History

PRP Celebrating 50 Years

2024 marked the start of a new chapter for Peel Regional Police as we celebrated our 50th Anniversary.

Our story started on January 1,1974, with the amalgamation of five police services: Mississauga, Port Credit, Streetsville, Brampton and Chinguacousy. It was a year filled with optimism for a growing and vibrant community, and a police service that was ready to serve.

Over the past five decades, Peel Regional Police has grown and evolved to better respond to needs, and are proud to be a part of the fabric of our community. While we did not know in 1974 how far we would come, one thing has always remained the same: our vision and mission of building a Safer Community Together.

We want to recognize our organization’s rich history, celebrate our past and present members, and continue to strengthen relationships in our community. We are grateful for the deep and meaningful relationships we have built with our residents, partners and stakeholders. Our commitment has always been and continues to be to service-excellence.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to the safety and well-being of our community and our members. Peel Regional Police will continue to strive to be one of the most innovative, inclusive and progressive police services in Canada.

Chief Nishan Duraiappah

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.

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

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.

Jennifer Evans
October 12, 2012 to January 11, 2019

Mike Metcalf
January 1, 2006 to July 31, 2012

Deceased: June 1, 2024

Noel Catney
April 24, 1997 to December 31, 2005

Deceased: April 2023

Robert F. Lunney
April 2, 1990 to March 31, 1997

William Teggart
January 1, 1988 to June 30, 1990

Deceased: September 19, 2019

Douglas K. Burrows
January 1, 1974 to December 31, 1987

Deceased: June 12, 2020