Ever since Mayor Matthew McCauley issued bylaw #15 in 1892, establishing a single constable to protect 700 citizens, the EPS’s growth and development has been intertwined with this city.
When EPS’s first constable P. D. Campbell was hired on July 21, 1892, he was paid $50 per month. Today, a first year constable earns $65,930.
In 1905, the annual police expenses were $4,424. Today the 2017 budget is nearly $300 million.
The EPS’s first Kissel Kar patrol wagon, supplied by the Scott Motor Company of Edmonton, was purchased on February 26, 1913 for $1,500.00. Today, a police vehicle costs $65,000.
Gone are the days when a police organization was run with a few constables and two horses. Times may have changed since the service was first established, but one thing has always remained constant; the pride that members take in the profession, the department, and their community. Members of the EPS continue to be Dedicated to Protect, and Proud to Serve.
As part of the year’s celebrations, this video was produced using archival photos and film, including a ride along filmed by CBC in 1968. The eight-minute video captures the ‘esprit de corps’ of the EPS.
Future EPS 125 events for citizens to come out and celebrate are the Civic Celebration at Edmonton City Hall @ 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, and the Public Picnic at Borden Park on Sunday, August 20.