page_title: List of law enforcement agencies in British Columbia
section_title: Historical agencies
hierarchical_section_title: List of law enforcement agencies in British Columbia / Historical agencies
caption_attribution_description: English: BC Highways Patrol
context_page_description: The following is a list of law enforcement agencies operating in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
context_section_description: Of note; most of these early municipal/city police departments listed below would have had anywhere from one to five constables employed depending on the size of the town's population, crime levels and civil disorder. When created, these small police forces would have taken over or complemented the already existing British Columbia Provincial Police stationed in the area. They were cities, towns and districts that would have expanded rapidly in the late 1800s early 1900s due to being ports, forestry, farming or mining centres and needed to create their own police forces to deal with crime, fines, taxes and fees within the city or town limits since the British Columbia Provincial Police would not do this for them. Some of these municipal constable appointments may have been full time or as needed on call basis. Typically each historical municipal police department would have had at a minimum a full time chief constable.
  These Historical Agencies are listed chronologically based on the year they ceased to exist from earliest to latest. Information summarized below was provided by research compiled by W Lutz and is held by Simon Fraser University https://sfu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=01SFUL_ALMA21181439460003611&context=L&vid=SFUL&lang=en_US&search_scope=default_scope&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,history%20of%20police%20forces%20in%20british%20columbia&sortby=rank&offset=0
  Kitasoo Xaixais Tribal Police Service - First Nations police service based in Klemtu, BC. This police department was opened in 1999 with a transition year to be fully functioning at the beginning of 2000. The police department was closed on April 1, 2008, with the RCMP taking over policing duties.
  BC Transit Police - When SkyTrain began operating in December 1985, fifteen Special Provincial Constables were appointed to BC Transit's Vancouver Regional Transit System. The Special Constables did not carry firearms but had powers of arrest and were able to serve violation tickets. On January 1, 1990, the BC Transit Police was formed with a chief constable and 24 special constables. In 2005 the BC Transit Police became the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service https://transitpolice.ca/about-us/history/
  BC Rail Police - Railway police for the provincial crown corporation of the British Columbia Railway - (1972 to 2004) and prior to that the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (1912 - 1971). BC Rail operations were sold to Canadian National in 2004. (See CN Police above)
  Ditidaht Police Service - First Nations police service based at Nitinat Lake, BC This police force was established in October 1996 with one chief constable and was closed in 2004 with the Lake Cowichan RCMP taking over policing duties.
  Esquimalt Police Department - Township of Esquimalt incorporated on September 1, 1912. Two police constables were appointed by October 19, 1912, and by November 5, 1912, one of the two constables was appointed chief constable. By 1922 the Esquimalt police consisted of a chief of police and two constables. In 1942 the police force had grown to four members and in 1949 to five members. On January 30, 1955, the 12-member police force was responsible for both policing and firefighting duties. By 1964 the police force consisted of 16 members, including the chief of police, two sergeants and a corporal. By 1967 the police force had grown to 23 members, 9 of which are trained as firefighters and by September 1967 would be a police force of 30 members. On January 14, 2003, the Esquimalt Police Department and its 46 officers (13 of which do double duty as firefighters) amalgamated with the Victoria Police Department, and today Victoria Police serves both communities. https://www.esquimalt.ca/public-safety/fire-department/history
  Tsewultun Police Service - First Nations police service based in Duncan, BC This police force was established in 1995 with four constables. The police force was closed in September 2000 with the Duncan RCMP taking over policing duties.
  Coordinated La
caption: BC Highway Patrol.jpg
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