Emergency Call 9-1-1
Non-Emergency Calls (902) 629-4172

Police Headquarters 10 Kirkwood Drive Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 2T3

Police Headquarters

10 Kirkwood Drive
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
C1A 2T3

Emergency

Call 9-1-1

Non-Emergency

Call (902) 629-4172

About

History of the Charlottetown Police Service, Welcome Messages, Vision, Mission Statement and Core Values

History

Charlottetown Police Force Early 1900’s

The CPS is one of Canada’s oldest police departments, dating back to August 17, 1855, just four months after the community of 6,500 became a city. Six days after holding its first meeting, council decided to appoint six police officers, to be attached to the city’s five wards. Salary was set at 45 pounds per year and the constables were told to find their own “dress,” as long as it was satisfactory to the mayor and council. Perhaps the civic leaders were hard to please, since the city subsequently decided to pay for uniforms.

The first City Marshall (Chief) was Michael O’Hara. His officers patrolled the city’s plank sidewalks, which had a life expectancy of just three to four years and so were expensive to maintain, and four miles of streets.

City council passed its first bylaw governing motor vehicle traffic in 1922. Enforcement procedures were by sight and summons only, unless the officer felt the urge to give chase on foot. There wasn’t a lot of options; a horse and jigger was the department’s only vehicle at the time. Officers used it to take prisoners to the station lockup after brawls.

The police force had expanded to a chief, three Sergeants and four constables by 1932. They were responsible for policing the city’s then 13,000 residents and 25 miles of streets. Despite the problems brought on by the Great Depression and widespread unemployment, the force was credited with keeping a lid on crime.

Charlottetown Police Force 1955

The RCMP began policing the island on May 1, 1932, taking over from the provincial police and customs and excise. The Mounties and city police would work together closely in the ensuing years and this strong bond continues even this day.

The city police “communication system” was rudimentary during the force’s early years. The desk Sergeant would turn on a light in front of the city hall station. Patrol officers were ordered to regularly go past the station and drop in to receive further instructions if the light was on.

The force went wireless in May, 1940, buying a Marconi radio transmitter for the station and receiver for the patrol car, greatly improving efficiency. The department paid for the new equipment by suspending uniform purchases for the 12 man force, which included eight constables. The Marconi system was replaced with a RCA two-way radio system in 1950.

The department gained prominence by hosting the annual convention of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in 1955, attracting officers and their wives from across Canada. From a tourist perspective, the convention was viewed as having far reaching effects for the whole community. 

Today

Charlottetown Police Services (CPS) has grown to 74 sworn and civilian members, headed by Chief Brad MacConnell, who joined in 1995, Deputy Chief Sean Coombs (Operations) and Acting Deputy Chief Jennifer McCarron (Administration).

The Greater Charlottetown area is now home to almost 60,000 people and is growing six times faster than the provincial average. The population to officer ratio is approximately 1 to 550 and immigrants make up some 4.4 per cent of the city’s residents.

The department has moved out of city hall, which it has called home for more than 140 years, to a newly renovated headquarters building located at 10 Kirkwood Drive.

Jane Wood, a youth intervention outreach worker, is on call 24/7 and has had an office at the CPS. She works closely with officers on files involving youth when they first become involved on the wrong side of the law, and has helped turn them around before they choose crime as a career. The CPS is also well known for its choir, originally formed in 1996. Its Christmas concerts in seniors homes, begun the same year, became an annual tradition, delighting hundreds of Charlottetown seniors. The choir has also performed for royalty on two occasions, with the RCMP Musical Ride and at the National Memorial Service in Ottawa and the International Police Memorial in Cleveland, Ohio.The Charlottetown Police Choir cut its inaugural CD in 2000, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society. It performs throughout the year at municipal celebrations, funerals of fallen officers and family members and other ceremonies.

PEI’s population expands dramatically during the summer, when some one million tourists make their way to island shores and many of these visitors find their way to Charlottetown.

The CPS hires police cadets and trained police officers from other parts of Canada each summer to deal with the influx. A side benefit – the extra help allows full-time members to take some vacation during the summer months.

Future

Charlottetown Police Services new image reflects its goal – “Our city, our community, our responsibility.” A strategic plan outlines its path to the end of 2011 and a new statement of vision, mission and core values puts the focus clearly on keeping police services in tune with community needs. The aim is to refresh the department’s connections with the community.

CPS members continue to be involved with their community at the grassroots level. Some officers enjoy working with young people on a regular basis and give of their time and talents in an effort to keep them engaged and discourage substance abuse. Several members are actively involved with DARE.

From its humble beginnings patrolling the mud streets of a little city of 6,500 people, the Charlottetown Police Service stands firm as a witness to over 154 years of change. From corner call lights to radio communication, the department has steadily progressed. Challenged through two world wars, depression, recession and changes in laws and people, the department has remained steadfast in its service to citizens and visitors alike.

 

Police Committee Chair – Greg Rivard

Welcome to the website of the Charlottetown Police Services. Our Police Service and its’ staff are committed to the principles of community policing and their efforts, programs and initiatives have been instrumental in keeping Charlottetown one of the safest communities in Canada. As Chair of the Protective & Emergency Services Committee you can be assured that as a Committee we will work with Police Service to build on these successes to ensure that our police service continues to be an example against which other police services and community support agencies can be measured

Chief of Police

Brad MacConnell

Welcome to the website of Charlottetown Police Services. I hope that you find the information on our site helpful and informative and that it will give you a better understanding of how our service delivery strives to maintain Charlottetown as one of the safest communities in Canada. We achieve this through our commitment to a community-based policing model in our day-to-day operations and programming.

The success of our work is not only achieved through our dedicated staff but in concert with the tremendous support and cooperation from our partners and the citizens we serve. Collectively we will continue to meet the needs of our community through strong partnerships, crime prevention/crime reduction strategies and balanced enforcement. As a service, we are committed to ensuring public safety for all in the City of Charlottetown.

As we move forward to meet future challenges, we will continue to build with our partners to achieve our mission and realize our vision in working towards solving the problems that affect our community because in the end it is collectively;

Our City – Our Community – Our Responsibility

Chief Brad MacConnell

Past Chiefs of Police

  • Chief Brad MacConnell 2021 – Present
  • Chief Paul Smith 1994 – 2021
  • Chief Don Webster 1988 – 1994
  • Chief Charles Ready 1979 – 1988
  • Chief Don Saunders 1974 – 1979
  • Chief Sterns Webster 1963 – 1974
  • Chief C.W. MacArthur 1949 – 1963
  • Chief A. Birtwhistle 1927 – 1949
  • Marshall Wallace Shaw 1925 – 1927
  • Marshall Charles Cameron 1888 – 1925
  • Marshall George Passmore 1880 – 1888
  • Marshall Thomas Flynn 1869 – 1880
  • Marshall Angus MacLeod 1862 – 1869
  • Marshall James Evans 1857 – 1862
  • Marshall Michael O’Hara 1855 – 1857