Free tuition and expanding enrollment for basic constable training will help address policing shortages
The Ontario government is making it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more police officers by removing tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College (OPC) and immediately expanding the number of recruits that can be trained each year.
“Ontario is grateful to the thousands of brave women and men who serve as police officers across the province, keeping our communities safe,” said Premier Doug Ford. “To push back the growing tide of crime in our communities, we’re urgently getting more boots on the ground. That’s why our government is making the path to becoming a police officer as open as possible, expanding enrollment at the Ontario Police College and covering 100 per cent of the tuition cost for Basic Constable Training.”
To get more boots on the ground, the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College will be expanded immediately to accommodate an additional 70 recruits per cohort, from 480 to 550. Starting in 2024, the Basic Constable Training program will also be expanded to four cohorts per year instead of three. Additionally, to support recruitment efforts at a time when local police officers have signaled challenges in doing so, the province is introducing legislation that, if passed, will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer, as set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA). If passed, the act would amend the CSPA to provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer.
“These changes are good news for police services across the province, as well as for Ontarians considering a career as a police officer,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “We listened to the concerns about recruitment shortfalls and training limitations and have taken steps to remove barriers and expand the possibilities for those considering a career as a police officer.”
Ontario’s new measures compliment other recent enhancements in Basic Constable Training at the OPC. Earlier this year, the duration of the training program was expanded from 60 to 66 days to accommodate immediate rapid deployment and active attacker and mental health response training for individuals in crisis. The college’s mental health response training for individuals in crisis provides police officers with the skills they need to work with on-the-ground supports such as mobile crisis response teams.
The elimination of the tuition fee for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College will be retroactive to January 1, 2023. Recruits who paid for their twelve-week Basic Constable Training earlier this year will be reimbursed.
Quick Facts
- Under the Police Services Act, municipal police recruits in Ontario are required to complete the Basic Constable Training (BCT) program within six months of being hired.
- Ontario Provincial Police and Indigenous Police Services recruits also complete the BCT at the Ontario Police College.
- Legislation proposing to eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer, as set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act 2019 (CSPA), is expected to be introduced later today along with several amendments required to bring the CSPA into force. If passed, the Bill would amend the CSPA to provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer. This change, if passed, would come into effect when the CSPA comes into force.
- BCT courses cover a variety of topics, including federal/provincial/traffic law, human rights, diversity and professional practice, leadership, ethics, mental health for first responders and for people in crisis, physical wellness and fitness for duty, community safety, defensive tactics, use of force and de-escalation techniques, firearms, and officer safety.
- The Ontario Police College is continually reviewing and modernizing its curriculum, programming, and training to address current needs, trends and best practices.
Additional Resources
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
