Special Constable Status Granted to Ontario Region Competition Law Officers

OTTAWA, May 8, 2003 — The Ontario Provincial Police (O.P.P.) has granted special constable status to 10 competition law officers from the Competition Bureau's Ontario Region.

The special constable designation now permits competition law officers from the region, which has offices in Hamilton and Toronto, to serve summonses and subpoenas in Ontario while fulfilling their duties under the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act, the Precious Metals Marking Act, and the Criminal Code. The appointments are aimed at improving the criminal investigative process and relieving police agencies from the burden of serving court documents for anti-competitive offences.

The Competition Bureau now has special constable status in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The Bureau first received the status in February 2002 when the O.P.P. granted it to 10 National Capital Region officers at a ceremony in Ottawa.

Competition law officers are responsible for investigating and enforcing criminal offences falling under the above federal statutes. These include such offences as deceptive telemarketing, conspiracy to fix prices and bid-rigging, product misrepresentation and fraudulent quality or quantity claims. Their work routinely involves cooperating with other law enforcement agencies on matters of mutual interest.

The Competition Bureau is committed to enhancing its partnerships with law enforcement agencies both domestically and internationally to ensure that all Canadians enjoy the benefits of a competitive economy; specifically low prices, product choice and quality service.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Maureen McGrath
Senior Communications Advisor
Communications Branch
819-953-8982, or 613-296-2187 (cell)

For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
1-800-348-5358