Accreditation Works

Case Number 51  

The Niagara Parks Police Service has a long and proud tradition of law enforcement in Ontario, dating back to 1887. The Niagara Parks Police is a branch of the Niagara Parks Commission, an agency of the province’s Ministry of Tourism and Recreation. It is responsible for safeguarding all property owned and operated by the Commission, which includes numerous historical sites, attractions, retail outlets, restaurants, and several golf courses. This property, and the approximate 60 venues, extend from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario along the Niagara River, and include the world famous Niagara Falls.

The primary function of the Niagara Parks Police today, as in the past, is to provide a safe and secure environment for the estimated 15 million tourists who visit Niagara Falls annually. It is a priority for our police service to ensure that our duties are consistently carried out in a highly professional manner, utilizing the best policing standards possible. Our entire 27 person full-time staff was very aware that due to our unique service area, the manner in which they conducted themselves contributed significantly to visitors’ general perceptions of policing in Canada.

In our pursuit to attain these objectives and enhance our image, in 1999 we commenced the accreditation process with CALEA, which we saw as a vehicle to implement change for the betterment of our service. Our management team was pleased to find that the standards were adaptable to Canadian statutes, and flexible enough that compliance could be met with our unique mandate and non-traditional policing responsibilities. The number of Canadian and other non-traditional agencies that were already CALEA Accredited, including airport authorities, transit, and university police departments encouraged us.

It was our goal to more effectively and efficiently manage the police service by using accreditation as a mechanism to ensure accountability and instill pride within the organization. CALEA provided an excellent framework for us to pursue excellence and reach our goal. In July 2001, our agency was the third police service in Ontario to receive CALEA Accreditation, as well as recognition from our own Niagara Parks Commission and the Minister of Tourism and Recreation for the Province of Ontario for our accomplishment. 

We have been very proud to display our CALEA certificate from our initial accreditation in the foyer of police headquarters. It remains a constant testament to our commitment for excellence to the millions of visitors who arrive annually from every corner of the globe, to enjoy what the Niagara Parks has to offer.

Timothy E. Berndt, Chief of Police

Niagara Parks (ON) Police Service