (NAPS). The transition was complete on 1 April 1999, when the OPP's Northwest Patrol

12960-474: The north were instead under the mandate of the Department of Northern Development . The two primary trunk routes were extensions of Highway 11 and Highway 17 , to North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie , respectively. Seeking to open the far north, construction of a road to connect North Bay and Cochrane began in 1925, The new gravel highway was officially opened on July   2, 1927, by Minister of Lands and Forests William Finlayson . He suggested at

13095-465: The number within an outline of a rectangle. When these markers appear along or at an intersection with the indicated highway, they feature black text on a reflective white background. There are two exceptions to this: The QEW, which features blue text on a yellow background; and the provincially-maintained section of the tolled Highway 407 , which feature white text on a blue background, with an orange plate with TOLL below in black. Signs prior to 1993 had

13230-741: The opening that the road be named the Ferguson Highway in honour of premier Ferguson. The name was originally suggested by North Bay mayor Dan Barker. Despite the official opening, a section between Swastika and Ramore wasn't opened until August. The Ferguson Highway name was also applied to the Muskoka Road between Severn Bridge and North Bay. During the 1920s, the DPHO began to examine possible remedies to chronic congestion on along Highway   2, particularly between Toronto and Hamilton ( Lakeshore Road ), eventually deciding upon widening

13365-451: The position was established on April   15, 1896, under the Department of Agriculture . Doolittle, a Toronto physician, became one of the earliest automobile owners in Canada, and spurred the good roads movement. He became the first person to drive across Canada in 1925, utilizing the railways around Lake Superior where no roads existed, and is known as the "Father of the Trans-Canada Highway". The arrival of automobiles rapidly changed

13500-458: The position, resulting in the appointment York Regional Police Deputy Chief Thomas Carrique as the OPP's new commissioner. The Beatles 's 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band contains cover art with Paul McCartney wearing an OPP patch on his fictional uniform (more easily seen in the gatefold picture). In January 2016 the origins of the patch was confirmed as a gift from an OPP corporal on 28 September 1964, at Malton Airport as

13635-515: The province in the image of Britain. The ambitious abolitionist statesman, whom served the British during the American Revolutionary War , was appointed to lead the new colony on September   12, 1791. Although Niagara-on-the-Lake (then known as Newark) served as the capital for a year, Simcoe moved it to what is now Toronto after July   30, 1793, at the behest of French merchant Philippe de Rocheblave , following

13770-414: The province. The OPP also has a number of local mandates through contracts with municipal governments and First Nations , where it acts as the local police force and provides front-line services. With an annual budget of nearly $ 1.4 billion, the OPP employed more than 6,100 uniformed officers, 500 auxiliary officers, and 2,800 civilian employees in 2023, making it the largest police service in Ontario and

13905-615: The provincial highway network. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the Autoroute system of neighbouring Quebec , and are regulated by the MTO. The 400-series designations were introduced in 1952, although Ontario had been constructing divided highways for two decades prior. Initially, only Highways   400, 401 and 402 were numbered; other designations followed in

14040-679: The provincial liquor laws, aiding the local police, and maintaining a criminal investigation branch. In March 1969, a meeting took place at the Ontario Securities Commission to incorporate a separate but included group of the Ontario Provincial Police Association. Women joined the uniformed ranks in 1974. Between 1983-1993, the OPP officer Al Robinson served as the police hander for the informer Marvin Elkind in what has been described as

14175-537: The roads in Ontario maintained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), including those designated as part of the King's Highway, secondary highways, and tertiary roads. Components of the system—comprising 16,900 kilometres (10,500 mi) of roads and 2,880 bridges —range in scale from Highway 401 , the busiest highway in North America, to unpaved forestry and mining access roads. The longest highway

14310-482: The roadway midway between Lakeshore Road and Highway 5 (Dundas Street), or the Middle Road . It was to be more than twice the width of Lakeshore Road at 12 m (39 ft) and would carry two lanes of traffic in either direction. Construction on what was then known as the Queen Street Extension west of Toronto began in early 1931. Before the highway could be completed, Thomas McQuesten

14445-475: The route of Yonge Street . Simcoe's Rangers would commence "run[ning] the line of the new road" with Surveyor General Augustus Jones in February 1794. By mid-May, the Rangers had cleared and marked 14   lots from Eglinton Avenue to just north of Sheppard Avenue before being redirected to defend Fort Miami . William Berczy — and the nearly 200 Pennsylvania Dutch settlers whom accompanied him from

14580-403: The routes, except through National Parks . It is signed with distinctive green markers with a white maple leaf on them throughout Canada. While other provinces generally place a highway number within the maple leaf of the TCH marker (with a shared "Highway 1" designation across the western provinces ), Ontario places them below or beside provincial shields and either leaves them blank or inserts

14715-408: The same light blue colour. As of 2021, officers may also choose to wear a baseball cap instead of the traditional forage cap. Officers wear duty belts, which, at a minimum, carry an officer's issued use of force equipment, and also wear an external Pacific Safety Products vest with MOLLE webbing to store additional items and large placards that read "police" in gold text on their chest and back. During

14850-750: The second-largest in Canada (after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ). The OPP's operations are directed by its commissioner ( Thomas Carrique ) and it is a division of the Ministry of the Solicitor General . At the First Parliament of Upper Canada in Niagara-on-the-Lake on 17 September 1792, a provision was made for the formation of a "police system". Initially, policing jurisdictions were limited to districts, townships, and parishes. In 1845,

14985-521: The settlers themselves were largely left to their own resolve. Statute labour was gradually abolished around the turn of the 20th century. Malden Township was the first to do so in 1890, and a majority of other municipalities followed suit by the 1920s. However, the law remained in place provincially until being officially repealed on January   1, 2022. Beginning in 1852, the Grand Trunk Railway gradually assembled together many of

15120-468: The shorelines of the larger lakes. In 1615, French explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first European to pass through the lands between the Great Lakes , accompanied by Huron and Iroquois guides. His emissary Étienne Brûlé as well as Franciscan Récollets such as Joseph Le Caron and Joseph de La Roche Daillon were the first to explore various lands of the area, all with the assistance of

15255-403: The side of issued trousers have been standard. Prior to this, officers wore pants with thin, red trouser piping. From 1997 to 2008, the official headdress of the OPP was the stetson , though commissioned ranks were still issued the forage cap. Starting in 2008, the OPP returned to the peaked cap for all officers. The OPP has approximately 5,200 cruisers in service across the province according to

15390-606: The span of several years, the Ontario Provincial Police were criticized for perceived inaction against the native protesters by local residents. In 2011, a class-action lawsuit against the government of Ontario was settled. The Ipperwash Provincial Park is a former provincial park in Lambton County, Ontario. On 4 September 1995, first nations people occupied the park to bring attention to decades-old land claims that had not been recognized, resulting in

15525-558: The subsequent decades. While older freeways have some lapses in safety features, contemporary 400-series highways have design speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph), speed limits of 100 km/h (62 mph), various collision avoidance and traffic management systems, and several design standards adopted throughout North America. Of note are the Ontario Tall Wall median barrier and the Parclo A-4 interchange design,

15660-405: The system, and in 1925, the numbers were signposted along the roads and marked on maps. In 1930, provincial highways were renamed King's Highways and the familiar crown route markers created. The DPHO was also renamed the Department of Highways (DHO). The 1930s saw several major depression relief projects built by manual labour, including the first inter-city divided highway in North America along

15795-475: The various shortline railroads in what was soon to become Ontario to form a single route across the province, connecting Sarnia with Montreal via Toronto, by 1884. Simultaneously, the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed a route across northern Ontario, connecting Thunder Bay with Ottawa by 1880. The government largely subsidized these endeavours, and funding for road construction fell to

15930-467: The various levels of government to fund road development and maintenance. Members would travel from town to town and across the countryside, espousing the value of properly built roads to communities. Two of the most influential members in its early days were Archibald William Campbell and Dr. Perry Doolittle . "Good Roads" Campbell would become the province's first Instructor in Roadmaking when

16065-494: The wayside, despite the pleas of townships, villages and settlers. In 1896, the provincial Instructor in Road Making reported "It is doubtful if there is a mile of true macadam road in Ontario outside of a few towns or cities   ... by far the greatest part of the milage of the province is mud, ruts and pitch-holes   ..." The cries of municipalities went unanswered, but it would not stop their ambition. Coupled with

16200-430: The words "The King's Highway" below the crown, but current versions do not have the words. In addition to regular highway markers, there are trailblazers, which indicate a route towards that highway. These are the same shape as their corresponding highway marker. Trailblazers for the King's Highway, which can be shields or crowns, feature white text on a reflective green background, with the exception of trailblazers for

16335-485: The year logged more than twenty-six thousand hours of volunteer duty. Uniformed officers below the rank of staff sergeant wear navy blue uniforms with gold lettering and shoulder flashes. Sworn managers at or above the rank of staff sergeant wear slightly smaller, black shoulder flashes and white shirts, and wear navy trousers with black piping. Officers below the rank of staff sergeant use trousers with light blue trouser piping, and forage caps for all ranks are banded with

16470-609: Was John Wilson Murray , hired on a temporary appointment in 1875 and made permanent upon passage of the 1877 act. Murray was joined by two additional detectives in 1897, marking the beginnings of the Criminal Investigation Branch. However, for the most part, policing outside of Ontario's cities was non-existent. With the discovery of silver in Cobalt and gold in Timmins , lawlessness was increasingly becoming

16605-461: Was appointed the new minister of the renamed DHO, with Robert Melville Smith as deputy minister, following the 1934 provincial elections . Smith, inspired by the German autobahns —new "dual-lane divided highways "—modified the design for Ontario roads, and McQuesten ordered the Middle Road be converted into this new form of highway. A 40 m (130 ft) right-of-way was purchased along

16740-543: Was chosen to run along the macadamized old Lake Shore Road between the two cities, instead of Dundas Street to the north, because of the numerous hills encountered along Dundas. In November 1914, the proposed highway was approved, and work began quickly to construct the road known today as Lake Shore Boulevard and Lakeshore Road from Toronto to Hamilton. The road was finished in November 1917, 5.5 metres (18 ft) wide and nearly 64 kilometres (40 mi) long, becoming

16875-419: Was completed in 2009. Vehicles of this era had detachment markings on the rear quarter panel and used Federal Signal Arjent S2 light bars. Current vehicles have eschewed the detachment markings and are equipped with Whelen Legacy light bars. Unmarked vehicles are generally white, black, grey or dark blue. All marked cruisers are equipped with pushbars, also generally have black steel rims, and spotlights mounted on

17010-732: Was divided into Upper Canada (modern Southern Ontario) and Lower Canada (modern Southern Quebec) by the Constitutional Act . This was done to provide a British-style governance to the United Empire Loyalists fleeing north following the American Revolution . In addition to the native portages and lake shore trails, routes developed alongside significant rivers such as the St. Lawrence , Ottawa , Humber and Grand Rivers. These meandering trails followed

17145-410: Was first adopted in place of "provincial highway" in 1930, and signs similar to the current design replaced the previous triangular signs at that time. Some legislative acts refer to roads that are under the jurisdiction of the province as "provincial highways". The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways throughout the southern portion of Ontario, forming a special subset of

17280-458: Was introduced in 1956 to service regions in Northern and Central Ontario , though it once included a route as far south as Lake Ontario. Many routes that would become secondary highways were already maintained by the province as development roads prior to being designated. Since 1998, none have existed south of the districts of Parry Sound and Nipissing . Secondary highways are numbered in

17415-480: Was later killed in a shootout with OPP officers, had already mortally wounded North Bay City constable, Fred Lefebvre. The first OPP motorcycle patrol was introduced in 1928, phased out in 1942, and then reintroduced in 1949. The first marked OPP patrol car was introduced in 1941. During World War II , the Veterans Guard was formed. This was a body of volunteers (primarily World War I veterans) whose duty

17550-494: Was now the Federal Commissioner of Highways. Until the summer of 1925, Ontario highways were named rather than numbered. When route numbering was introduced, the following numbers were allotted: The number of Provincial Highways—as they were initially known—expanded quickly from there. The provincial highway network did not extend into the Canadian Shield nor Northern Ontario initially, and Trunk Roads in

17685-489: Was responsible for the majority of road development and maintenance. However, by 1860, due to the unsuitability of much of the land for any kind of settlement or agriculture, the roads were almost impassable in many places, except when frozen in winter or dry in summer. The large timber drive that was clearing the forests of the Ottawa–Huron Tract in this period contributed somewhat to road construction and maintenance, but

17820-402: Was set to be announced in 2020, but has been delayed since. Ontario uses two distinct shapes of signage to mark the King's Highways. Confirmation markers, or reassurance markers , are utilized along the designated road to confirm (near intersections) or reassure (elsewhere) drivers that they are on the correct route. The markers, known as shields , feature the route number within an outline in

17955-424: Was the most successful of these ventures and brought settlers to vast areas of land in what would become Southwestern Ontario by building routes such as Huron Road and Toronto–Sydenham Road during the 1830s and 1840s. As the second township frontage along Lake Ontario also filled, the government came under pressure to open up the unforgiving terrain of the Canadian Shield to settlement and sought to establish

18090-528: Was to protect vulnerable hydroelectric plants and the Welland Ship Canal under the supervision of regular police members. In the late 1940s, policing functions were reorganized in Ontario, with the OPP given responsibility for all law enforcement in the province outside areas covered by municipal police forces, together with overall authority for law enforcement on the King's Highways , enforcement of

18225-495: Was transferred to NAPS. The OPP still administers First Nations policing for Big Trout Lake , Weagamow , Muskrat Dam , and Pikangikum . The OPP provides police services to the provincial government - patrolling provincial highways and waterways, investigating multijurisdictional crimes, and protecting high profile government officials - under provincial mandate, and to municipalities and First Nations under contract. The force operates out of its General Headquarters , located in

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