Metropolitan Police (Canada)

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS; French: Service de police métropolitaine, SPM) is the civilian police force of the city of Ottawa, the federal capital of the Canadian Republic. While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada's federal police force, has its headquarters in Ottawa, all local policing is handled by the Metropolitan Police, with the RCMP in Ottawa responsible only for the security of federal government institutions and personnel as well as assisting the Metropolitan Police with public security, crowd control and order during major federal government-sponsored mass public events. The Metropolitan Police Service operates its own jails, but the operation of remand centres, judicial police and bailiff services, security of Ottawa's metropolitan government and the metropolitan (non-federal) court system, and transportation of detainees and inmates between facilities is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Sheriff Service (MSS), while all non-federal prisons and other correctional institutions in Ottawa are operated by the Metropolitan Correctional Service (MCS).

The Metropolitan Police Service is responsible for policing a permanent population of 2.55 million, which normally increases to as high as 3 million during weekdays (approx. 8am to 6pm Mon–Fri), primarily caused by commuters from neighbouring municipalities of Greater Ottawa located in Ontario or Quebec. The MPS has a total of 7655 employees: 5448 sworn constables and 2207 civilian personnel. It is headquartered at 474 Elgin St in the Ottawa borough of Centretown, which is also its largest station; the MPS has an additional 8 stations spread across the city as well as 16 community liaison centres, one for each borough. The Metropolitan Police is the smallest regular police force in Canada, and the only one with primary jurisdiction over just a single municipality.