Drugs Combined Forces Intelligence Vice Port Investigation Computer Forensic Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia (CISNS)

The Special Enforcement Section is an integrated policing unit made up of officers from both Halifax Regional Police and RCMP Halifax Detachment.

Drug Section

The Halifax Regional Integrated Drug Unit is made up of officers from both Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Detachment RCMP. The officers of this unit are dedicated primarily to the enforcement of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act within the Halifax Regional Municipality with the focus being at street and mid-level drug trafficking. Officers are trained in the areas of undercover operations, clandestine laboratories, drug recognition, trafficking, packaging methods and establishing values.

Additionally, officers in this unit are often involved in many investigations with other Municipal and Federal drug units. They are able to provide both intelligence and expertise in court given their in-depth knowledge of the drug trade.

Each year this unit conducts more than one hundred and twenty-five searches, is involved in a number of undercover operations, and lays a significant number of drug and weapons charges.

Drug awareness education and prevention is also a priority for the officers in this unit as they work to roll out a new program developed for adults/business owners which will provide information about the drug trade and grow operations.

Combined Forces Intelligence Unit

The Combined Forces Intelligence Unit is a fully integrated unit consisting of members from Halifax Regional Police, the RCMP, and from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The Combined Forces Intelligence Unit is responsible for collecting, investigating and circulating intelligence files on organized crime and other subjects of particular interest to the metro area.

Combined Forces Intelligence Unit files include:

• Eastern Organized Crime 
• Asian Organized Crime 
• Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs 
• Ports 
• Traditional organized crime groups

This Unit is also tasked with collecting information and the timely sharing of intelligence for the purpose of combating organized and serious crimes in Nova Scotia.

Vice

The Vice Unit is an integrated unit that provides investigative services for incidents involving gaming, missing persons, prostitution and other vice-related incidents. The unit deals with street level prostitution, escort agencies and gambling complaints. 

In 2001, this Unit was involved in a long-term investigation of a massage parlour, that resulted in six people being charged with 16 criminal code charges. Another bawdy house was closed later in the year, with seven people charged with more than a dozen criminal offences.

The Vice Unit also investigated 128 missing persons cases, as well as some long-term operations.

The Unit sees Internet prostitution as a wave of the future, especially as it relates to child exploitation. Street level prostitution has decreased significantly, due in part to two unique programs, spearheaded and supported by HRP:

Port Investigation

Members in this unit have been responsible for patroling the lakes in the region for a number of years with the Halifax Regional Police Lake Patrol.

In the spring of 1998, HRP began working with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Ports Harbourmaster to conduct small craft enforcement, harbour patrol and safe boating education in Halifax Harbour, the Northwest Arm and the Bedford Basin.

HRP uses two sea jets and a Boston Whaler  to provide this service during the peak summer boating season. The boat is also equipped for night patrol.

About 20 police officers are fully trained in the use of the patrolling sea-jets during the busy summer months.

Members in this unit are also responsible for daily policing services for all the terminals on the Port of Halifax property. They are involved in many activities including intelligence gathering, security services, and networking.

Computer Forensic Unit

Computer forensics is a slow and tedious process, and investigating these crimes, which are borderless, is extremely difficult.  Computer experts work on files including computer hacking, internet prostitution and pornography, frauds, threats, and child pornography. Computer crime continues to increase by leaps and bounds, and technology will continue to be a timely issue for police in the future.

Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia (CISNS)

The Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia (CISNS) is a provincial bureau of the Canadian Intelligence Service. Halifax Regional Police provide a member to work full-time with the bureau. Staff work on a number of all-encompassing projects, including eco-terrorism, terrorism, hate crime, technological crimes and organized crime.  Intelligence-gathering is the main objective of this office.