Canadian National Police Service | |
---|---|
Common name | CN Police Service, CN Police |
Patch of the Canadian National Police Service
|
|
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1923 |
Preceding agencies |
|
Legal personality | Non government: Canadian National Railways |
Jurisdictional structure | |
International agency | |
Countries | |
Legal jurisdiction | Federal |
Constituting instrument | Railway Safety Act of Canada |
General nature | |
Specialist jurisdiction | Railways, tramways, and-or rail transit systems. |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | 935 de La Gauchetière Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Agency executive | Stephen Covey, Chief of Police and Chief Security Officer |
Parent agency | Canadian National Railway |
Website | |
CN Police Service |
The Canadian National Police Service (commonly referred to as the CN Police) is a private railroad police force protecting the property, personnel, and rail infrastructure of the Canadian National Railway Company in Canada and the United States.
Established in 1923 upon the amalgamation of several railway companies, the Government of Canada established the Canadian National Railways Police. Currently CN Police officers operate across Canada and the United States.
In Canada, the BC Rail Police amalgamated into the CN Police Service in 2005. In the United States, three railway police services: the Illinois Central Railroad Police, the Grand Trunk Railway Police and Wisconsin Central Transportation Police also amalgamated into the CN Police Service.
In Canada, members are federally sworn in under section 44.1 of the Railway Safety Act granting powers as police constables and have the same powers of arrest as any police officer in Canada anywhere in Canada as 'Peace Officers' under Section 2 of the Criminal Code. Police constables are employed by Canadian National and are also considered public servants, sworn to the Crown to uphold the law and protect
The CN Police federal oath of office primarily directs their duties 'on and along' CN infrastructure, protecting properties owned and administered by CN. CN Police have additional provincial appointments which allow them to extend provincial enforcement such as the Highway Traffic Act outside the boundaries set under the Railway Safety Act of Canada, except in Quebec.
Under section 26.1 of the Railway Safety Act, it is an offence for any person to "enter on land on which a line work is situated". Offenders can be dealt with in multiple ways such as being compelled to Federal Court by means of a promise to appear or can simply be issued a ticket through the relevant provincial Contravention Act and released. Maximum penalties for contravention of the act for any offence can be up to a $10,000 fine and imprisonment in the case of a private person. A company can also face up to a $200,000 fine for contravention of this act.
In the U.S., each state in which CN operates grants police powers to CN police officers and special agents. State specific powers are also augmented by interstate authority granted by the United States Secretary of Transportation (Code 49 U.S.C. 28101) meaning officers have police powers in all states CN Police operates in.