Education/training
Get ready to serve and protectSecretaries have done it. So have ex-military men and women, pizza shop owners, accountants, teachers, university graduates, computer geeks and people from just about all other walks of life. DOROTHEA HELMS |
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 [ 2002-09-11 ] |
The fact that police officers in Ontario hail from a variety of backgrounds provides a human reflection of the communities in which they serve.
If you want to be a police officer in Ontario, you can go through the Ontario Police College (OPC) (www.sgcs.gov.on.ca/english/police/opc.html) to receive your certificate in the Basic Constable program.
Training in the basic program lasts 60 days, during which students cover many topics under the general headings of Applied Police Learning, Use of Force, Defensive Tactics, Firearms and Police Vehicle Operations.
"It's a fascinating process to watch the development of recruits who come in with a basic level of knowledge, and who walk out on day 60 confident that they can handle any call for service," says Bill Stephens, deputy director of the OPC.
"Instructors bring a diverse background to the College as well."
Stephens became an officer with the Windsor Police Force when he was 18 and retired last year after 30 years of service.
The OPC is larger than most people realize, encompassing 524 residential rooms and employing 150 instructors, support and clerical workers. About 1/3 of the instructional staff are officers from police services across Ontario who are seconded to work here for two years. "It keeps the programs fresh," Stephens says. "We're training at the highest level ever, accepting 480 recruits three times a year.
The average age of our students is 29, and many have already worked in other careers."
One thing all applicants have in common is that they've already been hired by police services somewhere in the province. Most police services use the Ontario Applicant Testing Service to help them in their selection process.
This private organization administers testing in physical fitness, aptitude and a number of other areas.
Many interested people take the two-year police foundations course offered in several public colleges before applying. Some opt for the Police Foundations Department of Commercial Business College (www.policefoundations.cbc.com), a career college that focuses exclusively on Police Foundations.
Director Roberto Hausman says, "We've been 20 years in the business, and we've earned our stripes. We run an intensive program that is completed in 10 months, with military-style training that exposes recruits to aspects of police life they'll face later on."
Although the cost of attending the Police Foundations Department of Commercial Business College is more than twice that of the public colleges, the programs are in demand.
"In Toronto at any given time we have four classes going, two in Mississauga and two in Barrie, and every two months we start a new group," Hausman says. "We keep classes small, so we offer a lot of personal attention."
Current Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities statistics place the program's graduation rate at 83.3%, and placement rate within eight to 12 weeks of graduation at an impressive 94.7%. Once a police service department hires you, attendance at OPC is mandatory.
"Plus, there's more training after they leave here," Stephens adds. "Most services have a coach officer program, where the officer receives guidance from an experienced mentor."
Why do people do it? Acting sergeant Lee Bishop is one of the seconded instructors at OPC. She was a secretary before working as a Toronto Police Officer for 16 and a half years. "I love teaching," she says. "This is the most rewarding job I've ever had. Many recruits have a post-secondary education; others have life experience. Successful completion of OPC says something to the character of all our participants."
Debra McLure is one of the shining stars of the OPC. The 20-year-old recruit says she has wanted to be a Police Officer since she was a child growing up in Shelburne, Ont.
"I did a co-op with the OPP in high school, and then I attended the Police Foundations program at Conestoga College in Kitchener," McLure says. "It was really beneficial, and that experience is helping me a lot here."
McLure finds being a recruit "... a lot of fun, but a lot of work. I didn't realize how much information is necessary. I recommend this to young people; it's physically demanding, but don't give up."
Debra has since been hired by the Toronto Police Force.
To find out the minimum requirements to be considered for a career in policing, visit the Web site at www.sgcs.gov.on.ca/english/police/ainfo.html.
If policing is your dream, Hausman recommends following it. "Don't let anything or anybody stop you from achieving the goal YOU want to achieve in life."
(Dorothea Helms is an internationally published freelance writer who co-owns a communications firm with her husband-writer@wsws.ca.)
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