As an added value attraction the OPP Golden Helmets will be performing at our show. The 20-member team, comprised of O.P.P. officers on regular patrol duties, consists of the Ride Master, Commentator, the motorcycle technician and 17 riders. Each team member must have successfully completed a three week motorcycle course and at least one season on motorcycle patrol. The members must be in good physical condition and possess a police fitness pin.
On October 13, 1909, the “Ontario Provincial Police Force” was established with a permanent force of salaried police constables.
The OPP can be traced back to the 19th century when John Wilson Murray, the province’s first full-time paid criminal detective, began his 31-year career in 1875. A small staff of government detectives worked for the Attorney General’s office until the formation of the OPP when many of these “provincial constables” subsequently joined the now formalized Ontario Provincial Police.
The year 2009 marks the OPP’s 100th anniversary, a milestone achievement of service to the people of Ontario. This year is not only a celebration of the past it also continues a commitment to excellence in policing throughout the next century.
