RCMP Strategic Priorities:

• Youth - prevent and reduce involvement in crime as victims and offenders
   
• Aboriginal Communities - Contribute to safer and healthier communities
   
• International Policing - effective support of international operations
   
• Organized Crime - reduce the threat and impact
   
• Terrorism - reduce the threat in Canada and abroad

• The RCMP has 11 Districts and 48 Detachments throughout the province and polices 690 communities.
   
• The RCMP polices 60% of the population and 82% of the geographical area of the province.
   
• The RCMP hires an average of 50 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and an average of 14 summer students per year.
   
• The RCMP has a total of 750 full and part time employees throughout the province.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was founded in 1873. It was first known as the North West Mounted Police and was modeled after the Royal Irish Constabulary. The first Newfoundlander to join was 21- year old Constable Earnest W. Peyton in 1888. He was the son of a prominent family from Twillingate.

It was March 22, 1949, some 124 years after its inception, that the RCMP arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador. Eight members and one officer arrived in Newfoundland and opened a Divisional Headquarters on Kenna’s Hill in St. John’s. They were posted to enforce federal law. The force was officially recognized a year later on August 1, 1950 with an agreement between RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gray and the Attorney General for the province, the Honourable L. R. Curtis.

The force took over the duties of the former Newfoundland Rangers and also members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary serving outside St. John’s. Fifty-five Newfoundland Rangers and 22 Constabulary members were accepted into the RCMP. The force was given the responsibility of policing all of Newfoundland and Labrador with the exception of St. John’s. The Force continued to grow and in 1954 they opened a subdivision headquarters in Corner Brook and St. John’s. As the force continued to expand, subdivisions were added in Gander and Labrador.

Women joined the Force in 1974. Three of the first group of women accepted into the force were Newfoundlanders. Two of them are currently serving in the province.

Today, there are 11 districts and 48 detachments in Newfoundland and Labrador. The RCMP has a total of 750 full and part-time employees throughout the province. Since the 1950s, the services of the RCMP have expanded to include Air Services, Marine Transport, Highway Patrols, Forensic Identification, Police Dog Services, Computer Technology and Telecommunications. The RCMP also has federal responsibilities in this province. This involves policing in the areas of drugs, proceeds of crime, customs and excise and economic crime.

Members killed on duty in "B" Division:

The RCMP has had two members killed in Newfoundland. Cst. Terry Hoey was 21 years old when he was serving in Botwood, November 6, 1958. Cst. Hoey, along with two other RCMP members, responded to a domestic dispute between the owner of a local restaurant and his son. After getting no response from inside the living quarters of the restaurant and fearing for the son's life, the three members entered a side window and knocked on the living room door. They received no answer and found the door had been heavily barricaded. They called out to the owner and asked him to open the door. Immediately a shotgun blast ripped through the wood of the closed door striking Cst. Hoey in the chest. He died at the scene. A great part of his family's sorrow was in knowing that Terry had wanted to be a policeman all his life and that wish had led him to his death.

Cst Robert Amey has 24 years old when he was killed December 17, 1964 in Whitbourne. Four men broke out of Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's. They stole a car and headed west along the Trans-Canada Highway. Near Whitbourne, they ran through an RCMP roadblock that had been set up by Csts. David Keith and Robert Amey. A chase ensued, and the four fugitives soon abandoned their car and ran for cover. They were discovered hiding in Whitbourne. Even though they were cornered, they refused to surrender. Amey went to the car radio and called for help. When Amey was in the cruiser, the four rushed Cst. Keith and after beating him severely, took away his service revolver. When Amey came running back, he could see that Keith was down and one of the fugitives was armed. Amey attempted to hold the prisoners at gun point but the fugitive fired three shots, one of which hit Amey in the chest, killing him instantly. Using Amey's gun, Cst. Keith was able to arrest all four fugitives.