We’ve all seen the white and blue (or white and black, depending on where you live) cars, sirens blaring, speeding down the street to reach the site of an emergency. When we attend festivals or protests for a cause we care about, we often encounter officers of the law maintaining safety. We may have even witnessed an arrest. But have you ever wondered how policing works in Ontario? Here’s a look at some facts of police and public safety you may never have considered.
The Basics of Police and Public Safety
The province’s force has five major functions: preventing crime, enforcing our laws, helping victims, keeping public order, and responding to emergencies. When completing any of these duties, officers must follow a Declaration of Principles that Ontario has written into its statute. The declaration commits the “people in blue” to eight principles.
They must ensure the safety and security of all people and property in the province. They are also responsible for safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code. As they do so, they are required to work closely with the communities they serve and respect victims of crime while understanding the needs of both. Two related principles are being sensitive to the diverse, multiracial, and multicultural character of Ontario society and being responsive to the unique histories and cultures of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. The final two principles of a career as a cop involve representation and equity. Services and service boards must ensure they are representative of the communities they serve and that all areas, including First Nation reserves, receive equitable levels of policing.
Ontario's Diverse and Collaborative Policing System
Did you know that in addition to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), there are 43 municipal police services and nine self-administered First Nations forces throughout the province? Municipalities play an important role in providing these services to residents in various ways. For example, they can set up their own services or hire another municipality’s. They can also team up with another municipality to have a joint service for the area or hire the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Finally, municipalities can enter into an agreement with a First Nation board to receive policing from a First Nation police service.
Another entity with responsibilities regarding policing in Ontario is the Ministry of the Solicitor General. This ministry oversees the province’s Police College, which trains recruits and offers advanced training for experienced officers and civilian service employees. It’s also responsible for the OPP, which provides services in some municipalities and patrols the province’s highways, trails and waterways. Another organization the ministry oversees is the provincial operations of the Canadian Police Information Centre. This is a national database of information on wanted and missing persons, stolen vehicles and other crime-related issues. Lastly, the ministry researches criminal justice trends that affect policing.
How To Become a Police Officer
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into maintaining law and order in Ontario. But that also means there are a number of career opportunities in this field. Whether you want to join the force or see yourself in roles such as customs and excise officer, security officer, military officer, corrections officer, or private security officer (in loss prevention and corporate security), it all starts with the same education.
In Centennial College’s Police and Public Safety Foundations program, you will learn how to become a police officer—and much more. The two-year undertaking focuses on current laws, investigative techniques, conflict resolution techniques, criminal proceedings, community policing principles, physical fitness, and emergency management, all of which yield skills that are transferable to any public safety career.
By: Izabela Shubair