| Agencyname: | VIA Rail Canada Police Service |
| Commonname: | VIA Rail Police |
| Abbreviation: | VRCPS |
| Patch: | VIA Rail Police.jpg |
| Patchcaption: | Crest of the VRCPS |
| Badge: | VIA Rail Canada Police Service logo.png |
| Badgecaption: | Shoulder flash of the VRCPS |
| Formedyear: | 2015 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Police: | Railway |
| Speciality1: | VIA Rail Canada property |
| Legaljuris: | Federal |
| Constitution1: | Railway Safety Act |
| Headquarters: | 3 Place Ville Marie, Suite 500 Montreal, Quebec |
| Minister1name: | Hon. Pablo Rodriguez |
| Minister1pfo: | Minister of Transport |
| Chief1name: | Peter Lambrinakos |
| Chief1position: | Chief of Police and Corporate Security |
| Parentagency: | VIA Rail Canada Inc. |
| Vehicle1type: | Police Interceptor Utility |
| Animal1type: | Labrador Retrievers |
The VIA Rail Canada Police Service (VRCPS) ((SPVRC)) is the federal railway police service of the Canadian intercity passenger rail operator, VIA Rail Canada Inc.
The agency was formed in 2015 under the Railway Safety Act with Peter Lambrinakos becoming VIA Rail Canada’s first chief of police and chief of corporate security.[1] As a railway police service, the agency is under the purview of the Department of Transport Canada.
As indicated under Canada's federal Railway Safety Act, VIA Rail police constables are appointed by a judge of a superior court for the enforcement of the laws of Canada or a province in so far as their enforcement relates to the protection of property owned, possessed or administered by VIA Rail Canada and for the protection of persons and property on their property.
VIA Rail Canada is mandated to operate intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada.[2] The police constables have jurisdiction on property under the administration of VIA Rail Canada and in any place within 500 metres of property that VIA Rail Canada owns, possesses or administers.[3]
The VIA Rail Police deploy at VIA Rail passenger train stations, along the rights-of-way on which VIA Rail trains operate, and on board VIA Rail trains to prevent security incidents and to exercise response and counterterrorism capabilities, including events such as the 2013 Via Rail Canada terrorism plot.[4]
VIA Rail Police work closely with the other two federal railway police services, the CN Police and CPKC Police, as well as many local police services of jurisdiction throughout the country to respond and investigate both provincial and federal crimes, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking, and further assist with many missing persons investigations. They enforce all provincial acts on properties and roadways within their jurisdiction, including provincial liquor licence acts, trespass acts and highway traffic acts.
VIA Rail Police also undertake a collaborative approach with various law enforcement and community partners to educate the general public, including many young people at schools, on topics related to rail safety in an effort to reduce track-level incidents.
On March 20, 2015, Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser were sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to commit murder for a terrorist group following a conspiracy to derail a train route operated by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada, known as the Maple Leaf, running between Toronto and New York City.[5]
The VIA Rail Police has its own canine unit and deploys vapor wake dogs to alert their human police canine handlers to the presence of threats. These police dogs can quickly screen and track the trail of a scent through large crowds of people.[6]