LibGuides: Police: Websites

Websites

Canadian Firearms Program
Provides online access to the Canadian Firearms Manual, to Forms and Assistance and to safety information.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
The national intelligence organization dedicated to the protection of Canada's security interests. This site links to CSIS publications, CSIS contacts and news releases.
Center for Problem-Oriented Policing
The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing is a non-profit organization comprising affiliated police practitioners, researchers, and universities dedicated to the advancement of problem-oriented policing. Their site provides guides and tools to help police identify and remove the causes of recurring crime and disorder problems that harm communities.
COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services)
The COPS site is designed to support police agencies' efforts to reach out to the communities they serve through community policing information. It provides resources and access to training that cover various ways to help make communities safer - from putting more officers on the street to training them in the use and application of cutting-edge technology to intervening in the lives of at-risk youth.
Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC)
CISC "is an organization that provides the facilities to unite the criminal intelligence units of Canadian law enforcement agencies in the fight against the spread of organized crime in Canada". Includes access to CISC's annual reports on organized crime in Canada.
Justice Technology Information Network (JUSTNET)
JUSTNET serves as a gateway to the products and services of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC). Site links to Technology Projects, Services/Assistance and What's New: Publications, Conferences and Training.
Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner
The British Columbia Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is an independent agency established under the Police Act. Monitors complaints against municipal police to ensure they are handled fairly and impartially. Includes decisions of the Commissioners and investigation and disciplinary reports.
Officer.Com - The Police Officer's Internet Directory
This site covers everything from police organizations and agencies, law libraries online, training, employment opportunities, and listservs to terrorist groups, special operations, officers' personal home pages, and more.
Policing in B.C.
Police Services includes their publication: Police and Crime, Summary Statistics.

Canadian Council on Social Development - Crime Prevention Links
Canadian Council on Social Development's (CCSD) listing of links to sites concerned with crime prevention.
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia is British Columbia’s “integrated anti-gang police agency”. The CFSEU-BC is the largest integrated police program in Canada, made up of members from every police department in B.C., including the RCMP, and are the third largest police ‘force’ in the province with over 400 officers.
Crime Stoppers International
Established to support a worldwide network of Crime Stopper programs.
Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers
Online mugshots, crimes of the week, and stolen property in the greater Vancouver area.
National Crime Prevention Strategy
Provides: information about funding programs, access to document and publications through their Resources section and links to Research & Evaluation.

Canadian Society of Forensic Science
Provides links to History, Resources, Education, Membership, Workshops and the Canadian Society of Forensic Science quarterly Journal subscription information.
The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences is the Professional body representing Forensic Sciences worldwide.
Complete Latent Print Examination - CPLEX
This site, maintained by the Southern California Association of Fingerprint Officers (SCAFO), is th home base from which Latent Print Examiners can easily access any available information about the science and practice they may need.
Forensic Chemistry Laboratory Manual
This laboratory manual is designed to assist analytical and forensic chemistry faculty in developing forensic chemistry project laboratories for undergraduate and graduate courses. The manual provides a set of resources for ten common forensic chemistry analyses, including sample preparation, full procedures, brief (student) instructions, and typical results (data, graphs, calculated values).

British Columbia Police Association
This provincial association represents over 2,500 frontline police officers in BC.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP)
The Association is dedicated to the support and promotion of efficient law enforcement and to the protection and security of the people of Canada.
CACP Apology to 2SLGBTQ+ Communities
Canadian Police Association
"The Canadian Police Association (CPA) is the national voice for 30,000 police personnel across Canada". Includes links to other international, national, provincial and local Police Associations.
The Canadian Society of Evidence-Based Policing
The Canadian Society of Evidence-Based Policing (CAN-SEBP) is an association of police practitioners, academic researchers, public policy-makers and others, whose mission is to foster the creation and mobilization of quality research in order to make evidence based approaches a cornerstone of policing in Canada.
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
IACP serves as the professional voice of law enforcement. The IACP serves law enforcement through advocacy, programs and research, as well as training and other professional services. IACP is a comprehensive professional organization that supports the law enforcement leaders of today and develops the leaders of tomorrow.
Vancouver Police Union
The Vancouver Police Union seeks to be representative of its membership by functioning through democratic procedures. It continually works at internal cooperation, consultation and consensus. To its membership, it is open and accessible, communicating, reporting and holding itself accountable to them.

Evaluating Websites

Anyone can publish on the internet. Always evaluate a website to make sure it is a reliable and authoritative source.

Ask yourself these questions:

Authority

Is the author/producer easy to identify?
Are the author's credentials listed?
Is the author's affiliation easy to determine (e.g. university, government)

Content

Are there errors or discrepancies on the site?
Is the content appropriate for your needs?
Is there sufficient coverage of the topic?

Currency

Can you find the date that the site was created?
Was the site updated recently?
Do the links on the site work?

Objectivity

Is the information factual or opinion?
Is the site trying to sell something that seems too good to be true?
Is the information consistent with other sources you’ve found?
Is the source of the information provided?

More Information

Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites (Word document) (University of Maryland)