Royal Canadian Mounted Police

From ScanBC

Current revision

Introduction

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Also known as the R.C.M.P. or Mounties) operate in Federal, Provincial, and Local/Municipal capacities across Canada. Canada is divided into 15 organizational units known as divisions, British Columbia falls under the jurisdiction of the E-Division. E-Division, headquartered in Vancouver, is the largest R.C.M.P division comprised of 126 detachments and over 5,000 officers.

In BC

Within British Columbia, the R.C.M.P. use a large number of different communication systems. In the Lower Mainland, the detachments utilize the digital 800Mhz EDACS WARS system. In the Greater Victoria and southern Vancouver Island regions the digital VHF APCO25 CREST system is utilized. Most other places in the province use standard VHF based communications. In the past few years rollout of new narrow banded VHF systems and in-car data terminals has occurred. Encryption is also now very common within systems that support it.

Districts

Lower Mainland District

The Lower Mainland District is the largest R.C.M.P. district in the province by size of population. It covers heavily populated urban areas such as Burnaby and Surrey, to more rural areas such as the Sunshine Coast and Pemberton. The district consists of the entire Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley up to Boston Bar, the Sunshine Coast and Whistler/Squamish. A map can be found on the R.C.M.P. E-Division website. It should be noted that E-Divsion HQ, the Pacific Region Training Center and a number of other R.C.M.P. services are located within the bounds of E-Division.

G.V.R.D. Detachments

There are 8 R.C.M.P. municipal detachments operating in Metro Vancouver. These include:

• North Vancouver
• Burnaby
• Richmond
• Surrey
• Langley
• White Rock
• Coquitlam
• Ridge Meadows

All 8 of these detachments currently use E-Comm WARS for their radio communications. This system is Ma/Com EDACS with analog control channels and digital Provoice modulated voice channels. It is presently unmonitorable by any commercially available scanner.

E-Division headquarters and some of the integrated teams (Like the IHIT and IMPACT) use APCO-25 digital encrypted on VHF for some of their traffic.

Rural Detachments

There are 10 detachments in the Lower Mainland district that operate out of Metro Vancouver. These include:

• Agassiz
• Boston Bar
• Bowen Island
• Chilliwack
• Hope
• Mission
• Pemberton
• Squamish
• Sunshine Coast
• Whistler

These detachments all operate on narrow banded VHF. Some also have in-car data terminals, with further data terminal roll out planned.

Island District

The Island District spans Vancouver Island, its related coastal islands and the north half of the Sunshine Coast located on the mainland. The Island has a population of approximately 750,000. Slightly less than half of these live in the communities that are incorporated within the Capital Regional District. Outside of this area, the cities range from Port Hardy in the north, North Cowichan/Duncan in the south, Port Alberni on the west coast and Powell River on the north Sunshine Coast. The Island detachments vary in size from policing large municipal contracts to the smaller rural detachments and Aboriginal communities.

Southeast District

Sharing a border with Alberta and the United States, “E” Division’s Southeast District is an economically and socially diverse section of British Columbia.

Primarily situated among scenic mountains and rugged terrain, the Southeast District is seeing rapid growth in tourism and an increasing population of retirement aged residents, drawn to the area’s beauty. In order to police this changing environment, the 28 detachments and 20 sub-detachments actively pursue partnerships with the cities, towns and Aboriginal communities we serve. It is these partnerships that foster the active lines of communication allowing the Southeast District RCMP to align with the strategic policing priorities that are important to those that we serve.

North District

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, Alberta on the east and the Yukon Territory to its north, North District represents the upper two thirds (72%) of the province of BC. The rapid economic and social growth, exploration, development, and tourism in North District are just some of the factors we consider when strategically plan policing needs.

There are over 40 Detachments and satellite support units working with our contract partners to provide policing services and programs to a diverse area that includes coastal communities, mining towns, major cities and isolated Aboriginal communities, summer getaways and traffic corridors. More than 1,100 RCMP employees work and live in North District.

General Terms and Definitions

• List of PRIME call signs

Bar

Bar check & walk through

BCDL

B.C. drivers license

BCL

BC Plate

BTA

Breathalzyer test

Caution Charlie

Communicable Disease

Caution Echo

Escape Risk

Caution Mike

Mental Instability

Caution Sierra

Suicidal

Caution Victor

Violent

Caution Foxtrot

Familiy/Firearms Violence

CNI

Criminal Name Index (See databases)

CIIDS

Computerized Integrated Information Dispatch System

Code 1

Respond Routine

Code 2

Respond ASAP, no emergency gear

Code 3

Respond ASAP, emergency

Code 4

Radio Control

Code 5

Danger, High Risk, Guns drawn

Code 6

Hostage Situation

CPIC

Canadian Police Information Centre

DL

Drivers License

DOA

Dead on Arrival

DOB

Date of Birth

EHS

Emergency Health Service

EMH

Emergency Mental Health

ERT

Emergency Response Team

FTA

Failure to Appear

GOA

Gone on Arrival

MVA

Motor Vehicle Act or Accident

MVI

Motor Vehicle Incident

OD

Overdose

Operation

Road block or speed trap

Pointer Vehicle

Vehicle under observation

PO

Peace Officer

PR

Property Reference

PIRS

Police Information Retrieval System

PRIME

Police Records Information Management Environment

PROS

Police Reporting and Occurrence System

Red Zone

Restricted Area or Aboriginal Reserve.

Reference

Property Reference

RO

Registered Owner

ROADS

Remote Office and Dispatch System

Routine

No lights or sirens

RSD

Roadside Screening Device

RTO

Return to Office

Section 23.5/24

Mental Health Act background

Servicing

Filling up with gas

TFA  

Theft from auto

TOP

Temporary Operating Permit

Radio 10 Codes

10-0:  	Radio Check
10-1:  	Signal Check
10-2:  	Signal Good
10-3:          Stop Transmitting
10-4:  	Affirmative
10-5:  	Relay (To)
10-6:  	Busy
10-7:  	Out of Service
10-8:  	In Service
10-9:  	Say Again
10-10: 	Negative
10-11: 	Roadside Check
10-12: 	Stand by (Stop
10-13: 	Existing Conditions
10-14: 	Prepare to Copy
10-15: 	Message Delivered
10-16: 	Reply-To-Message
10-17: 	Enroute
10-18: 	Urgent
10-19: 	(In) Contact
10-20: 	Location
10-21: 	Call by land line
10-22: 	Disregard
10-23: 	Arrived at Scene
10-24: 	Assignment Completed
10-25: 	Report to... 
10-26: 	ETA 
10-27: 	Drivers License Info
10-28: 	Vehicle Registration Info
10-29: 	Records Check
10-30: 	Danger/Caution
10-31: 	Pickup
10-32: 	# Units Needed
10-33: 	Officer in Trouble
10-34: 	Time Check
10-35: 	Off Duty
10-36: 	On Duty
10-37: 	Returning to Office
10-38:
10-39: 
10-40: 	Possible Hit
10-41: 	Warrant/Info Confirmed
10-42: 	Person in Parole Cat.
10-43: 	Person in Charged Cat.
10-44: 	Person in Elope Cat.
10-45:
10-46:
10-47:
10-48:
10-49:
10-50:  	M.V.A.
10-51: 	
10-52: 	
10-53: 	
10-54: 	
10-55: 	
10-56: 	
10-57: 	
10-58: 	Drug Overdose
10-59: 	Suicide/Homicide
10-60: 	Danger/Alarm
10-61: 	Coffee Break
10-62: 	Meal Break
10-63: 	At the Office
10-64: 	Ambulance
10-65: 	Escorting Prisoner
10-66: 	Prisoner Escort Required
10-67: 	Unauthorized Listener
10-68: 	Impaired Driver
10-69: 	Check Vehicle/Person
10-70: 	Request Supervisor at Scene
10-71: 	Sending to ROADS
10-72: 	Alarm/Serious Crime
10-73: 	Advise Situation Status
10-74: 	False Alarm
10-75: 	Change Frequencies
10-76: 	On Portable
10-77: 	At Residence
10-78: 	At Office
10-79: 	Slow Computer Response
10-80: 	Record of Violence
10-81: 	Record of Robbery
10-82: 	Record of Weapons
10-83: 	Record of B&E
10-84: 	Record of Theft
10-85: 	Record of Drugs
10-86: 	Record of Sexual Offence
10-87: 	Record of Other Offence
10-88: 	
10-89: 	
10-90: 	
10-91: 	
10-92: 	
10-93: 	
10-94: 	
10-95: 	
10-96: 	Report of Homicide
10-97: 	Report of Sudden Death
10-98: 	Request Routine Cover
10-99: 	Unit on Call

Databases

CPIC

The Canadian Police Information Center is a networked computer database system operated by the National Police Service that federally links all law enforcement and justice partners in Canada. It commonly holds warrants, warnings, and other important information. The system carries information on Vehicles, Persons, Property, Marine Equipment, Criminal Records, Dental Characteristics, Inmates, and Wandering Persons. It also allows messaging between CPIC terminals. In recent years the system has been upgraded to provide web based access.

CNI

The Criminal Name Index is not a separate database but is actually a query type made against the CPIC database. It is the lowest level and the one with quickest response. It generally indicates the presence of a criminal history record, with a further more detailed query needed to pull more information.

CIIDS

The Computerized Integrated Information Dispatch System is the central dispatch organization system of the R.C.M.P. It integrates standard computer aided dispatch functions like messaging, incident logging, mapping with the ability to query the multitude of databases out there and interoperability with disparate radio systems.

ROADS

The Remote Office and Dispatch System is simply the mobile version of CIIDS. It allows remote access to many of the same application functions as a full CIIDS console. Amongst the most important data based queries, messaging, and mapping. Most access is via cellular networks via CDPD.

PIRS

The Police Information Retrieval System is an investigative information recording and retrieval system containing detailed information on all events reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and covers the entire organization. The database is commonly searched (By file number, address, name for example) for information on previous R.C.M.P. incidents.

PROS

The Police Reporting and Occurrence System is the replacement system for PIRS. It will integrate the existing databases of the R.C.M.P. with new data sources and puts in place much more advanced capabilities. Search, archiving, and security features have all been enhanced.

PRIME

The Police Records Information Management Environment is a British Columbia specific real-time database system. It provides online access to law enforcement records, and is accessible by all provincial law enforcement agencies including the R.C.M.P.

Communications

With the exception of the Lower Mainland and Capital Regional District on southern Vancouver Island, the rest of the province uses a network of VHF repeater and simplex channels.

The same channels are used throughout the province, see the specific page for the town you are interested in to determine what is in use in that area.

If in doubt, plug in all the frequencies into your scanner and have a listen.

For the time being, many communities are still being broadcast in analog. However, the RCMP is upgrading their radio system to support P25 digital operation, so it is just a matter of time before a P25 scanner will be needed to listen (to the un-encrypted transmissions).

Frequencies

Lower Mainland District

Note: Repeaters "A" 139.245 and "N" 139.650 are now fully P25 digital encrypted as of Oct 2009

Repeaters

Simplex

North and Southeast District

Repeaters

Simplex

Island District

Repeaters

Simplex