Document généré le 27 sept. 2021 19:05 Urban History Review Revue d'histoire urbaine The History of Policing in the Maritime Provinces Themes and Prospects Greg Marquis Volume 19, numéro 2, 1990 Résumé de l'article L’auteur présente une vue d’ensemble du développement de la police dans les URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1017677ar provinces maritimes en même temps qu’un commentaire sur l’utilité du type DOI : https://doi.org/10.7202/1017677ar de recherche qu’il mène pour la compréhension de l’histoire urbaine. Selon lui, les archives de police contiennent des renseignements sur la société qui vont Aller au sommaire du numéro bien au delà des données sur le crime ou sur la peur du crime. Il analyse les archives et les statistiques de la police : l’activité policière en milieu urbain au XIXe siècle; certains thèmes qui surgissent au début du XXe siècle, comme la Éditeur(s) technologie et la prohibition; le rôle de la police provinciale et de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada dans la région étudiée; les rapports entre la Urban History Review / Revue d'histoire urbaine police et les syndicats, et les organisations policières. Il conclut que les chercheurs devraient s’intéresser à tous les aspects de la mission et du travail ISSN de la police, et en particulier à sa fonction de service à la population. 0703-0428 (imprimé) 1918-5138 (numérique) Découvrir la revue Citer cet article Marquis, G. (1990). The History of Policing in the Maritime Provinces: Themes and Prospects. Urban History Review / Revue d'histoire urbaine, 19(2), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.7202/1017677ar All Rights Reserved © Urban History Review / Revue d'histoire urbaine, 1990 Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d’auteur. L’utilisation des services d’Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d’utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l’Université de Montréal, l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. https://www.erudit.org/fr/ The History of Policing in the Maritime Provinces: Themes and Prospects Greg Marquis Abstract Law enforcement has a long history in the history is a relatively new field. In the United Maritime provinces, but academics have States the urban biography approach has This article is an overview of the turned to the subject only recently. In this been popular since the publication of Roger development of policing in the case the region does not lag behind-the Lane's Policing the City: Boston, 1822-1855 Maritime provinces and a commentary history of policing and criminal justice in (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1967). on the potential of such research to general, rich areas for social and urban In keeping with the methodology of social augment our understanding of the historians, have not received much attention history, the most common Canadian urban past. Police records, it is argued, nationally. This paper, drawing on examples approach has been the case study, the are important social indicators which from the Maritime provinces, argues that an examination of specific police departments or can reveal more than crime or fear of examination of police history is essential for themes in certain eras. To date articles of this crime in a community. The article understanding the urban, and rural, past. type have appeared on Toronto, Montreal, discusses police records and statistics; What follows is not a history of policing in the Vancouver, Saint John and Charlottetown.4 In 19th century urban policing; early 20th region but an overview and commentary on addition, there are a number of books and century themes such as technology and the potential scholarly contributions of such articles on other criminal justice topics, such Prohibition; the role of the Provincial research. The majority of the population as the lower courts and prostitution, and on police and Royal Canadian Mounted generated few records of its own, thus other areas of social history that are relevant Police in the region; police and labour historians must consult the records of to police history (in particular, working class and police organizations. It concludes institutions — the courts, prisons, hospitals, history).5 that researchers should be sensitive to churches, schools and charities — and the 9 9 both 'hard and 'soft police policies local press. Institutional documentation can The social history categories that intersect and pay special attention to the police suggest not only the concerns and attitudes with police history are numerous, but three service role. of officials, but also the social relationships are of special mention for Canadian research: between different segments in society. As social class, ethnicity and religion, and the legally coercive institutions that meet social service/regulatory nature of policing. As a Résumé problems face to face, and maintain a system social institution, the police have reflected the of records, police departments are a useful complexities and ambiguities of society — it L'auteur présente une vue d9ensemble historical tool. The reconstruction of police would be poor scholarship to group all their du développement de la police dans les organization and work can provide important actions as the enforcement of class-based provinces maritimes en même temps insights into the power relations, social mores justice and mores. A rosy view of the police, à qu 9un commentaire sur Vutilité du type and urban culture of the past.1 la Andy of Mayberry, would likewise be de recherche qu 11 mène pour la misguided. Many social historians in the compréhension de Vhistoire urbaine. Canadian Historigraphy 1970s and 1980s developed a form of tunnel Selon lui, les archives de police vision, viewing education, charity, and other contiennent des renseignements sur la In the past two decades, a number of institutions as plots against the working class. société qui vont bien au delà des historians and social scientists have written on Legal scholars should tread carefully into this données sur le crime ou sur la peur du the history of Canadian policing. With the territory, but two questions should be crime. Il analyse les archives et les exception of R.C. MacLeod's study of the pursued: what was the police role in class statistiques de la police: Vactivité early North-West Mounted Police, few relations and where were the police in the policière en milieu urbain au XIXe monographs display a critical spirit. Official or class system? siècle; certains thèmes qui surgissent au 'in-house' histories are generally anecdotal début du XXe siècle, comme la and lacking context, but they contain useful Ethnicity and religion, like social class, are technologie et la prohibition; le rôle de information.2 Dahn Higley's recent history of important analytical categories for nineteenth la police provinciale et de la the Ontario Provincial Police is a welcome and early twentieth century Canadian society. Gendarmerie royale du Canada dans la improvement over most commemorative At present, large metropolitan police région étudiée; les rapports entre la works and the vast majority of books on the departments are under fire for poor relations police et les syndicats, et les RCMR Peter McGahan's Crime and Policing with and insufficient recruitment of racial organisations policières. Il conclut que in Maritime Canada, largely a reproduction of minorities. The Metropolitan Toronto Police les chercheurs devraient sHntéresser à nineteenth and twentieth century urban police was not headed by a Roman Catholic police tous les aspects de la mission et du records, shows the diversity and complexity of chief until 1989. This was not a coincidence. 3 travail de la police, et en particulier à sa the evolving police function. Municipal police Historically departments in English Canada fonction de service à la population. 84 Urban History Review/Revue d'histoire urbaine Vol. XIX, No. 1 (October 1990) Policing in the Maritimes were dominated by Protestants (many of them detailed documentation, it is tempting to Sept. 21,1931. Called at 8 Elevator Court. Orangemen or Masons) and a large exaggerate the activity and influence of an Mrs. Lomas living with Art Hardiman. Warned proportion of the arrested were Catholics. Of institution. As a bureaucracy grows, the this woman against keeping Hardiman in her course ethnicity, religion and class tended to amount of documentation it produces, much house. overlap, as in the case of the Irish Catholics of it of a housekeeping nature, proliferates. who filled Saint John's nineteenth century The great bulk of police work, unfortunately, Sept. 28. Coleman Ricker complained that police court. Police appointments reflected went unrecorded, particularly in the smaller his daughter Gertrude is on the street; a local politics, which often were related to centres. Until the post World War II years, warrant issued. sectarian loyalties. Where Catholics and most departments in the region had less than Protestants were roughly equal in number, as five men and the chief or marshall often held Sept. 29. In court with Annie Debay, wife of in Charlottetown, the patronage was shared.6 other positions such as tax collector, truant Milton, charge of Vagrancy. Annie is feeble officer or health inspector. Municipal reports minded. Served 3 months C.R Administrative overviews, accounts of contain seemingly useless statistics on scandals, corruption, dramatic incidents and persons doing business without a license, Oct. 2. Called 23,24,26,28 Grafton St., colourful characters have their place in police stolen bicycles, unlocked doors, untagged reported by Dept. Chief all these houses unfit historiography, but one of the most important dogs, encumbered sidewalks or the careless for human habitation.