Edmonton Police

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is the municipal police force for the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The current chief of the EPS is Dale McFee.

The service has three deputy chiefs two sworn members and a civilian member. Chad Tawfik is responsible for the Corporate Services Bureau, Kevin Brezinski runs the Intelligence and Investigations Bureau, and Darren Derko heads the community policing bureau.

Operational structure

The EPS is divided into six bureaus:
* Community Policing Bureaus, led by Deputy Chief Darren Derko
* North Bureau & South Bureau
* Intelligence and Investigations Bureau, led by Deputy Chief Devin Laforce
* Corporate Services Bureau
* Community Safety and Well-Being Bureau, led by Deputy Chief/Chief Operations Officer Enyinnah Okere
* Innovation and Technology Bureau, led by Chief Officer Ron Anderson

Patrol

The city is divided into divisions for general patrol purposes:
* Northeast
* Northwest
* Downtown
* West
* Southwest
* Southeast

Each division is separated into four smaller districts to allow for better deployment of resources. The majority of police officers of the Edmonton Police Service serve within the community policing bureau as patrol constables, sergeants, detectives, or staff sergeants.

Officers of the Edmonton Police Service have the highest first year constable salaries in Canada at a minimum of $71,195 per annum (or $34.09 an hour), EPS officers who work a shift where half or more of that shift falls between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and midnight receive an extra $1.10 an hour. EPS officers who work a shift where half or more of that shift falls between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m. receive an extra $1.20 an hour, increasing the minimum hourly rate for first year constables to $30.47 or about $63,621.00 per annum. Special event policing pays $93.89 an hour. Sergeants and detectives are paid a minimum $120,742.00 per annum, or about $57.82 an hour, and staff sergeants are paid a minimum $132,816.00 per annum, or about $63.60 an hour. Each uniformed officer receives an annual clothing allowance of $597, and each plain-clothed officer receives $1,285.

In July 2023, Edmonton Police Services secured a 7% retroactive pay increase for officers, at an estimated additional cost of $20m to the City of Edmonton for the 2024 budget. A 5th year constable will now make $54.53 an hour, the highest rate in Alberta behind Lethbridge Police Services, where the same position would make $54.60 as of 2023.

Criminal investigations

Within the specialized community support bureau – criminal investigations division, the major crimes branch is divided into economic crimes, homicide and robbery. These areas are primarily made up of detectives and staff sergeants. The serious crimes area deals with sexual assault, child protection, and vice. These areas are also made up of detectives and staff sergeants. The Edmonton Police Service is also a member of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams.

History

Policing in Edmonton dates back to 1892, well before the founding of the province. In this year, a town police force took over duties formerly served by the North-West Mounted Police they were unwilling to take responsibility for enforcing law and order in the city following the 1892 Rat Creek Rebellion.

On July 27, 1892, P.D. Campbell was the first police officer hired by the town of Edmonton. Aside from dealing with law enforcement issues, Campbell was also Edmonton's health and licence inspector.

The Mounties resumed the maintenance of law and order in the City and the Edmonton Police Department was founded to stay in 1894.

In 1911, Alex Decoteau was hired by the Edmonton Police Department. He was the first Indigenous person to be hired by a police department in Canada.

On October 1, 1912, Annie May Jackson was hired as a police officer. She was the first woman constable in Canada, serving from 1912 to 1918.

Edmonton police officers used an airplane to pursue a criminal in 1919. This was the first time a Canadian police service used this technology in a pursuit. Former WWI ace Wop May flew an airplane to assist the successful pursuit and capture of John Larsen, murderer of Edmonton constable William Nixon.

Policing changes

During the sixth decade of policing, from 1942 to 1952, the department continued to grow.

In 1943, the Neighbourhood Police Force was seen policing Edmonton's streets. An Edmonton police officer was paired up with an American military police officer to patrol because there were many U.S. servicemen in Edmonton at the time. After 18 months, it was discontinued when there was no longer a need for it. The end of the main work on the Alaska Highway