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Only top-level descriptions British Columbia. Provincial Police Force Police--British Columbia
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Account books

  • GR-0823
  • Series
  • 1858-1873

This series consists of three volumes of record books from the Colony of Vancouver Island Police and Prisons Department, and later and Colony of British Columbia Police, 1858-1873. Records include an account book, 1858-1863 (contains also some fire department accounts); requisition book, 1859-1861; record of constable's clothing and advance warrants, police and gaol, 1866-1873.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Police and Prisons Dept.

British Columbia Provincial Police correspondence

  • GR-1576
  • Series
  • 1890-1911

This series contains correspondence inward and outward of the Provincial Police Force Headquarters in Victoria, principally received or signed by Sergeants J.M. Langley and F.R. Murray but including letters received or signed by the Superintendent and by various constables. The letters deal with matters concerning both Vancouver Island and the coast, and the province generally. They also include the Superintendents' report of his inspection of goals, lock-ups, and police posts, 31 December 1903.

There is also a letterpress book of correspondence from the Superintendent of Provincial Police J.S. Hussey, Sgt. John M. Langley, Provincial Constables Frank C. Ireland, John McKenna, Frank Murray, Arthur Carter, D.G. Cox and Daniel Campbell.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force (Victoria District)

Correspondence and other material

  • GR-2573
  • Series
  • ca. 1913-1931

Boundary District Provincial Police files, consisting of correspondence, reports, jail calendars, vouchers, etc., from Coalmont, Fairview, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Hedley, Keremeos, Midway, Oliver, Penticton, Phoenix and Princeton, and correspondence with other police districts and with Victoria Headquarters.

These records were copied from originals loaned by the Penticton Museum in 1981. The originals had been transferred to the Penticton Museum and Archives by the Penticton area RCMP detachment. In 2006, the records were transferred to the BC Archives (accession 95-5924).

The numbered files that were microfilmed (40-1113 to 40-3500) appear to be consistent with the transferred originals. However, there are additional records on the microfilm (see the “Correspondence” and “Miscellaneous” sections in the Finding Aid).

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force (Boundary District)

Correspondence relating to the Royal Visit, 1939

  • GR-0059
  • Series
  • 1939

The series consists of correspondence relating to the Royal Visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to British Columbia in 1939.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Crime reports

  • GR-3598
  • Series
  • 1932-1944

The series consists of a letterbook containing crime reports produced or collected by Sergeant John William Hooker during the course of his duties as a British Columbia Provincial Police (BCPP) officer while posted to Coquitlam, Grand Forks, Nelson, Smithers, Prince George, Clinton, Ashcroft, Spence’s Bridge, Merritt, and Kamloops between 1932 and 1944. The records cover a variety of crimes and social issues—particularly in small, rural communities. In addition to generic social issues, the records from Grand Forks (file 3) relate primarily to Doukhobors, and include reports on the settlement of Gilpin.

The majority of the reports were produced by Hooker. Some supplemental records (copies), such as an inquest, inward correspondence in relation to particular cases, and a reason for judgement are interfiled with the crime reports.

The records are arranged chronologically and by detachment location. The records do not capture all crime reports filed in a particular district, but were likely selected by Hooker. Some of these files have been labeled in pencil “Personal file.” The records consist primarily of crime reports on standard BCPP letterhead. Each report contains the district, detachment, and the date, as well as an overview of the case and persons involved.

Some of these records may also be available in GR-1388: Correspondence and other material created by the British Columbia Provincial Police Force of the Yale district. John William Hooker's personnel card, which provides details of the service of constables, including marital status, date of first appointment, station, and various postings, can be found in GR-0091, vol. 30-31.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Daily Provincial Police reports

  • GR-0445
  • Series
  • 1913-1921

This series consists of four page report forms completed each month by BC Provincial Police Force constables at police stations throughout the province. The form provides a space for describing each day's activities and also lists personal and extra equipment issued to the constable. The completed reports were submitted to the Chief constable of the Police District, and forwarded by him to the office of the Superintendent.

The series also includes two volumes of log books recording the receipt of the reports from constables across the province. The books are likely from the office of the Police Superintendent. One volume is dated 1913-1920 and includes a list of correspondence received by R.E. Hose, secretary of the Game Board, Vancouver. The other volume includes monthly reports from October 1904 to February 1908. The actual reports for these earlier years are not included in this series.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Detective Office day book

  • GR-3979
  • Series
  • 1914-1918, 1933-1934

This series consists of one bound day book from the Provincial Police Detective Office. The book contains daily entries by several detectives describing what they did each day, including places they traveled to, cases worked on, people interviewed and suspects apprehended. The located in Vancouver, but detective covered cases across the province, including Kamloops and Vancouver Island.

The first half of the book is written by one unnamed detective and covers the days 1 April 1914 – 10 May 1918. The second half of the book is labelled as “Vancouver District Headquarters C.I.B. Memos : C. Ledoux – M.J. Phillips” and covers the days 1 January 1933 to 31 December 1934. A variety of crimes are included, such as theft, murder and fraud. CIB likely reference to the Criminal Investigation Branch.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Inspector T.G. Wynn correspondence outward

  • GR-0336
  • Series
  • 1913

This series consists of correspondence outward of BC Provincial Police Inspector T.G. Wynn from 10 January - 12 April 1913.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Letterbook

  • GR-2280
  • Series
  • 1872-1873

Letterbook of correspondence outward from the Attorney General's office January 1872 - October 1872 (McCreight) and January - September 1873 (Walkem) regarding policing In the province. Indexed. There is a list of constables, and clerks of the bench and their location glued to the inside cover of the volume.

British Columbia. Dept. of the Attorney-General

Monthly crime analysis and statement of fines

  • GR-0666
  • Series
  • 1923-1926; 1930-1935

This series consists of ten volumes of Provincial Police Force monthly crime analysis and statement of fines, 1923-1926 and 1930-1935. Volume 1 is arranged by division, then district. All other volumes are arranged alphabetically by district or municipality.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

North Saanich Council minute books and Provincial Police daily diary

  • GR-0046
  • Series
  • 1906-1911, 1913-1915

The series consists of two volumes of minute books created by the Council of North Saanich between 1906 and 1911. Volume 1 covers the period of March 1906 to June 1910 and volume 2 covers June 1910 to December 1911. The volumes contain the minutes of both regular and special meetings and refer to council activities in the North Saanich and Sidney area.

Volume 2 also contains the daily diary of the Provincial Police Dept., Sidney from December 1913 to May 1915.

North Saanich (B.C. : Municipality)

Penticton Police Court record books

  • GR-1839
  • Series
  • 1910-1950

Provincial Police Court record books for 1910-1929 and 1932-1950 showing name of prosecutor, name of defendant, nature of the charge, costs, name of arresting officer, name of gaol or lockup, order or conviction, amount of fine, name of presiding magistrate or justice and "remarks" .

British Columbia. Police Court (Penticton)

Policing subject and personnel files

  • GR-0750
  • Series
  • 1942-1965

This series consists of a variety of administrative files related to the British Columbia Provincial Police Force. This includes Attorney General files P-291-2 and P-291-7, Policing of British Columbia, consisting of files on the take over of the B.C. Provincial Police by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and of various personnel files, 1942-1965.

British Columbia. Dept. of the Attorney-General

Provincial Police administrative records

  • GR-2091
  • Series
  • 1941-[ca. 1950]

The series consists of records acquired and created by Colin Clarence Campbell, Clerk in the British Columbia Provincial Police Force, between 1941 and ca. 1950. There are copies of general orders, 1941-1947; nominal rolls, 1941-1948; salary lists, 1947-1949, and seniority lists, 1941-1948. In addition there are two police publications: regulations from 1945 and consolidated general orders from 1947, some lists of officers working in Oakalla Prison, 1944-1948, a list of officers and their dependents, 1948 and a list from about 1950 of the city and district municipalities policed by the R.C.M.P.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police circulars and wanted posters

  • GR-4000
  • Series
  • 1884-1928, 1936-1948

This series consists of a variety of circulars (later referred to as orders), wanted posters, informations and warrants. The records were created and used by the Provincial Police Force from 1884-1920s and general orders from the 1920s-1948. The series contains several volumes with have both types of records intermingled. Some volumes are indexed by subject or name of the wanted person.

Circulars and orders provide a concise summary of changes to criminal charges, and other the directives and instructions sent to police staff. Most circulars are copied and provided to all constables and inspectors from the Police Superintendent or police Headquarters in Victoria, but some are sent from regional offices or other officials to their subordinates. General circulars or orders would have been sent to all offices.

Most of the wanted posters, informations, and warrants were received from police in other provinces or the United States, in hopes of locating wanted or missing persons. Some were created by the BC Provincial Police and are related to crimes committed in British Columbia. Photos or drawings of the individuals, fingerprints and writing samples may be included on the posters.

Two volumes were created by the central Provincial Police Force office from 1914 to 1923. Records include written circulars provided as instructions to various police force staff across the province; notices of changes to legislation or regulations; and wanted posters or descriptions of wanted persons. Records have been glued into volumes by the date they were created or received by the office.

There are also several files of loose circulars and wanted posters, some from the Nelson office of the Provincial Police Force and the Motor Vehicle Branch in Victoria. Some circulars may have be received from other members of government, such as the Attorney General. One file of circulars relates specifically to the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).

There is also one file of nominal rolls from 1927 listing each staff and their position.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police correspondence

  • GR-0105
  • Series
  • 1918-1923

The series consists of Provincial Police Inspector's files created between ca. 1918 and 1923. The files are numbered from 50 to 106 and are subject files containing letters addressed to the Superintendent, Inspector and Chief Constable. The correspondence relates to the Victoria Police District.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police correspondence and accounts

  • GR-0092
  • Series
  • 1858-1868, 1898-[ca. 1933]

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police Force between 1858 and ca. 1933.
The records include correspondence and other material regarding financial matters such as budgets, estimates, vouchers issued, revenue returns, bills, statements and receipts. The records also include correspondence and lists regarding stores, uniforms, equipment and supplies; vehicle reports and some colonial era records relating to Victoria and Vancouver Island police, prison, fire department and prisons.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police Inspectors' correspondence and reports

  • GR-0097
  • Series
  • 1908-1911

The series consists of records created by Inspectors in the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1908 and 1911. It includes correspondence inward to Inspectors J.H. McMullin (to Dec 1909) and Colin Campbell (Sep 1910 - Dec 1911); Inspectors' correspondence outward, 1909-1911 (indexed); and reports on inspection tours by Campbell, 1910-1911.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police personnel records

  • GR-0091
  • Series
  • 1858-1863; 1894-1950

The series consists of Provincial Police Force personnel records created between 1858 and 1950, mostly from after 1900. The records include applications, correspondence regarding applications, oath books, pay lists and other salary records, staff registers, nominal rolls and personnel cards. Some records may relate to staffing provincial gaols and game wardens.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police record of ticket sales and stock book of amusement tax tickets

  • GR-0096
  • Series
  • 1917-1920

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1917 and 1920 relating to the enforcement of the Amusements Tax Act, 1917. Includes record of ticket sales [Victoria?] and stock book of amusement tax tickets, 1919-1920.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police records relating to the Victoria district

  • GR-0107
  • Series
  • 1877-1928

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1877 and 1925. The records relate to the Victoria district and include the following: Police and gaol diary, 1877; Provincial Police record books, Jan. 1894 to Nov. 1898; office diaries, 1911 to 1914 and 1921 to 1924; report book, 1916 to 1925; files relating to informations, warrants and depositions, 1893 to 1909; and deposition case files from 1919 to 1923 and 1925.

The series also includes correspondence files from Otway Wilkie, Senior Police Constable, Victoria, dated 1922-1923. This position is also referred to as the Officer commanding “A” Division. “A” Division of the BC Provincial Police Force included subdivisions for the Victoria and Vancouver regions, but had its headquarters in Victoria. The Senior Constable may have been located in the same office as the Police Superintendent, which was responsible for the entire province. Many records are to or from the Superintendent or include stamps from the Office of the Superintendent. These records include circulars, correspondence, game reports, coroner inquisition records, reports on various crimes. Correspondence may be with other police officials or from public reporting or providing information on crimes.

There is also a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the Vancouver Daily Province from 1927-1928 created by the Victoria Criminal Identification Department. The clippings relate to a variety of crimes reported in the paper. They are arranged by date and indexed by name of the individuals in the paper. The scrapbook was likely used as a reference for tracking repeat offenders.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force (Victoria District)

Provincial Police registers of outgoing mail

  • GR-0090
  • Series
  • 1923-1926

The series consists of two Provincial Police Force registers of outgoing mail from 1923 to 1926. The registers list names of addressees only with no indication of subject.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force

Provincial Police vouchers and correspondence

  • GR-0106
  • Series
  • 1917-1929

The series consists of records created by the Superintendent of Provincial Police between 1917 and 1929. The records relate to the Victoria district and "A" division and contain files relating to various acts including the Sheep Protection Act and the Poll Tax Act from 1917 to 1921; vouchers and correspondence re vouchers from 1917 to 1925; and vouchers and miscellaneous letters from 1928 to 1929.

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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

Revenue receipt books

  • GR-0438
  • Series
  • 1887-1922

The series consists of 11 volumes of revenue receipt books created by the British Columbia Superintendent of Police between 1897 and 1922.

Each volume (many identified as Form J) lists revenue receipts of monies collected by the Provincial Police and the associated payments made to the Treasury. The revenue receipts are arranged chronologically and include payments received for various licences such as liquor trade, peddler, motor vehicle and chauffeur licences, firearms, dogs, angler and other game licences. Other entries include fines, prisoner's keep and poll tax payments.

Many of the early entries are signed by Superintendent F.S. Hussey.

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

Revenue receipt books : form J

  • GR-0439
  • Series
  • 1907-1914

The series consists of 2 volumes of revenue receipt books created by the British Columbia Superintendent of Police between 1907 and 1914.

Each volume, identified as form J, lists revenue receipts of monies collected by the Provincial Police and the associated payments made to the Treasury. The revenue receipts are arranged chronologically and consist of payments received for licences for anglers and permits for export of game. There are also licences for firearms, listed as ordinary, general and special licences.

Volume 1 is from August 1907 to October 1913 and volume 2 is from October 1913 to October 1914.

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

Superintendent of Provincial Police correspondence inward

  • GR-0055
  • Series
  • 1891-1910

The series consists of Superintendent of Police correspondence inward from 1891 to 1910. The correspondence is generally filed chronologically and alphabetically by sender's name.

With the exception of certain files in 1896 and 1897, the correspondence from 1891 to 1900 is organized by date and then by letter of the alphabet. From 1901 to 1910 the correspondence is organized by alphabet ranges, and then by varying date ranges, e.g. Jan 1901-Mar 1903 for Aa-Bx but Jan 1901-Sep 1902 for Caa-Cz. Correspondence for a particular time period is therefore also not sequential. A single year or date range is distributed over several different boxes, depending on the name of the correspondent. Date ranges are not exact, i.e. files may contain earlier correspondence than indicated if it is part of an ongoing issue. The letter ranges are guides only and do not necessarily reflect the exact contents of a file, e.g. Com-Cz may contain correspondents ranging from Cotton to Cutter only.

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

Superintendent of Provincial Police correspondence inward

  • GR-0056
  • Series
  • 1910-1912

The series consists of correspondence inward to Superintendent of Provincial Police from May 1910 to August 1912.

The records are filed chronologically within the following categories:

  1. General, from government departments (1907-1912) (Volumes 1 to 4)
  2. Wanted or missing (Volume 5)
  3. District: Atlin, Hazelton, Skeena, Boundary, Cariboo, Hazelton, Kamloops, Kootenay west, east, southeast, and northeast, Nanaimo Comox, West coast, Vancouver, Vancouver Westminster, Victoria and Yale (Volumes 6 to 31).

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

Superintendent of Provincial Police correspondence inward

  • GR-0057
  • Series
  • 1912-1922

The series consists of correspondence inward to the Superintendent of Police between 1912 and 1922. The records are numbered subject files which are arranged in numerical order. The series includes "aliens and enemies" files; "Form A" files in boxes 14 - 20 contain the names of enemy aliens who were required to register and report to the Provincial Police, but remained "on parole" within the community. They also include the names of enemy aliens who were already imprisoned in local jails. Other correspondence deals with issues such as bigamy, seduction, illegal sale of liquor, prostitution, burglary, sudden or mysterious deaths, gambling, arson, and escaped prisoners. During this period, the police also conducted searches for individuals reported missing by overseas family members. Such letters were usually written when an emigrant family member had fallen out of contact with his or her relatives in their home country, and are not indicative of foul play.

British Columbia. Superintendent of Police

Telegrams sent by Provincial Police

  • GR-0098
  • Series
  • 1913; 1941-1945

The series consists of copies of telegrams sent by the British Columbia Provincial Police in 1913 and from 1941 to 1945.

British Columbia. Provincial Police Force