VIA Rail Canada Police Service

Photo of Police with a dog scaning a man's luggage.

Mission

The mission of the VIA Rail Canada Inc. Police Service is focused on railway safety and the prevention of crime and intrusions. Public trust is essential for the VIA Rail Police Service, which maintains a partnership and a collaboration with municipal, provincial, federal, and Indigenous police services.

VIA Rail Police Officers adopt a professional approach to make a difference for employees and passengers, while ensuring operational efficiency and the protection of VIA Rail’s railway infrastructures and assets.

Mandate

Guarantee railway safety and maintain a visible and reassuring presence;
Prevent crimes, security incidents, and terrorist attacks;
Protect victims of criminal acts, individuals in crisis, and individuals experiencing homelessness;
Contribute to the improvement of operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Approach

As part of its mandate and related activities, the VIA Rail Police Service will execute its duties by adhering to an open and collaborative approach.

Complaints

If you wish to file a complaint regarding a VIA Rail Police Service Officer, please complete the online form. If your complaint does not concern a VIA Rail Police Service Officer, please use the “Contact Us" page.

COMPLAINT PROCESS CONCERNING A VIA RAIL CANADA INC. POLICE SERVICE OFFICER IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES

Procedure
1. This process establishes a standardized procedure for investigating and managing both internal and external complaints filed against an officer of VIA Rail Canada Inc. Police Service (“VIA Police Service”).
2. VIA Rail commits to conducting internal and external investigations related to complaints in a rigorous, transparent, and timely manner, and to promoting fair and equitable resolution.
Receipt of complaints
1. Any individual may submit a complaint concerning the conduct of a VIA Police Service Officer in the performance of their duties, through the following method:
  1. The complaint may be submitted in writing by completing the form available on the website or by phone via customer service.
  2. The complainant must share their first name, last name, address, phone number, and email address.
  3. The complainant must also describe the nature of the complaint, the date, time, and location of the incident, as well as their reservation number (if applicable), and the name of the officer involved, if known.
2. The Legal Services Department will receive the complaint, which will be forwarded to the Chief of the VIA Police Service and Human Resources, who will be responsible for investigating the complaint.
3. If the complaint personally concerns the Chief of the VIA Police Service, it will be handled by Legal Services and Human Resources.
4. Upon receipt of the complaint, the investigation team will:
  1. Acknowledge receipt to the complainant;
  2. Analyse the allegations to determine whether additional information is required or whether the complaint is trivial, frivolous, offensive, or made in bad faith;
  3. Notify the officer concerned in writing that a complaint has been filed against them. To avoid compromising the investigation, if the complaint involves criminal conduct, the officer will not be notified of the complaint immediately upon its receipt.
Timeframe to submit a complaint
1. Complaints must be submitted within one year of the date of the alleged incident, unless the complaint concerns a criminal act.
Investigation
1. Information obtained
  - The complainant must cooperate with the investigation to maximize the amount of relevant information collected.
  - The investigation aims to present all the facts related to the complaint.
  - The investigation must include, but is not limited to, the review of policies and procedures, the examination of reports and audio recordings related to the incident, the inspection of the scene of the incident, or any other evidence, as well as interviews with the complainant, witnesses, and the officer involved.
2. Documentation
  - The files and documents related to the investigation will be retained by the Chief of the VIA Police Service and must be kept in a secure location when not in use. If the complaint personally concerns the Chief of the VIA Police Service, they will be retained by the Legal Services Department.
3. External mandates
  - Depending on the circumstances, the nature, and the severity of the alleged acts, the Chief of the VIA Police Service or Legal Services Department may decide that the investigation will be conducted internally or by a neutral third party. Both the complainant and the officer concerned by the complaint will be informed.
4. Conclusions
  - The officer concerned by the complaint will be notified in writing of the results of the investigation and of any actions to be taken, if applicable.
  - To ensure the protection of personal information, the complainant cannot be informed of the disciplinary measures taken against the police officer, if applicable. However, the complainant will be kept informed of the progress of the process and will be contacted once the investigation is complete.
Governance

This current process is overseen by the Legal Services Department.

VIA Rail Canada Police Service

Complaint Resolution Process