Records of the Superintendent of Police
- GR-3980
- Series
- 1903-1936
This series consists of a variety of administrative and operational records from the office of the Superintendent of the BC Provincial Police Force. The series includes records from 1861-1936, but records are predominantly from 1903-1936.
The wide variety of records have been arranged into 6 sub-series of records:
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Administrative : equipment, statistics and finances. Most files consist of forms, correspondence or reports and statistics submitted from police divisions, districts and stations across the province to the Superintendent’s office. Some of this information was compiled into various ledgers in the Superintendent's office. Records regard lockups and stations; car, launch and mileage reports; Gasoline Tax Act exemptions; monthly financial analysis; monthly crime analysis, revenue analysis and collections; monthly revenue analysis submitted to the Attorney-General; monthly and annual financial statements for provincial police expenses in each municipality; and inventories of government property or equipment.
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Administrative : personnel. Records include staff pay lists; lists of constables; and advances for constable expenses. This includes staffing data complied to answer questions asked of the Attorney General in the Legislative Assembly regarding staff who left police service and soldiers returned from World War I.
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Operational : licences. This includes correspondence regarding the issuing of licences and records regarding the applications and issuance of licences. Licences issued by the Superintendent of Police evolved over time and include firearm licences, retail licences, trade licences, wholesale licences, liquor licences, and licences to operate an employment agency. See sub-series 4 for motor vehicle licence and GR-0446 for additional records regarding firearm, fishing, hunting and game licences.
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Operational : motor vehicles licencing. Records regard the application, issuing, renewal and transferring of licences; payment and refund of licencing fees; accidents; as well as incidents related to the cancellation or suspension of licences throughout the province.
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Operational : miscellaneous correspondence. Relates to a variety of subjects such as Special Constables at Sooke Lake Reservoir, licence districts, Industrial School supplies, and other subjects.
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Operational : miscellaneous subject files and other records. Subjects include murders of August Carlson and Indigenous men Zelak and Kwa-zitl, Pinkertons investigations looking for wanted persons, a 1909 Cariboo stage coach robbery, hotel and liquor licence inspections, and the admittance of Lord Verney to a mental hospital. This subseries also includes some 1918 circulars and examples of cattle brands burned onto pieces of wood.
British Columbia. Superintendent of Police