![]() In 1929, a Carleton County police force was organized, mostly as a highway patrol. Jail cells were briefly constructed in the basement of Nepean Town Hall on Richmond Road. In 1915, Jerry Cooke was appointed to this all-in-one role, given a uniform and revolver, and empowered to enforce Westboro’s laws (as he would for the next 15 years). When Westboro was expanding rapidly pre-WWI, the increase in collected taxes afforded it the ability to hire a dedicated constable, truant officer and sanitary inspector. Criminals would be taken to the Carleton County Gaol on Nicholas Street (now the youth hostel). In the earliest days, policing was done by Carleton County constables, who oversaw Nepean broadly. You might be surprised to learn that Westboro had its own police station and jail cells until as recently as 1983! Now a neighbourhood in central Ottawa, there was a time when Westboro Village was its own “police village.” The official status, attained in 1905, allowed for the village to establish its own council to direct spending on local priorities such as roadways, sidewalks, drainage, lighting, sanitation, fire protection, and policing. The Nepean Police station pictured in 1947 on a postcard. ![]()
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