No birthday is complete without a party, and members of the Regina Police Service celebrated the force’s 125th anniversary with hundreds of their closest friends.
The police service held a free barbeque in Victoria Park on Wednesday. Officers were on hand to serve up hotdogs and hamburgers to the community.
“We're proud of the fact we're celebrating our 125th anniversary today and we're proud to celebrate that out in the community and clearly the community is here to celebrate with us,” Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said.
Regina’s first-ever police officer was sworn in on July 19th, 1892. James Williams’ duties included issuing dog tags, keeping streets clear, and rounding up stray farm animals. Some of those tasks, surprisingly, still hold up.
Bray recalled a bull escaping from Agribition in 2009.
“I remember standing on a very cold, cold winter day on the intersection of Pasqua (Street) and Fourth Avenue, facing a bull with a ring its nose that's pulled free from its chain, thinking ‘really?!’"
Both the city and the force have changed over time. As Regina has grown more diverse, so has its police force.
Technology has also had a big impact on police work at every level.
“I used to handwrite everything. Everything was handwritten and now it’s all computers and hand held devices and its funny for officers coming in now, that's their normal,” said acting superintendent Darcy Koch, a 30-year veteran of the force.
The scope of RPS has also evolved over time. When first sworn in, Williams was the only officer on the force. Now RPS has 405 sworn members, as well as 206 civilian staff.
Huge crowds turned up to celebrate the anniversary, and Bray said it’s a sign of the relationship RPS has built with the force.
"We're only as good as the community we serve and we serve a damn good community,” he said.
And apparently, they also serve good burgers. The fire department had to bring in more food to sate the hungry revelers and keep the party going.
