The CP Police Service works closely with communities, other law enforcement and government agencies to promote railway safety and infrastructure security. We are a railway law enforcement agency headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with police officers assigned to over 25 field offices responsible for railway police operations in 6 Canadian Provinces and 14 U.S. States. Our service operates on the Canadian Pacific rail network as well as in areas where we have non-railway operations.
Mission Statement
The mission of the CP Police Service is to assist CP in being the safest and most reliable railway in North America by:
- Enhancing public safety
- Supporting service reliability by reducing train delays
- Protecting railway personnel, assets, operations and information
- Enforcing the law and bringing offenders to justice
Authority
In Canada CP Police Service members are appointed by a judge of the superior court of Canada for the enforcement of the Canada Transportation Act and for the enforcement of the laws of Canada or a province in so far as their enforcement relates to the protection of property owned, possessed or administered by a railway company and the protection of persons and property on that property. CP Police Service members have jurisdiction in any place within 500 metres of property that the railway company owns, possesses or administers.
As defined by Section 2 of the Canadian Criminal Code, members have exactly the same powers as every other police officer in Canada. Members can detain, arrest, use force, search and compel people to court and although they are employed by the railway company they are deemed to public servants the same as city police who are employed by the municipality but are agents of the Crown.
In the United States our members are fully commissioned police officers within the State in which they operate, empowered by that State to enforce the law. The extent to which railway police officers may exercise law enforcement authority and definition of jurisdiction varies by State.
Railway police also have a Federal Interstate authority granted under Title 49 USC 28101 which permits duly appointed railroad police officers to exercise their powers in any State.