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On November 13th, 1885, Prince Albert's first Town Council proposed providing the town with police protection by hiring one or more constables at the daily salary of $2.50 per day. On December 7th, 1885, William Dilworth was appointed the first Town Constable of Prince Albert. His first duty was to restrain the packs of dogs running wild through the settlement. The majority of law enforcement duties remained the responsibility of the North West Mounted Police.

Due to the fact that the duties of Town Constable resembled more the duties of caretaker for the town rather than that of law enforcement, the position of Town Constable was rarely filled for long periods of time. By 1900, with the appointment of the first Chief of Police, the focus finally changed to law enforcement. Chief Robert J. Jones organized his small police force into a well structured and efficient law enforcement agency. The Police Service continued to grow with the passing years.

Identification Branch

The Identification Branch of the Prince Albert Police was opened in 1958 with Const. Lionel Roy in charge of the department. By 1960, the workload for the department had far exceeded the abilities of one person. Seven Constables were trained as field technicians. These field technicians were to collect evidence at the scene of crimes and turn it in to the Identification Department.

Traffic Division

The Traffic Division was initiated in 1970. It was staffed by two Constables under the supervision of a Sergeant. One of their main concerns was the safety of pedestrians and bicycle riders. It was decided that the best place to start educating the public was at the elementary school level. In 1975, the Prince Albert City Police Safety Program was created. This program was put into being to educate students and to set up School Safety Patrols. The Traffic Division is responsible for enforcing in particular traffic related laws including the Highway Traffic Act, the Vehicle Equipment Regulations, the Vehicle Administrations Act as well as the City of Prince Albert Bylaws.

members assisting in a vehicle inspection roadblock - click on images to enlarge

For a more complete history of the Prince Albert Police Service please inquire about obtaining a copy of "Prince Albert Police - 100 years" centennial commemorative book. Also, feel free to visit the Police Museum located beside the Tourist Information Centre.