The Greater Sudbury Police Service is dedicated to the philosophy of community policing. In other words, it is the goal of this Service to work in partnership with the community to prevent crime and to solve problems that are a threat to public safety and order.

In the late 1980's it was recognized that the development of storefront offices outside of Sudbury would further the cause of community policing in outlying municipalities. Beginning with the establishment of such an office in the Town of Nickel Centre, the concept has grown over the years to include storefronts in Walden, Rayside Balfour and Valley East. Satellite stations have also been created in Onaping Falls, Copper Cliff, Garson and Capreol.

To assist the officers working at those locations, a volunteer program is in place whereby members of the public donate their time answering telephones and greeting people arriving at the storefront. At present there are in excess of 120 such volunteers across the City of Greater Sudbury, and the service they provide is of great benefit to both the police and the public.

In order to further the partnership with the community in providing solutions to area-specific problems, a number of Citizen Police Advisory Committees have also been established. These groups are comprised of people living or working in the area, local politicians and community leaders, and police officers assigned duties and responsibilities in that town or neighbourhood. The committees meet on a regular basis and utilize problem-solving techniques in relation to local areas of concern.