Ontario scrapping post-secondary education requirement for police recruits
CBC
The Ontario government said Tuesday it is introducing a number of new measures to boost lagging police recruitment numbers, including eliminating a post-secondary education requirement to be hired as an officer and covering the costs of mandatory training.
"We need more police officers on our streets, more boots on the ground," Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference at the Ontario Police College. He was joined by Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.
Ford said he has heard from the chiefs of various police services, who said they are seeing increases in major crimes like auto thefts, break and enters and random acts of violence, but are struggling to attract new recruits.
The premier also said that later today, his government will introduce legislation that would amend the Community Safety and Policing Act 2019 so a high school diploma or equivalent is "sufficient education" for the purposes of being hired as a police officer. Currently, applicants to municipal police services need a post-secondary education credit to be considered for employment as an officer.
The province will also cover 100 per cent of the costs for Basic Constable Training at the Ontario Police College. The three-month program costs $15,450 and new police officers are required to complete it within six months of being hired.
Enrolment at the college is also being expanded. Starting in 2024, the college will be able to graduate up to four cohorts of 550 officers, up from the current three cohorts of 480 officers.
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