Working Divers
Marine/Dive/Trail Unit
The Ottawa Police Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU) was formed in 1957 and comprised primarily of World War II veterans. It is the oldest continuous serving Police Dive Team in Canada.
Currenty, Ottawa Police Marine/Dive/Trail Unit (MDTU) has taken over the mandate of the USRU and is comprised of eight full time members. These officers conduct dive operations as well as provide enforcement on the waterways and off-road trails throughout Ottawa through the use of boats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATV's).
What do they do?
MDTU has a strong core of dedicated officers, constantly striving to provide thorough and professional search and recovery service, Ottawa residents have come to expect from their police service. Although the notion of diving into a hazardous underwater environment, which has already claimed a life, would not appeal to the vast majority of the public, it is a task that members take seriously and with a sense of pride, in providing closure for families of victims.
Members of the MDTU are called on to enforce the Historic Canals Act, the Small Vessel Regulation (Canada shipping Act), Collision Regulations, the Liquor Act, and the Criminal Code among others. The Marine Unit also brings with them knowledge of local waterways, specific hazards and are trained to perform search and rescue techniques.
The MDTU responds to complaints from the community as well as educates the public on water safety, regulations and speed enforcement. And during the recovery of a capsized vessel, members work with their partners, such as the Ottawa Fire Department Swift Water Rescue team, in order to find the safest approach to the scene.
All members are specially trained to investigate: Water related sudden deaths, post mortem physiology, skeletal remains recovery, air crash investigation, weapons recovery and preservation, among others.
Forensic Recovery
Since there are an infinite variety and number of items that end up on the bottom of our area lakes and rivers, police divers require to be flexible and adaptable to individual situations. Officers work with specialized gear such as lift bags to recovery deep and heavy objects imbedded in the bottom of waterways as well as working with equipment such as underwater metal detectors, meter long grid patterns and large powerful magnets to find and recover items which can sometimes be no bigger than a few centimeters large.
Forensic recovery is a specialized and unique form of occupational diving. The police diver acts as an underwater detective, using tactics, procedures and forensic techniques in the pursuit of truth. The police diver is merely an extension of the police function, underwater. This expertise has included supporting other police services, municipalities and federal agencies in the search for missing persons, retrieving and documenting evidence of major crimes and the recovery of victims from water related misadventure.
Dive Technologies
Ottawa Police divers use both open circuit SCUBA and surface-supplied air systems depending on the nature of the operation. MDTU divers are constantly researching and developing new techniques, equipment and technology to assist in their mandate. These new technologies have become an invaluable tool in supporting and documenting evidence for both criminal court and public inquiries, venues where MDTU members may be asked to testify as to their accounts of events and their actions.
Serving Ottawa
The MDTU provides the public with a highly professional, trained and equipped service capable of extending forensic investigation and recovery underwater. This unit is a function of the Police Service and must guarantee that the 'best evidence rule' as adhered to in the event the case is brought before the courts all the while ensuring that the rules and regulations of the commercial dive industry are followed.
Become a Member of the Ottawa Police Service
There are five phases that Ottawa Police Service members must undergo for the selection and training of as MDTU members. If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Ottawa Police Service, please contact our recruiting team.
For more information on the Ottawa Police Services’ MDTU, please contact:
Constable Brent MacIntyre
Marine/Dive/Trail Unit
(613) 236-1222 ext. 3527
Last updated September 2010