number reflects a significant rise in the total police strength in the country (the highest in twelve years after steady declines in the 1980s and 1990s), Canada still employs fewer police officers per capita than Wales (262/100,000). Provincially, Nova Scotia had the highest number of officers per capita (193.8/100,000) in 2019. The lowest numbers per capita were in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The three territories, while having far fewer police officers in absolute terms, have around twice as many police officers per capita as the more populous, less remote provinces. Special constabularies In Canada, special constables are sworn peace officers granted police powers to enforce specific legislation in a distinct context or geographic area. Special constables are regulated differently in each province and territory, and as such, there is no consistent definition of a special constabulary in Canada. Typically, a special constabulary is any law enforcement organization composed of special constables (as opposed to police officers) with a mandate for criminal law enforcement and/or general peacekeeping and security. Civil law enforcement agencies which maintain a proactive posture and a role in frontline policing, such as conservation and commercial vehicle enforcement services, are sometimes considered special constabularies. Special constabularies are used extensively in southern Ontario, where they are maintained by transit authorities, universities, park authorities, and some social housing corporations. In Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon municipalities and other government agencies can raise special constabularies to enforce by-laws, traffic regulations, and other civil legislation, but not the Criminal Code. In those four provinces and three territories, municipal special constabularies are distinct from ordinary municipal by-law enforcement agencies in their proactive posture, role in frontline policing, and enforcement of provincial legislation. In 2021, the City of Moncton, New Brunswick, requested that the provincial government amend provincial legislation to allow municipalities in the province to maintain special constabularies able to enforce provincial legislation like those in Alberta and Quebec. In Quebec, Special constables are peace officers. The mission of special constables is to maintain peace, order and public security, to prevent and repress crime and, according to the jurisdiction specified in their deeds of appointment, to enforce the law and municipal by-laws, and to apprehend offenders. Legislative security British Columbia and Ontario both maintain special constabularies for the purposes of protecting their provincial legislatures. Select special constables with both of these security services were