Our History

Our Region

The land of Peel was obtained by the British Crown through multiple purchases and agreements including the following:

• 1805 - formalized Treaty 13a, known as the First Purchase with the Indigenous people of Mississauga Ojibway First Nation for 70,784 acres of land. Today that area is known as southern Mississauga and part of Halton Region;
• 1818 - signed Treaty 19 allowing the British Crown 648,000 acres of land which includes the rest of the Region of Peel as we know today;
• 1851 - the County of Peel was formed;
• 1974 - a union of all townships and municipalities formed the Region of Peel, including the cities of Brampton, Mississauga, and the Town of Caledon.

Our Name

The Region of Peel is named in honour of nineteenth century British Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel (1788 – 1850). Sir Peel was the creator of London’s Metropolitan Police in 1829 and considered to be the father of modern policing. He believed that the police and community are one. He set the foundation for our police officers to work closely with our community in an effort to keep everyone in our Region safe and to improve our collective quality of life.

The police are the public and the public are the police. - Sir Robert Peel

Our Community

Peel Region is the second largest municipality in Ontario and Peel Regional Police serves its two biggest cities; Mississauga and Brampton. Like Sir Robert Peel, we believe that police and the community are one and we are committed to building strong relationships within our community.

Early on, this was accomplished with our officers walking the beat and getting to know the residents of our cities. With population growth, increased call volume and urban sprawl, we have incorporated technology such as our website and social media accounts to help us expand our reach.

Recognizing the continued need for community interaction and the importance of community engagement, we also host and attend community events. These events allow us to continue to have one-on-one contact with the public. Sir Robert Peel’s concept of community-based policing has stayed strong all these years, and it’s the power of the community that helps us keep the Region of Peel safe.