Immigration News Canada Ontario Provincial Police: 2 New Chang | Canada Immigration News
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Ontario Provincial Police: 2 New Changes To Recruitment
https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ON-Police-Officer.jpeg Last Updated On 27 April 2023, 10:10 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
On April 25th, 2023, the Ontario government announced new measures to increase police recruitment numbers.
These measures include the elimination of the post-secondary education required to be hired as an officer and the coverage of mandatory training costs.
Premier Doug Ford stated that the province needs more police officers to address the increasing number of major crimes, such as auto thefts, break-ins, and random acts of violence.
The changes aim to remove barriers that may prevent people with different life experiences from joining the police force.
The Community Safety and Policing Act 2019 will also be amended to make a high school diploma or equivalent sufficient education for the purpose of being hired as a police officer.
Currently, applicants to many municipal police services require a post-secondary education credit to be considered for employment as an officer. Ontario will add 140 new police recruits in 2023 and 420 by the end of next year, with no post-secondary requirement to become an officer.
The province will cover tuition costs of approximately $20 million for the next three years, and every officer must complete 66 days of basic constable training at the Ontario Police College.
The average age of a cadet is in their late twenties. Learn aboutPolice Chiefs’s Response To ChangesThe announcement was welcomed by several police chiefs in Ontario, including Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw. Chief Demkiw stated that the Toronto Police Service is having difficulty keeping up with the increasing demands of a growing city.
“Like police services across Canada, we are working hard to recruit, select, hire, and train new police constables.
But this takes time, and there are often barriers to getting new officers deployed and on the road,” he told reporters.
“We need support in recruiting and training and welcome the news from the province.”
The changes will potentially open the doors for many who may not have had the opportunity to apply for a police officer position due to the post-secondary education requirement.
With the coverage of mandatory training costs, it may provide an avenue for more individuals to enter into the profession. Critics Raise Concerns About Elimination of Post-Secondary Education Requirement for Police OfficerWhile the Ontario government’s decision to eliminate the post-secondary education requirement for police officers has been welcomed by some, others have raised concerns about the potential consequences of lowering educational requirements for police officers.
One of the main concerns is that it may lead to a less qualified police force. NDP Leader Marit Stiles expressed concern about the “watering down of education requirements.”
She argued that the police force needs more support and training to perform their jobs properly, including critical thinking skills.
In response to these concerns, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw stated that although a post-secondary education is beneficial, it is not necessarily the most important factor when hiring police officers.
“We look for life experience, we look for communication skills, we look for the ability to problem-solve and critically think, we look for good judgment, and the ability to work in a team environment.
These are things that are not necessarily taught in a post-secondary environment,” he said.
Another concern is that eliminating the post-secondary education requirement may create a perception that the police force is lowering its standards to fill vacancies.
This perception may undermine public confidence in the police and lead to a lack of trust in law enforcement. Furthermore, it may discourage those who [...]
