British Columbia Provincial Police information

British Columbia Provincial Police
British Columbia Provincial Police
	Emblem of the BCPP
Abbreviation	BCPP
Agency overview
Formed	1858
Dissolved	August 15, 1950
Superseding agency	RCMP "E" Division
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	British Columbia, Canada
General nature	Civilian police;

Inspection of the BCPP during the 1939 royal visit

The British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP) was the provincial police service of British Columbia, Canada, between 1858 and 1950.

One of the first law enforcement agencies in North America, the British Columbia Provincial Police was formed to police the new Colony of British Columbia in 1858, with Chartres Brew as the de facto Chief Constable. The BCPP preceded the Canadian Confederation by nine years, the North-West Mounted Police by fifteen years, and the Ontario Provincial Police by seventeen years.^[1] Brew, a former member of the Royal Irish Constabulary and officially British Columbia's Chief Gold Commissioner, was vested with the powers of a magistrate to maintain state security against possible rebellion by American migrants who came to British Columbia for its gold rush and the accompanying the risk of annexation.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] The BCPP was deeply integrated into British Columbia's new colonial administration due to geographic isolation and small population, holding numerous unusual responsibilities such as registrars, tax collectors, statisticians, meteorologists, and postmasters.^[6]^[7] Over time, the BCPP transitioned into a purely law enforcement agency, providing provincial and municipal police services across the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island.

The British Columbia Provincial Police was dissolved on August 15, 1950, and replaced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's "E" Division.

^ Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (Vancouver: unpublished Master's Thesis, UBC Special Collections, 1955), p. 1, note 1.
^ Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (University of British Columbia unpublished masters thesis, 1955), 19 and unsigned article, "Story of the British Columbia Police Closely Parallels History of Province," "Shoulder STrap", vol. 22 (1950): 5. For James Douglas' rejection to create a formal police force see Great Britain, Colonial Office, Despatches to the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, GR-0326, Douglas to Lytton, Victoria, Vancouver Island, December 27, 1858. For the rejection by London see Great Britain, Colonial Office, Despatches from the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, GR-0326, Douglas to Lytton, Victoria, Vancouver Island, July 2, 1859, BC Archives, for policing powers of Gold Commissioners see Douglas to Lytton, " August 30, 1858, "Papers Relative to the Affairs of British Columbia," Vol. 1, p. 30-33.
^ Douglas to Lytton, January 20, 1859, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 77, pg. 158. Also February 4, 1859, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 91, p. 172 and Douglas to Lytton, December 24, 1858, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 52, p. 112 and "Papers Relative to the Affairs of British Columbia," Vol. 2, p. 47.
^ Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing A Pioneer Province: The BC Provincial Police 1858-1950, (Madeira Park BC: Harbour Publishing, 1991), 11. Lynne Stonier-Newman remarks: "There was no way Brew could have realized the importance of his dual appointment. Because of it, British Columbia became a jurisdiction where revenue raising was combined with law enforcement for decades to come, a rare combination in the British Empire." Throughout his career, Brew objected to the combination of revenue collection and policing. Despite the possibility for corruption, Brew managed to eject undesirable elements in the Constabulary no matter how well they were connected (see F.W. Howay, The Early History of the Fraser River Mines, (Victoria, BC: 1926), p. 84.). Also see, Brew Files, 1859, Colonial Papers, GR 1372, B-1310, BC Archives and Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing the Pioneer Province, p. 9-27.
^ Jeremy Buddenhagen, "The Evolution of Security Intelligence in British Columbia, 1828-1900" BC History, vol. 42, no. 1, 2009.
^ Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (Vancouver: unpublished Master's Thesis, UBC Special Collections, 1955), p. abstract.
^ Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing A Pioneer Province: The BC Provincial Police 1858-1950, (Madeira Park BC: Harbour Publishing, 1991), p. 7.

[1] Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (Vancouver: unpublished Master's Thesis, UBC Special Collections, 1955), p. 1, note 1.

[2] Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (University of British Columbia unpublished masters thesis, 1955), 19 and unsigned article, "Story of the British Columbia Police Closely Parallels History of Province," "Shoulder STrap", vol. 22 (1950): 5. For James Douglas' rejection to create a formal police force see Great Britain, Colonial Office, Despatches to the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, GR-0326, Douglas to Lytton, Victoria, Vancouver Island, December 27, 1858. For the rejection by London see Great Britain, Colonial Office, Despatches from the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, GR-0326, Douglas to Lytton, Victoria, Vancouver Island, July 2, 1859, BC Archives, for policing powers of Gold Commissioners see Douglas to Lytton, " August 30, 1858, "Papers Relative to the Affairs of British Columbia," Vol. 1, p. 30-33.

[3] Douglas to Lytton, January 20, 1859, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 77, pg. 158. Also February 4, 1859, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 91, p. 172 and Douglas to Lytton, December 24, 1858, "Dispatches, 1858-1859," No. 52, p. 112 and "Papers Relative to the Affairs of British Columbia," Vol. 2, p. 47.

[4] Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing A Pioneer Province: The BC Provincial Police 1858-1950, (Madeira Park BC: Harbour Publishing, 1991), 11. Lynne Stonier-Newman remarks: "There was no way Brew could have realized the importance of his dual appointment. Because of it, British Columbia became a jurisdiction where revenue raising was combined with law enforcement for decades to come, a rare combination in the British Empire." Throughout his career, Brew objected to the combination of revenue collection and policing. Despite the possibility for corruption, Brew managed to eject undesirable elements in the Constabulary no matter how well they were connected (see F.W. Howay, The Early History of the Fraser River Mines, (Victoria, BC: 1926), p. 84.). Also see, Brew Files, 1859, Colonial Papers, GR 1372, B-1310, BC Archives and Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing the Pioneer Province, p. 9-27.

[5] Jeremy Buddenhagen, "The Evolution of Security Intelligence in British Columbia, 1828-1900" BC History, vol. 42, no. 1, 2009.

[6] Frederick John Hatch, The British Columbia Police, 1858-1871, (Vancouver: unpublished Master's Thesis, UBC Special Collections, 1955), p. abstract.

[7] Lynne Stonier-Newman, Policing A Pioneer Province: The BC Provincial Police 1858-1950, (Madeira Park BC: Harbour Publishing, 1991), p. 7.

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