Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
By Natalie Regier
1 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) plays an important role in the lives of the people, not only in Saskatchewan, but in all of Canada. The RCMP is a federal, national, provincial, territorial, and municipal police force in Canada. It is the largest police force in Canada and has been around for over one hundred thirty years. Federally, the RCMP enforces federal laws throughout Canada dealing with things like counterfeiting and terrorism. Nationally, the RCMP provides protection for the prime minister, government officials, and visiting dignitaries. The RCMP contracts their services to seventy-five-percent of the geographical regions in Canada. They provide police service to eight of the ten provinces, the three territories, and over two hundred municipalities. The motto of the RCMP is to "uphold the law."
2 The RCMP began as the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP). In 1873 the government for the Dominion of Canada established a police force to go west and maintain law and order. As settlers moved west, the government felt a police force was needed to protect both the First Nations people and the new settlers. After the Cypress Hills Massacre when a band of Assiniboine were killed by wolf hunters, the police troops were quickly organized and sent west to the prairies. The NWMP arrived in 1874. Regina, Saskatchewan, was chosen as the headquarters and training depot of the NWMP. Members of the RCMP are still trained there today.
3 The NWMP did more than just police the west. Among other things, the NWMP was responsible for mail delivery, conducting censuses, and recording statistics. As more and more settlers were brought west by the railway after its completion in 1883, the NWMP also acted as land agents, gave agricultural advice, and provided welfare assistance if needed. By 1914, when there were over one million settlers on the prairies, the reputation of the NWMP and their role in settling the west was well-known internationally.
