The Kingston Police Force was established by the Common Council of Kingston on December 20, 1841, in an attempt to manage the lawlessness in the capital of the former Province of Canada. The original police force comprised a Chief Constable and four sub-constables. Despite their best effort, the force's growth was limited due to monetary restraints. In the 1850s, they were composed of about 8-10 officers growing to about a dozen in the 1860s, where it remained until the early 20th century.
Kingston Police Force c. 1906
Following World War II, the force finally began growing at a more consistent rate. In 1990 they had expanded to 116 sworn officers serving a population of over 60,000 inhabitants. The 1990s were a tough decade for the Kingston Police Force. In 1993, the Social Contract Act was put in place by the government in an attempt to address budget deficits. This resulted in a major loss in funding, ultimately leading to the reduction of the force to 101 officers. In 1996, the province introduced additional cost-saving initiatives such as the Savings and Restructuring Act, which merged smaller municipalities with their neighbours. In 1998, both the Kingston Township and the Pittsburgh Township were merged into Kingston City, nearly doubling its population.
