SERVICES

The mission of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais’ 9-1-1 Emergency Call Centre is to ensure a rapid response to citizens in emergency situations, to analyze the information gathered and to determine the appropriate resources to ensure the safety of our citizens and responders.

Since 2010, our emergency call service serves two new territories, the Papineau MRC and the Pontiac MRC. It dispatches forty-two (42) fire safety services located within the territorial limits of these two (2) MRCs.

In order to meet the main responsibilities of its mission, the C.A.U. 9-1-1 has state-of-the-art technological equipment, so that the calls received are treated with the support of a computerized platform of type R.A.O. (Computer Assisted Dispatch).

During the year 2021, our dispatchers answered 19,932 9-1-1 calls, an average of 54 9-1-1 calls per day. They also processed 28,045 call cards related to various requests for intervention from the emergency services concerned (police, ambulance, fire).

The Patrol Division is under the responsibility of Inspectors Marc Dubé and Steve Poirier. This division alone accounts for more than 50% of the total Public Security staff. It is made up of patrol officers, road safety prevention officers and officers from the operational support unit (boat, snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles).

The Force Division is the largest structure in the organization.  It is composed of 42 permanent officers and 23 temporary officers. These officers are assigned to 5 separate patrol teams and are under the direct supervision of 5 Lieutenants.

The main responsibility of this division is to ensure the surveillance of the entire territory of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to meet its mandate of monitoring the territory, the Patrol Division can count on specialized equipment and state-of-the-art technology.

The territory of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais is vast and covers 2078.2 km². Six (6) municipalities share this area with a population of over 51,000 inhabitants. Recreational and tourist attractions attract many visitors and seasonal residents. The Gatineau Park and the presence of more than 300 bodies of water explain the seasonal immigration of visitors throughout the year.

The approach of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais Police Service towards its clientele is described as community-based and focused on the needs of the community. It favours collaboration and dialogue, while aiming for a close relationship with the citizens.

The Criminal Investigation Division have of one (1) Inspector, one (1) Detective Lieutenant, eight (8) Detective Sergeants, one (1) Forensic Identification and Technical Support Officer and one (1) Forensic, Parts, Procedures and Warrants Liaison Officer.

Complaints that are taken by the Patrol Division are forwarded to the Detective Lieutenant. The Lieutenant-Detective analyzes the complaints and then proceeds to assign them to the Detective Sergeants so that an investigation can be set up.

The investigation includes taking statements from witnesses, collecting evidence, arresting and interviewing suspects.

The cases are then submitted to a prosecutor and charges are laid in court.

Under the authority of the Detective Lieutenant, the Detective Sergeant conducts the necessary research and activities to solve the investigations assigned to him.

He gathers all the necessary evidence to prepare the indictment, proceeds with the interrogation, on the detention of the accused and the release of the detainee.  He directs the files in Court, ensures the presence of witnesses and also ensures that quality evidence is presented to the Court.

He keeps abreast of crime in the territory and the latest developments in the field of investigation and is familiar with the laws and jurisprudence in force.

The Detective Sergeant is also involved in crime prevention.  He sometimes investigates events of a criminal nature in parallel.

He also carries out all the investigations that are entrusted to him.

He plays an important role in disseminating information on active criminals and plays a key role as a guide and advisor for his fellow officers in matters of investigation.

The Forensic Identification and Technical Support Officer is primarily a crime scene technician who participates with all departmental personnel in the collection and transmission of information necessary to solve investigations and reduce crime.

The Crime Scene Technician develops crime scene evidence search plans and is responsible for the preservation of exhibits.  He/she is responsible for the preparation of technical evidence (photos, prints, various traces, audio-visual documents, etc.) and its presentation to the Court.

He manages the fingerprint files, participates in operations requiring technical expertise and ensures the management of exhibits.

Under the authority of to the Detective Lieutenant, the Liaison Officer acts as a liaison between our Department and various Justice agencies such as the Courts of Justice and other police agencies. The Liaison Officer performs the duties of a peace officer when making arrests and serving documents related to court proceedings.

The officer organizes searches and locates individuals of interest (to be served, with warrants for arrest, committal, etc.). When required, he/she arrests the accused, informs them of their rights and privileges as well as the procedure to follow.  In addition, he provides victims and complainants with documents from the courts, allowing them to proceed with their case before the various courts.

The Community Relations and Prevention section provides proximity services to citizens throughout the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais. This section is composed of a Sergeant. The tasks and responsibilities of the latter are very diversified:

Implement various prevention programs in the area of security and crime prevention;
To ensure proximity services of a community nature;
To ensure a close partnership with different organizations in the area;
Ensure a partnership with schools and ensure a police presence in these places;
Ensure the visibility of the Public Security Department throughout the territory during social and community activities;
Act as a public relations officer and spokesperson for the various media.

The Traffic Unit is composed of two (2) permanent officers. Their objective is to improve and ensure the safety of road users in partnership with the municipalities of the territory. Their work covers the entire road network of the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, which is composed of more than 2,545 km of roads and carriageways.

To meet their objectives, the section’s officers carry out several activities on a daily basis, mainly aimed at enforcing the Quebec Highway Safety Code (HSC) and other traffic-related applications.

To accomplish their tasks, the officers of the Road Safety Section use various equipment, including

Unmarked police vehicles
Doppler and laser radar
Photometer (analysis of the percentage of brightness of a vehicle’s windows)

In November 2002, the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais Public Security service set up a brand new unit within its organization.  This unit, called the Operational Support Unit (OSU), was put into operation in order to respond to a new reform of the Quebec Police Act, which required specific levels of service for the various police forces.

Composed of two (2) permanent officers, the main role of this unit is to ensure support to the surveillance operations of the territory for the two (2) major divisions of the organization. The activities of this unit are therefore very diversified. The officers of this unit ensure a police presence on the entire network of federated trails for snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATV). This police presence is also ensured on the various navigable bodies of water on the territory. The activities of the Operational Support Unit represent, on average, more than 600 hours of field operations per year.

The main activities of this unit are

Snowmobile patrol
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) patrol
Patrol and water safety
Application of the ACCESS program on the Alcoholic Beverages Offences Act (ABOA) in the various liquor stores
Criminal Investigation Support
Support to the surveillance of the territory (patrol)
Support to the Traffic Unit