York Regional Police

Police agency of York Region, Ontario, Canada

Emergency support is a 23 member unit with an emergency response unit and explosive disposal unit.

The service currently has an authorized strength of close to 1,700 sworn members and approximately 500 civilian staff.

The YRP's flag consists of a nautical B signal flag with the YRP crest located in the white portion.

Communications is the branch of the York Regional Police responsible for receiving all 911 and non emergency police calls. Under the supervision of information services, police communicators are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The communications staff are non sworn members of the York Regional Police, though the bureau is under the direction of an Inspector and a Staff sergeant.

The traffic bureau was formed in 1989. At that time, the traffic bureau worked out of offices located at 200 Industrial Parkway South in the Town of Aurora. The traffic bureau was made up of officers whose primary function was to enforce traffic related laws. The unit was made up of six officers who drove motorcycles and marked police cruisers. As time went on the unit began to specialize in the reconstruction of motor vehicle collisions. The unit expanded to approximately 20 officers working on four different platoons. The platoons followed the regular uniform officer shifts.

The enforcement unit is responsible for enforcement of all traffic laws. Officers from the enforcement unit perform breath tests and test drivers for sobriety utilizing standardized field sobriety testing and drug recognition experts. The York Regional Police's traffic bureau has trained over 100 frontline officers in the SFST battery and 15 officers trained as DREs

Officers from the enforcement unit utilize various speed measuring devices from hand held radars and lasers to moving radar units in their police vehicles. Speed enforcement is conducted throughout the region. Special computerized ticket writing units are utilized in police vehicles to ensure there are no human errors. The enforcement unit also instituted a prohibited driver program where officers investigate persons convicted of criminal driving offences whereby their driving privileges are revoked. Members use unmarked vehicles and conduct surveillance on suspects' home and court to catch violators. The enforcement unit is known to have ticket quotas and unnecessarily handing out tickets. During the COVID 19 pandemic, York Regional Police officers wrote out tickets for expired licence plate stickers, despite the fact that the provincial government had extended the validity of these stickers indefinitely.

Bobby the Bear, Morris the Moose and Bucky the Beaver are the force's mascots and appear at various community events. The York Regional Police also operates a variety of musical ensembles by permission of the chief. The York Regional Police Pipes and Drums, the Community Chorus, and Youth Band all represent the police force at parades, community functions and ceremonies.

The York Regional Police Pipes and Drums is a pipe band affiliated with the police service. Founded in 1988, it consists of serving members of the police force and the public. The band represents the police force at a variety of events where appropriate, including parades and community functions. The band also competes in local pipe band competitions in grade 4.