From 1833 to 1844, there were no formal means of transportation for officers or prisoners. Prior to 1844, officers patrolled the city by foot.
By the early to mid 1800’s, the first horse drawn patrol wagon (referred to as the Number One Patrol Wagon) was purchased and put to use for patrolling and transporting of prisoners.
By 1874, the Hamilton Street Railway, consisting of a large fleet of horse-drawn railway cars, was created.
The Schacht motor vehicle, purchased by the Force in 1912, was the first motorized cruiser.
In 1921, the motorcycle squad was formed to meet the rapidly growing needs of the community.
From 1833 to 1844, there were no formal means of transportation for officers or prisoners. Prior to 1844, officers patrolled the city by foot. On occasion, police officers on bicycles called “fly cops” would be sent to remote areas to respond to an emergency or send out orders to officers on foot patrol. Following-up an arrest was often difficult, as officers would have to resort to carrying or dragging criminals or drunks, often for a great distance. A wheel-barrow was often used to transport people to the police station. Citizens were often paid up to 50 cents to assist in the carrying of these criminals or drunks.
By the early to mid 1800’s, the first horse drawn patrol wagon (referred to as the Number One Patrol Wagon) was purchased and put to use for patrolling and transporting of prisoners. The vehicle was one of the first of its kind in North America. It proved to be an effective tool for the Police Department in terms of combating crimes and responding to disorderly situations. The police wagon was to remain in use for many decades, but its shortcomings were apparent. The wagon was noisy, and would often alert criminals when the police were approaching. A growing problem was that the population and the boundaries of the city became larger, creating a demand for public transportation.
By 1874, the Hamilton Street Railway, consisting of a large fleet of horse-drawn railway cars, was created (see @HamiltonTransitHistory). In order to keep up with community demands, the Police Department purchased a second covered wagon (referred to as the Number Two Wagon). In 1904, the Department purchased a horseless carriage. It paved the way for more advanced motorized vehicles. This was an important step to take, as the automobile was slowly becoming a common sight on the streets of Hamilton. New laws and regulations were to be established with the introduction of the automobile in everyday life.
The Schacht (1912)
The Schacht motor vehicle, purchased by the Force in 1912, was the first motorized cruiser. It was to mark the beginning of the modern age, and the transformation to motorized vehicles. This was the initiative of Chief William Whatley. The Schacht vehicle was built in Hamilton at the Schacht Plant which was located at 100 Cumberland Avenue (it later became the Lifesavers Factory and at the time of writing is being rezoned as condominiums). The Schacht dramatically improved response time and allowed for greater territorial coverage.
By 1918, it was evident that more vehicles would be required in order to maintain their present level of service. The Force purchased its first motorcycle, as well as a motorized patrol wagon and a Willys Knight ambulance. By 1921, the fleet had grown to 2 patrol wagons, 9 motorcycles, 2 ambulances, and 3 Ford built passenger cars.
Motorcycle Squad (1921)
The Hamilton Police Department had garnered the reputation of being one of the most progressive Forces in Canada. In 1921, the motorcycle squad was formed to meet the rapidly growing needs of the community. Originally an 8-man squad, it was revered for its improvement of police response time. Prior to the motorcycle squad, response time was slow, and often, crimes would be over by the time police
arrived. The motorcycle’s response time was even faster than that of the automobile. An automobile required up to ten minutes to reach a destination while motorcycles were able to reach the farthest given point in the city limits in less than two minutes from receiving a call. They were able to travel at speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour.
Special Function Vehicles
The jeep was also commonly used from the 30’s to the 80’s, particularly on the Hamilton mountain as roads were often considered too rough for conventional vehicles. Due to the growing complexities of crime and the sophistication of crime fighting equipment, the 1950’s ushered in the use of specialized vehicles in the battle against crime. The use of dogs and the formation of the Canine Unit created the need for station wagons equipped for the transportation of the animals. The Identification Department, which has the responsibility of forensically examining crime scenes, dusting for fingerprints and taking photographs, soon obtained its own specially equipped vehicle. The introduction of the steel-reinforced bomb disposal truck in the 1950’s marked a growth in the new wave of violence and the need to respond to the changes in crime.
Motorized trail bikes were added to the Force in the 1980’s to combat crime in the areas of the region which conventional vehicles could not reach. They were effective in dispersing “bush parties” and patrolling dense bush areas. The Bicycle Squad was introduced in the early 1990’s as a means to allow officers to cover vast territory traditionally covered by foot. It also allowed officers to be more accessible to the public.
The Emergency Response Unit vehicle is used to house the officers and the equipment at the scenes of hostage-taking incidents or armed stand-offs. Over the years, several regular vehicles have been designated to branches such as Community Services, Summons, and Traffic. They provide support services to the officers on patrol.
Colour Schemes
It should be noted that the colour scheme of Police Vehicles was originally a solid black with no markings. Some specialty vehicles eventually applied white lettering and crest on the doors. In the 1950’s the colour scheme changed to a two-tone black and white scheme. The front doors were white with black lettering on them. The colour scheme changed once again in the 1960’s to a two-toned Blue and white scheme with white being on the hood, roof, trunk and front doors. Also at this time, a small “badge” graphic was added containing the car number in the middle of the door between the words “Hamilton” and “Police”. In 1964 this graphic was replaced with the City crest. This continued up to regionalization in 1974. The blue and white colour scheme remained but the graphics were removed and the doors read “Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police”. In 1979 the colour scheme changed to a yellow with the regional crest on the doors. This was also the time that the bar light system was put into effect, replacing the single light system. The colour change and light bar change was done to improve visibility.
On August 24, 1988 the Police Commission voted to go from reflective yellow to solid white with red
and blue reflective stripes adorning the side of the vehicle. This was done after the automaker said they would discontinue manufacturing in the colour yellow (Spectator, Aug 25 1988). This colour scheme remained through until the City of Hamilton amalgamated on January 1, 2001. A new crest was developed by the Police Service and added. This colour scheme remained until February 22, 2011.
In February, 2006, a “Blue Light” initiative was spearheaded by the Peel Regional Police Service (P.C. Gary Carty and P.C. Ken Wright). It won the unanimous approval from the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. The blue light initiative argued that the addition of flashing blue lights to Police Vehicle Lighting systems would greatly increase the visibility of police vehicles and causes drivers to give them more room during traffic stops, particularly at night. Scientifically speaking, the human eye sees blue more brightly at night. Blue also adds contrast with white headlights coming towards you and the red the tail lights of other vehicles in your lane. A significant number of officer fatalities were traffic-related. Ironically, the RCMP, all other Canadian provinces, members of the European Union, all 50 American states and all but a handful of the remaining world nations use emergency blue lighting in police cruisers. It was seen as an International Standard.
On April 12, the Provincial Government introduced Bill 203, the Safer Roads for Ontario Act 2007, and amended it to allow for police vehicles to display flashing blue and red emergency lighting. On July 4, 2007, Hamilton Police began to change over their light bars to blue and red. It should be noted, that the Marine Fleet had always been using blue flashing lights, a Police Marine standard.
In 2010 the Hamilton Police Fleet committee proposed to the Chief of Police that the vehicle colour scheme change to either a two-toned black and white or blue and white. A number of Police Services had “returned to these colour schemes as they were seen as distinctively “Police”. Furthermore, the advancement of reflective graphics allowed for better visibility on vehicles, especially at night. Many Taxi companies were driving decommissioned police vehicles and had adopted a similar colour scheme to police vehicles. Chief Glenn DeCaire ordered that the members of the Police Service be given the chance to vote on one of three options: 1) Status Quo – Keep the all white scheme with reflective blue and white stripes, 2) Blue and White scheme, and 3) Black and White scheme. The results were overwhelming to purchase black and white vehicles. On February 23, 2011 the first black and white Ford CVPI’s were shown to the community and media.
THE FUTURE
Transportation has dramatically affected the efficiency of policing, particularly in terms of response time and area serviced. Further urban growth and even more specialized needs will create a further necessity for future expansion in terms of transportation. Currently, the Police Service is looking into the viability of using a helicopter to increase service. Nevertheless, transportation has and always will play a major role in the success of the Police Service.
Hamilton Police Historical Society & Museum, 314 Wilson Street East, Ancaster, Ontario, L9G 2B9
905-648-6404 ~ hpshistorian@gmail.com
Mailing Address: 155 King William Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8R 1A7