If you are looking for a career, or you are looking for a way to help your community – join us, you can make the difference!
Police officers are:
Leaders in the community
But don’t wait until you are hired as an officer to be a leader or role model. Take on a leadership role in your school, at work, or in your community. Give back, volunteer your time doing something you are passionate about.
Excellent communicators
A big part of being a police officer is communicating with people to solve problems. Not everyone we deal with is cooperative and reasonable. You must learn and know how to stay calm under pressure and find creative solutions to a variety of problems. Talking to people will be the biggest and most important part of your job!
Educated
As part of your application package you will have to provide a copy of your high school and post-secondary official transcripts. Your marks are important to us, so work hard and keep your average up! Your career in policing will start off in the classroom at the Ontario Police College, and it does not stop there. Police officers are constantly learning new skills and continue to take courses throughout their career. Post-Secondary education is a big asset.
Positive Role Model
When you are a police officer you are always being watched, especially your actions. People expect police officers to be a positive role model in the community, but this expectation does not stop when we take off our uniforms and go home. We want someone who exemplifies this quality on and off duty. In our eyes, you are never off duty. You are always an officer.
Integrity
Honesty is one of the most important virtues in life and this holds truest for police officers. We are given a great deal of power and authority and are trusted to make decisions that can have significant impacts on the lives of others. You must be honest and trustworthy in everything you do.
Physically Fit
Our job is demanding both physically and mentally. You should have and maintain an active lifestyle and eat healthy. Being physically fit helps you to perform your job safely and with confidence. Start to practice the Ontario Fitness PIN test (which you must pass during the first stage of our application process) well before you apply. Aim to score between 85 and 100.
Writing/Typing Skills
Policing isn’t all about patrolling the streets and catching bad guys. A big part of our job is report writing, either in our notebook or on our computers. We want applicants who have good spelling and grammar and that have excellent typing skills.
WHERE WILL I START MY CAREER
Every officer starts his or her career in front line patrol. You can expect to spend the largest portion of your career right here in a cruiser. From this seat, you see the world from a very different perspective. Front line police officers positively impact the lives of people every single day. You will respond to every type of call from simple advice calls to events you will never forget. Every police officer has stories and most of them come from patrol.
There are many opportunities for growth in patrol. We provide our front line officers with the best training possible to ensure they have the skills needed to serve the community. Examples of this training include crisis negotiation, TASER, advanced patrol, sexual assault investigations, human trafficking and domestic violence. Patrol officers also participate in many other duties such as the emergency response team, marine unit, intoxilyzer technician, and drug recognition expertise.
Patrol officers have one of the most challenging jobs within our Service but the rewards can be enormous. From saving a life to arresting a violent criminal, if you want work in a place where your actions can have a direct impact on people’s lives, patrol is the place for you.