Organizational Structure

The Administrative Support Branch has a mandate to provide support in the areas of:

• Finance
• Fleet and Vehicle Maintenance 
• Information Technology Services
• Facility Services

Records Section

Members of the Records Section are responsible for liaising with the public and community partners to ensure that police records are shared efficiently and according to legislation. Police records prepared for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and court proceedings play an integral role in maintaining the integrity of the police service.

Property and Evidence Section

Members of the Property Section manage and control thousands of items seized by, or otherwise coming into the possession of, the police. This section is secure and very well organized. Strict policies on the handling of evidence and property ensure that the integrity of the Service is upheld in dealing with matters before the courts and public.

21,733 – Items processed in 2023

Communications and Dispatch

Members of the Communications Section were the first point of
contact for the public in most of the over 50,000 calls for service received by the Brantford Police Service in 2023. The Service continually monitors the effectiveness of this area and strives to use the latest technology and methods of communication to maintain a
high level of service at the main point of contact between the
public and the police.

Court Security

Community Safety and Crime Prevention (CSCP)

This section is comprised of numerous officers and community partners that collectively and collaboratively seek to improve the safety and well-being of the community as a whole. This is accomplished through preventative measures, the Elementary and High School Resource Coordinator programs, as well as risk intervention and incident response (MCRT, COAST, and BCRT).

Elementary School Resource Coordinator

A civilian role, the Elementary School Resource Coordinator is responsible for the delivery of K.I.D.S. partnership programming (Knowledge Issues Decisions and Supports). Organizations represented in this partnership included the Brantford Police Service, Brantford Fire Department, Brant County Health Unit, Children’s Safety Village and the T.I.C.K. Board (Teaching Intelligent Choices in Kids). 

In 2023, the K.I.D.S. program was delivered to full capacity and as a result, 42 (1,140 students) individual classes had been taught.
In 2023, the Elementary School Resource Coordinator also trained 455 students for Safety Patrol, attended sixteen Grade 7/8 classes (452 students) to teach students about internet safety, attended ten Grade 5 classes (523 students) to speak about Internet Safety, twenty-one
Grade 3 classes (556 students) to teach bicycle safety, nineteen
kindergarten classes (724 students) to talk about safety, two classes at
W. Ross MacDonald school to speak with blind students about internet
safety and thirty-one Grade 1 classes (710 students) to teach students
about Community Safety.

High School Resource Officers / PROSE

Through our continued partnership with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB), the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB), and the Ontario Provincial Police, 2023 saw the launch of the enhanced School Resource Officer program in Brantford area schools.

Within the Grand Erie District School Board, the program is being launched as The Police Services in Schools (PROSE), with BPS Constable Kelsie Annaert dedicated to Brantford GEDSB high schools. Within the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic School Board, the program will be relaunched as an enhanced School Resource Officer (SRO) program, with Constable Dakota Brush dedicated to Brantford BHNCSB high schools.

The PROSE / SRO programs will improve safety in and around schools and strengthen the relationship between students and police.  

By placing dedicated officers within our schools, we are taking a proactive step towards ensuring safety, building trust, and fostering mentorship. The PROSE program isn’t just about responding to challenges – it’s about preventing them and creating a secure, supportive environment together where students can learn and grow.

Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT)

The MCRT unit is currently comprised of two teams, each consisting of an officer and a mental health specialist from SOAR Community Services. They are responsible for providing the primary response to
individuals in crisis. MCRT responded to 340 calls for service involving those in mental health crisis. MCRT officers had an apprehension rate of 21%, with 72 involuntary apprehensions and 271 individuals that referred to community partners.

Brant Community Response Team (BCRT)

The Situation Table currently involves over 30 agencies from multiple sectors across Brant/Brantford, including education, primary health, public health, mental health, addictions, law enforcement, justice, harm reduction, victim services, employment support, housing and homelessness, Aboriginal services, and youth support. 

The highest risk factors attributing to situations were Mental Health
and Cognitive Functioning, Antisocial/ Problematic Behaviour (non-criminal) and Substance Abuse.

Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST)

The COAST program was initiated in March of 2019. This program is provided to the community in partnership with SOAR Community Services and works in conjunction with the MCRT. COAST consists of two separate teams.

The first being a sworn member paired with a mental health professional while the other consists of two mental health professionals exclusively. While MCRT focuses their efforts on those in crisis, COAST seeks to identify those in pre-crisis who are exhibiting characteristics of elevation. They in turn are provided access to supportive resources for the purpose of maintaining stability in their state of mental health. The COAST program provides for a secondary
response to MCRT’s primary one.

Human Resources has a mandate to provide support in the areas of:

• Recruiting
• Member Wellness 
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Facility Services

The Operations Branch consists of three primary units:

Uniform Patrol

The Front-Line Community Patrol Officer complement is divided into four (4) platoons, assigned to various shifts, to provide a continuous policing response for our community. In addition to the emergency response, they are also responsible for providing a proactive, preventative response involving community-based policing initiatives.

In 2023, our Community Patrol Officers responded to 57,644 calls for service, higher than that of 2022. From those calls for service 7,318 Criminal charges, 3,955 Provincial charges, 113 Municipal charges were laid, and 126 parking violations were issued.

Traffic Unit - Road Safety

This section is comprised of officers that are specially trained to investigate serious and fatal motor vehicle collisions. The technical components of these investigations require significant resources.

In addition to motor vehicle collisions, the Traffic Section is dedicated to road safety and enforcement. These officers dedicate their time towards educating the public and fellow officers on changes to legislation as they arise. The Traffic Section can also be visible at special public events, including parades, and festivals, conducting traffic control.

Alternative Response Unit (ARU)

Core Engagement Response Team (CERT)

Emergency Response Team

The Emergency Response Team is a group of specially and highly trained officers that respond to serious calls for service, such as weapon calls, barricaded person, hostage situations, and are responsible for the execution of high-risk warrants.

In 2023 the City of Brantford saw an increase in weapon related violence. ERT responded to a total of 299 partial or full team callouts because of the aforementioned incident types. The need for an ERT response has steadily increased in recent years.

Canine Unit (K9) 

The BPS K9 Unit remains committed to public safety, using the unique skills of our canine partners to assist in law enforcement operations.

Click here for more detailed information.

Within the Criminal Investigative Support section you will find the Criminal Investigative Section and the Criminal Intelligence and Enforcement Unit (CIEU), each supervised by a Staff Sergeant.

Sergeants and Detectives assigned to these units are responsible for investigating criminal incidents and significant events including all homicides and attempts, sudden deaths, sexual assaults, offences against children, robberies, arsons, weapons
offences, intimate partner violence, major frauds, and serious assaults.

In 2023, many of the units within the Investigative Support Section transitioned to a new 12-hour shift schedule rotation which mirrored the schedule worked by our uniformed platoons. This increased the capacity of our investigative units to effectively support frontline policing and the community by ensuring Detectives were available nearly 24/7. 

Criminal Investigation Section (CIS)

The Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) is supervised by a Staff Sergeant. Within CIS, you will find the following specialized units:

• Major Crime Unit (MCU)
• Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit (CASA)
• Intimate Partner Violence Unit (IPV)
• Internet Child Exploitation & Tech Crime Unit  (ICE)
• Forensic Identification Section (FIS)
• Crime Analyst
• Fraud
• Major Crime
• High Risk Repeat Offender Unit

Criminal Intelligence and Enforcement Unit

The Criminal Intelligence and Enforcement Unit(CIEU) is supervised by a Staff Sergeant. Within CIEU, you will find the following specialized units:

• Criminal Intelligence Unit
• Drug and Firearm Enforcement Unit (DFEU)
• Intelligence Analyst
• Crime Stoppers

The Quality Assurance Branch is responsible for Corporate Communications, Professional Standards/ SIU, Training, Auxiliary, Quality Control and Auditing.

Corporate Communications 

The Corporate Communications Unit manages media engagement, public relations, and internal communication to ensure accurate and timely information is shared with the public, while supporting crisis communication and  investigative efforts. 

The Corporate Communications Unit works to strengthen connections between the police and the community. 

Professional Standards

The Quality Assurance Branch liaises with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) as it concerns complaints made by the public about the Service. Complaints are categorized by the OIPRD as Conduct Complaints, Service Complaints or Policy Complaints.

Training

Ongoing training is the backbone of professional policing. It ensures our officers have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to serve and protect the community effectively. From crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques to the latest in law enforcement technology, continuous learning helps our officers stay prepared for any situation. 

Auxiliary

The Brantford Auxiliary Police serve the City of Brantford by augmenting the strength of regular officers in the performance of their duties, and provide assistance with traffic and crowd control at major events held throughout the year.

The Auxiliary Police Section is on hand to assist in providing the staffing to coordinate search parties as well as emergency situations that may arise at any time.

Quality Control and Auditing

Maintaining the highest standards in policing requires rigorous quality control and auditing. Regular reviews ensure that policies, procedures, and operations meet legal standards while continuously improving efficiency and effectiveness. By holding ourselves accountable through audits and assessments, we  ensure the best possible service for our community.