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UrbanWaterloo
03-01-2010, 07:03 PM
Waterloo Regional Police
Headquaters: 200 Maple Grove Road, Cambridge
www.wrps.on.ca

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Mission Statement

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is committed to a leadership role in crime prevention and law enforcement in a community partnership to improve safety and the quality of life for all people.

Core Values

Core values are ideals or commonly held beliefs that our members display throughout their daily activities, while in pursuit of our mission. The corporate values of the Waterloo Regional Police Service are:

Excellence: We will strive to go above and beyond in every respect of policing.
Respect for Life: Every member of our community is important and deserves the highest level of service.
Integrity: We believe in conducting ourselves ethically and professionally, with the highest degree of honesty and accountability.
Teamwork: Together we can do more than we can do individually.
Quality of Life: Our community deserves a high level of safety and security.
Partnerships: Effective policing includes proactive cooperation with other agencies and resources.
Education: We are committed to self-improvement through continuous training and learning.
Diversity: We respect and benefit from the diversity within our Service and our community.
Justice: We uphold laws, procedures and freedoms of the justice system.
Children and Youth: Children and youth are our most valuable resource, and long-lasting crime prevention begins with them.

About Us

The Waterloo Regional Police Service was established in 1973 following the amalgamation of communities in Waterloo County.

Prior to the amalgamation, the County of Waterloo was patrolled by a number of different police forces. The Cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Galt; Towns of Preston, Hespeler, Elmira and New Hamburg; the Village of Bridgeport and Waterloo Township all had their own police force. The Townships of Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot and North Dumfries were patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police.

In 1973, the Waterloo Region Police Force consisted of 330 officers and 48 civilian members, and policed a community of 265,273 people. There were seven detachments including: Kitchener, Galt, Waterloo, Preston, Hespeler, Elmira and New Hamburg.

In 1977, the Hespeler detachment was closed. When the new Cambridge detachment was completed in 1982, the Galt and Preston detachments moved to the new facility. Our name was changed from Waterloo Regional Police “Force” to Waterloo Regional Police “Service” in 1991.

Waterloo Regional Police currently employs approximately 699 police officers and approximately 267 civilians across six locations. We police a region of 1,382 square kilometers with a population of 510,000. The areas that are policed include: the City of Kitchener, the City of Cambridge, the City of Waterloo, the Township of Woolwich, the Township of Wilmot, the Township of Wellesley and the Township of North Dumfries.

Our current Chief of Police is Matthew A. Torigian.

Police officer ranks range from fourth-class constable, to Chief of Police. Depending on their rank and experience they may be asked to serve in numerous locations during the course of their career. Officers most often begin their careers on patrol. In time, they may be eligible for promotion and/or transfer to a specialty branch such as Fraud, Major Case, or Homicide, to mention only a few. Officers who attain the rank of Staff Sergeant are positioned to supervise a branch or platoon. Those who are promoted to Inspector or higher are considered the senior managers of the organization, and are responsible for numerous branches.

Civilians are hired and positioned according to their particular specialty. A clerical person for example may be hired for the Records Branch, while someone with specialized computer training would be placed in the Information Technology Unit. Certain management positions such as Finance and Human Resources are held by civilian members.

Employees of the Waterloo Regional Police Service operate under a collective agreement negotiated by the Police Services Board, and the Waterloo Regional Police Association.

UrbanWaterloo
03-01-2010, 07:08 PM
Police to patrol on horseback in new year
By Cherri Greeno, Record staff - September 09, 2009
http://news.therecord.com/article/594914

WATERLOO REGION - Police will begin patrolling Waterloo Region on horseback early next year after a two-year pilot project was approved by the Waterloo Regional Police Services board Tuesday morning.

Although two board members opposed the idea and others had reservations, the estimated $57,000 project will go ahead and could start as early as January, 2010.

“It’s invaluable,” said board member Wayne Roth, who believes the mounted police unit will produce great public relations for the service. “We cannot put a dollar figure on that.”

Money for the two-horse unit will come out of existing approved budgets for marketing and recruitment. The cost includes the purchase of two horses, training expenses and riding equipment.

Board member Ken Seiling opposed the idea out of concern for response times. Board member Brian Heggie also opposed the idea and said he would like to see the unit conducted under a volunteer basis instead of a formal pilot project.

Although he did not vote on the issue, police association president Ray Massicotte said he too opposes the idea.

“Are they able to patrol and make the community safe with all the other things they have to do with the horse?” he said outside the meeting room.

“People are out there waiting a long time for the police to come out,” he said, noting that it’ll take time out of an officer’s shift to groom and transport a horse.

Sgt. Shaena Morris told the board that the horses will promote the service as an employer of choice to new recruits and will increase police visibility in the community.

“Generally, people love animals,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity (for the public) to start engaging with us.”

Horses from the Niagara Regional Police service were on hand at Victoria Park in June and were popular with the crowd. Many approached the officers who likely wouldn’t have done so if the officer was in a cruiser or on a bike.

Morris also told the board that the horses will play a vital role in search and rescue efforts because they can trot through snow, swamps and water and they can raise an officer up higher than they would ever get on a bike or in a cruiser.

“Time is critical in searches,” she said. “Mounted officers can search further, faster and with greater accuracy.”

Police Chief Matt Torigian said the horses will act as an important addition to the police service.

“It’s a perfect match. It’s a perfect fit,” he said.

The horses will be available year round and will be able to patrol areas that are difficult for officers to access.

Board member Patti Haskell said while the jury may still be out on the effectiveness of the mounted unit, “we won’t know unless we give (the project) an opportunity.”

Board chair Tom Galloway said most of the comments he has received from the public are in favour of the project.

UrbanWaterloo
03-01-2010, 07:18 PM
Mounted Police Unit Testing On Deer Ridge Drive - March 1, 2010

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Urban%20Issues/WaterlooRegionalPolice-MountedPo-1.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Urban%20Issues/WaterlooRegionalPolice-MountedPolic.jpg

UrbanWaterloo
05-21-2010, 09:52 PM
Mounted Patrol Unit Heading South Down Queen - May 21, 2010

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Urban%20Issues/WaterlooRegionalPoliceMountedPatrol.jpg

Spokes
05-23-2010, 06:45 PM
I saw them in Victoria Park last week, they definitely draw attention, makes people interact with the cops, thats for sure.

UrbanWaterloo
06-20-2010, 09:30 AM
Regional Police announce winners in “Horse with No Name” contest
June 18, 2010 | http://www.wrps.on.ca/news-centre/regional-police-announce-winners-in-horse-with-no-name-contest.htm

http://www.wrps.on.ca/images/stories/news/chieftorigian-mountedunit-240.jpg

Waterloo Region ON – The Waterloo Regional Police Service, in partnership with Waterloo Catholic District School Board and the Waterloo Region District School Board, today announced the winning names in the “Horse with No Name Contest” at an event held at police headquarters.

Earlier this year, elementary school pupils in the Region were provided with the challenge of choosing names for the horses assigned to the new Mounted Patrol. The contest stipulated that each name must be distinctively connected to the history or heritage of Waterloo Region.

“We are very proud of our new Mounted Patrol which is helping create unique opportunities for improved police and community interaction, crime prevention and operational effectiveness. In seeking names for the horses, we requested that the children, our future leaders, consider what they have learned about our community’s unique past,” said Chief Matt Torigian. “The names selected most often by the students were connected to two of our most notable citizens, Homer Watson and William Lyon Mackenzie King, and it is with great pride that we announce that our Mounted Patrol horses will be known as ‘Watson’ and ‘King’.”

The winning names were submitted by students attending Westmount Public School, Mackenzie King Public School, New Dundee Public School, St. Nicholas, and St. Anne’s in Kitchener, St. Agatha, St. Dominic Savio and Notre Dame Schools.

In announcing the names today, Chief Torigian was joined by Tom Galloway, Chair of the Police Services Board, senior officers, students and staff from the winning schools, and representatives of the school boards. Also attending were Mounted Patrol officers Cst. Tim Pedersen and Cst. Rebecca Lava along with Watson and King.

panamaniac
06-20-2010, 09:48 AM
Nice to see elementary school kids come up with heritage names.

UrbanWaterloo
12-15-2010, 11:27 AM
Police Services Board appoints new Deputy Chief of Police
December 15, 2010 | http://www.wrps.on.ca/news-centre/police-services-board-appoints-new-deputy-chief-of-police.htm

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Tom Galloway, Chair of the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board, today announced the appointment of Superintendent Stephen Beckett to the position of Deputy Chief of Police. The announcement follows the decision by current Deputy Chief Michael Mann to retire as of January 31, 2011.

Deputy Chief Designate Beckett was born and raised in the city of Cambridge where he attended Glenview Park Secondary School and graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Justice Studies.

He joined the Waterloo Regional Police Service in 1980 as a cadet and front-line patrol officer and eventually held positions in various investigative branches including Traffic, Drugs and Homicide. While serving in the rank of Sergeant and then Staff Sergeant he was assigned to supervisory roles in Divisional Patrol, Professional Standards and the Training Branch.

In 2001, he was promoted to Inspector and held leadership positions in Quality Assurance, Support Services, Community and Corporate Services, and in an advisory capacity to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Starting in 2008, Inspector Beckett was assigned as Executive Officer to the Chief of Police and in 2010 promoted to Superintendent where he assumed command of Community and Corporate Services overseeing Human Resources, Training, Community Resources, Quality Assurance and Community Mobilization.

“I have always taken great pride in serving as a member of the Waterloo Regional Police Service and today feel exceptionally honoured and humbled by the Police Services Board decision,” said Deputy Chief Designate Beckett. “I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the Board’s confidence and support and look forward to my new leadership responsibilities working in partnership with the Chief of Police, Senior Staff and all of our dedicated and professional police members. “

Deputy Chief Designate Beckett currently represents the Waterloo Regional Police Service on numerous community and provincial associations, committees and task forces including the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy Task Force and the WRPS Diversity committee.

Deputy Chief Designate Beckett’s new responsibilities are effective February 1, 2011.