Careers in Justice > Police Officer

Profession at a Glance

Day and night, police officers are on the look-out in communities, public places and large gatherings to make sure that people are safe and that things are in [[order]]. Aside from discouraging people from breaking the law, police play an important role in investigating crimes and arriving on the scene when emergencies take place.

To learn more about a police officer’s work, click through the tabs above.

Job Description

A police officer’s work involves 3 main types of activities: crime prevention, investigation and dealing with emergencies. Keep reading to find out more about each of these activities.

Crime Prevention

You have no doubt seen police officers around your neighbourhood, at the park and at outdoor concerts. Just having a police officer patrol an area often discourages people from breaking the law.

As part of their crime prevention responsibilities, police officers:

patrol public places by car, by horse, on bikes, or on foot
keep watch over homes, businesses, and public places to make sure nothing suspicious is going on
enforce speed limits
stand by during public protests and large gatherings to make sure crowds stay under control
work with communities to organize information sessions about safety and crime prevention. For example, police in some neighbourhoods have community partnerships that encourage citizens to help prevent crime, like the Block Parent Program and the Neighbourhood Watch Program.

Investigation

'Where were you last Wednesday at 9pm?' Police officers are known for investigating crimes, looking for clues and getting to the bottom of what happened when a crime is committed or an accident occurs. As part of their investigation they:

Gather evidence. For example, police officers [[will]] take a gun from a crime scene back to the police station and record it as evidence as they try to piece together what happened.
Question witnesses who saw a crime or an accident take place. For example, if a driver runs a red light, causing an accident, police may interview witnesses and ask them to describe what they saw.
Write police reports, such as the details about a stolen car.
Appear in court during a hearing, to explain to a judge the facts of a crime or an accident.

Sometimes a police officer [[will]] go “undercover” to gather evidence for an investigation. The police officer may wear a disguise, or pose as someone else to track people. The police officer may take photographs and keep a journal of what she observed for future reference.

Dealing with Emergencies

Whether it’s a crime, an accident, a natural disaster, or other kind of emergency, police officers are often first on the scene to respond to emergency calls, help victims, give first aid, direct car traffic and arrest suspects when necessary.

Sometimes police officers deal with more dangerous situations that require specialized skills. Depending on their specialization, these officers:

handle explosives and deactivate bombs
subdue gunmen and manage hostage situations
lrevent suicides by talking people off window ledges
stop murders
scuba dive to recover bodies

Where do police officers work?
Police officers work for municipal, regional, provincial and national police forces.

The following websites explain more about police forces in Quebec:

Quebec’s provincial police force is called La Sûreté du Québec. (in French only)
Montreal’s police force is called Le Service de police de la ville de Montréal.
Canada’s national police force is called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP.

The work environment and hours of a police officer depend on whether he is carrying out an investigation, working with the community on crime prevention, patrolling an area or dealing with emergencies. Police officers work indoors, outdoors, in offices or in cars.

They are responsible for making sure society is safe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which means that they can end up working any hour of the day and during evenings, nights and weekends.

Training

Police in Quebec

To become a police officer in Quebec you need a CÉGEP diploma (DEC) in police technology. Eleven CÉGEPs in Quebec offer this diploma in French, and John Abbott College offers it in English to students who are functionally bilingual. For a complete list of these schools, visit the l’École nationale de police du Québec website.

Once you have the DEC in police technology, you must take training at the École nationale de police du Québec. Training is only offered in French.

To be admitted to this school you must meet several criteria, including:

You must not have been found guilty of a crime (certain exceptions apply) and you must have a driver’s license that allows you to drive an emergency vehicle (a special license for driving an ambulance, police truck, or fire truck).
You must be strong and able to move quickly and easily.
It’s also important to be in excellent physical condition and have good eyesight.

Once you have completed the program at l’École nationale de police du Québec, you can become a police officer in Quebec. To learn more about the admission requirements for this school, visit the l’École nationale de police du Québec website.

RCMP

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has its own requirements, which are different from Quebec police forces. For example, to become an RCMP officer you must:

be a Canadian citizen
be at least 19 years old
have a high school diploma
have a valid driver’s license
be of good character
be able to move anywhere in Canada for your job

RCMP candidates are required to do a 24-week training in Regina, Saskatchewan before being hired. To find out more, visit the ‘Recruitment’ section of the RCMP’s website.

To learn more about the job prospects (salary, rate of growth in the profession, etc.), for police officers in general, visit the Job Futures website.

Useful High School Courses

The following courses could help you prepare for a future as a police officer:

Physical Education amd Health
Science and Technology
Mathematics
History and Citizenship Education
French as a Second Language
English Language Arts

Speak to your guidance counsellor to see if there are other courses offered at your school that could help you prepare for this career.

Are you right for the job?

Thinking of becoming a police officer? Check out this list of skills and learn how to develop them.

Neutrality

Like everyone else, police officers have family, friends and acquaintances. Despite this, police officers must treat everyone equally and apply the law in the same way, even when it’s difficult to do so.

You have what you need to succeed if:

You are fair-minded during an argument between two people, even if your best friend is involved.
You help people resolve conflicts without being controlled by your emotions.
You can find solutions to issues involving your parents and your teachers.

To develop these skills, you can:

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who does not share your opinions.
Play the role of a mediator during a heated discussion between your friends and reconcile their points of view.
Before giving your opinion on a topic that you don’t know much about, learn more about it so you can weigh the pros and cons.

Ability to Interact with Others

Police officers must be able to work with people inside and outside the police force and build solid relationships with them. They must also enjoy teamwork and cooperating with others.

You have what you need to succeed if:

You know how to make friends easily.
You adapt quickly to people from different cultures, backgrounds and ages.

You can negotiate with friends to solve problems.

To develop these skills, you can:

Become a youth mediator to help other kids in your school resolve their differences.
Get in the habit of introducing yourself first to people you don’t know and start conversations with them.

Firmness

Police officers must be self-confident and exercise their authority in difficult situations.

You have what you need to succeed if:

You can defend a very controversial position during a discussion, even if all your friends disagree with you.
You are clear with your feelings when you are not happy with certain situations, such as when someone shows up late for a meeting.
You know how to keep control of the situation and be firm about the rules when you are babysitting.

To develop these skills, you can:

Work with children as an assistant coach or become the referee of a sport.
Get in the habit of staying firm in your decisions and ideas.
Establish a budget for the next year and stick to it despite the temptation to spend, with the goal of saving and buying something you really want.

Emotional Control

Because police officers deal with crises, they must be able to handle pressure and keep their cool, even in tense situations.

You have what you need to succeed if:

You don’t react violently when provoked.
You maintain your concentration in stressful situations, such as when you are studying the night before an exam.
You help other people resolve conflicts without getting emotional.

To develop these skills, you can:

Learn stress management techniques, like taking deep breaths.
Get in the habit of telling your problems to a friend rather than bottling up your frustrations.
Practice a martial art, yoga or any sport that helps you get rid of stress.

Did you know?

The police team that works with trained dogs is called the “dog squad” or “K-9 unit.’’
The old name of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was the North-West Mounted Police.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is based on the model of the Royal Irish Constabulary.