The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) Squad arrested 1,213 high-risk offenders throughout Ontario in 2023. This surpassed the 1,141 arrests made in 2022, said OPP in a recent press release.
In addition to arrests, the ROPE Squad continued to support public safety last year through the seizure of 17 illegal firearms and substantial quantities of illicit drugs.
"Recent events, including a number of homicides, have demonstrated that high-risk offenders pose serious risks to public and officer safety," said Paul Mackey, Chief of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, in the press release "Through a strategic, province-wide and multi-agency approach, the ROPE Squad aggressively locates and apprehends the most dangerous offenders in our province. On behalf of OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, thank you to ROPE Squad members for your unparalleled commitment to upholding the law and improving public safety."
The ROPE Squad was established in 2002 and is dedicated to locating and apprehending parolees who are unlawfully at large in the province of Ontario. This includes anyone who escapes from secure custody, escapes from or walks away from non-secure custody, becomes wanted by violating bail or release orders, or who is a high risk and a danger to public safety.
In May 2023, the Government of Ontario announced a $48-million investment to enhance the ROPE Squad. Over the next year, the ROPE Squad will expand from approximately 35 officers to more than 70 members province wide. The mandate of the ROPE Squad has been expanded to include both federal and provincial parolees, including anyone who breaches bail or release conditions and poses a risk to public safety.
Anyone who has information about an offender who is unlawfully at large is encouraged to call their police service of jurisdiction. If that is the OPP, please call 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (3477) or visit ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
