Police Administration Survey

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 1962

Reference period of change - 2021

Collection - For 2020, the Police Administration Survey (PAS) survey collection was canceled due to multiple factors mainly associated with COVID-19

Reference period of change - 2018

Instrument design - For 2018, the Police Administration Survey (PAS) survey was re-designed to integrate the paper Main and Supplemental PAS components into an electronic questionnaire (EQ). At the same time, the re-designed PAS survey includes new and expanded survey content across the majority of the survey. The policing community was consulted for all survey content changes, including testing the new electronic questionnaire.

Reference period of change - 2014

Collection instrument - In 2014, the non-official languages section of the Supplemental questionnaire was modified. Table F "Number of Police Officers as of May 15th speaking Non-Official Languages" was added in order to obtain an overall total of officers who speak any non-official languages. The portion of Table E that asked for information regarding non-official languages spoken became a new table, Table G "Number of Police Officers as of May 15th by Non-Official Languages Spoken." The totals for this table are not expected to match the totals for Table F which allows respondents to select multiple languages per officer.

Reference period of change - 2012

Collection instrument - The Supplemental Police Administration Survey questionnaire was designed and tested in collaboration with the policing community to address the need for more comprehensive data on the policing workforce. Statistics Canada's Questionnaire Design Resource Centre (QDRC) assisted with the design and testing of the questionnaire, which included focus group and pilot testing.

Reference period of change - 2008

Collection instrument - The last major revision to the Main survey questionnaire was done in 1996. A separate category for "school crossing guards" was added and adjustments were made to civilian personnel back to 1986 to reflect this change. Expenses associated with the purchasing and leasing of vehicles were to be included only if they were part of the operational budget of the police service. The "benefits" category was expanded to include those paid by other government sources.

Reference period of change - 2006

Target population - The reference date for the target population was changed from June 15 to May 15 of the survey year.

Reference period of change - 2003

Collection instrument - In 2003, 'Emergency "911" Services' was added as another category by which police services can identify the budget in which those services were included.