Throughout its history, Ottawa Police has valued the work of volunteers

By Dawson Hebert-Arsenault, September 2017 

(with records from A History of the Ottawa Police by Gilles Larochelle)

At one time, policing in Ottawa was handled entirely by volunteers. These were good-willed members of the community who supplemented their daily labour with police work at night.

In the beginning, Bytown was a brutish logging town that was feared across North America. There was a large group of labourers in the area working on Colonel By's Rideau Canal. These men would take to drinking late at night and brawling until the early morning. Tensions between Irish Catholics, French Catholics and Anglo-Protestant groups were high and would often flare into brawls.

The militia on Barracks Hill (present day Parliament Hill) couldn't be called on for every minor disturbance that took place in town. So in October 1835 the Bytown Association for the Preservation of the Public Peace was formed and boasted over 200 members.

These volunteers would take part in duties such as night watches, and transporting prisoners to the courthouse. To cover costs for prosecuting and transporting offenders, a subscription fund was started. As a result of in-fighting, missed night-watches, and a lack of provincial support, the Association was disbanded after only a few years.

The first official police force was the Bytown Police, made up of nine men plus a head constable. These first constables were paid on a "per-service" system, which meant they were only paid for successful arrests.

The next hundred years or so would be a period of industrialization and modernization for the Ottawa Police. The small size of the force meant there wasn't the time or energy to incorporate volunteer members. During this time, the role of volunteers was minimal.

By the 1970's though, the Ottawa Police mandate had expanded to include more aspects of public safety. With this new trend of public safety came a multitude of crime prevention programs. Volunteers were used as part of these new programs.

One notable volunteer group is the "Ottawa Police Chorus". Started in 1972 with thirty men, it was first called "The Ottawa Police Male Chorus". The group later became open to women and members of the community.  Today, they perform at a variety of events each year. In addition to police functions, they can be booked privately to perform at weddings, funerals and musical concerts.

Today, hundreds of volunteers help the OPS with their daily activities and special events.  

There is the Ottawa Police Auxiliary, 20 members strong. They are a voluntary group of personnel that are trained to ride with and assist on-duty officers.

Youth between the ages of 14-18 can join the Police Venturers program to volunteer in a more educational and age appropriate way.

Volunteers also work in our Community Police Centres, where their role is to engage the community and assist in public safety promotion and education.

For some, volunteering is a way to learn about a future career. For others, it is about the personal satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the community. They are a valued part of our organization and Ottawa Police is happy to recognize our volunteers past and present for their contribution and service.