Ontario Provincial Police

History

The Ontario Provincial Police was founded in 1909 and has spent over a century serving the people of the Province of Ontario. The OPP is one of North America’s largest deployed police services with more than 5,800 uniformed officers, 2,400 civilian employees and 830 Auxiliary officers. The OPP provide essential services that ensure the safety and security of the people of the Province of Ontario.

Since 2016, the Pickle Lake detachment has been a satellite office of the Sioux Lookout detachment.  The Pickle Lake OPP detachment is filled with active members of the community who are always willing to lend a hand on and off duty. The Pickle Lake detachment is a duration posting meaning that assigned members have to complete a fixed term of two years before they are eligible for transfer. With this in mind, Pickle Lake is served by officers from all over the province from varying backgrounds, with many starting their policing careers here. The Pickle Lake detachment is comprised of nine constables and two Sergeants, all of whom live, work and play in the community.

The Pickle Lake OPP detachment is comprised of officers who have a passion for engaging with their community and establishing and building upon relationships with various community organizations and stakeholders with the ultimate goal of helping to keep the community safe by reducing crime, victimization and social disorder. Officers are available to speak to your group or class on a range of safety topics at no charge.

Pickle Lake OPP offers a wide range of programming to fit all needs and ages, including but not limited to:

  • Gang awareness
  • Youth and the law
  • Online and social media awareness
  • Drug awareness
  • Healthy relationships
  • Understanding mental health issues
  • Snowmobile & off road vehicle safety
  • Bike safety
  • Fraud prevention

For more information, or to request an officer speak to your group or class, contact the Pickle Lake OPP detachment at 807-928-2211.

A career in policing

The Ontario Provincial Police is dedicated to ensuring open, accessible, equitable and respectful workplaces and is committed to reflecting the diverse communities we serve. We encourage applications from members of our diverse communities, including Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, women, persons from racialized groups, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, those who are able to speak fluently in another language(s) and anyone committed to a rewarding career in public service. The Ontario Provincial Police is an equal opportunity employer and accommodations will be provided in all stages of our hiring process if necessary.

Auxiliary program

The Pickle Lake OPP is also actively recruiting members for its Auxiliary program. The Auxiliary unit is a group of dedicated volunteers who work with regular force OPP officers to ensure the safety and well-being of area residents.

Auxiliary members have no police authority. They must rely on the same arrest provisions as regular citizens. There are some instances when an Auxiliary member may have the authority of a police officer, such as emergency situations or when the OPP requires additional strength to assist with a special event.

The Auxiliary uniform is distinct from the uniform of a regular OPP officer, as Auxiliary members wear light blue shirts instead of dark blue, have their own Auxiliary cap badges and checkered hat bands. Further, the word AUXILIARY is embroidered on their shoulder epaulets and displayed on their jackets and vests, clearly identifying them as Auxiliary members.

Becoming an Auxiliary member is a great way of giving back to your community and exploring whether you would be interested in a career in policing. For more information on the program, call the Pickle Lake OPP detachment at 807-928-2211.

Message from Detachment Commander

Welcome to the Pickle Lake OPP webpage and thank you for your interest in our office and the communities that we serve. The Sioux Lookout detachment is the host detachment responsible for providing policing services to a number of communities, including Sioux Lookout, Wapekeka First Nation, North Caribou First Nation, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation and Pickle Lake.

The team at the Pickle Lake detachment is comprised of a dedicated and professional group of employees who strive to keep their communities safe and secure. Pickle Lake detachment is unique to most other OPP locations in the province by virtue of the significant geographical area we are responsible for policing.

Having taken on the role of Detachment Commander in April of 2021, it is a challenge I am really excited to take on. It is a priority for me to ensure that our workplaces here in this cluster are high performing and have a positive environment where we all take care of each other and recognize our physical and mental health of all members. We’re going to build on the great work previously laid out by retired Inspector, Detachment Commander Dan Davidson and the detachment members, to maintain and build upon those positive relationships with community stakeholders and establish new relationships where possible.

In my experience working in various detachments across the province, you can take me anywhere in this cluster from our street crime unit to our crime unit to the work done by our frontline officers and I couldn’t be more proud of the work that I’m seeing. This cluster is full of really good and hardworking people who care about the communities they serve and try to go above and beyond every day. With that said, there’s always room for improvement. I’ve never worked in a detachment where I’ve felt we have reached the ultimate in terms of our goals. We’re always trying to do better, looking for how we can be more effective, more efficient and more compassionate in how we reduce victimization. There’s always room for growth. 

Pickle Lake Sergeants

In case of emergency, call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122

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