Centennial College

The best way to grasp concepts is to be emerged in a real-world environment. That’s why Centennial College’s Police Foundations offering sees students partake in intense training equivalent to that of a paramilitary environment, which helps you to develop discipline and deportment. Not only do students attend courses based on real-life experiences and partake in case studies that incorporate a fundamental perspective on life, but they also are required to dress in uniforms similar to those they will sport in the field. These aspects serve to fully prepare Police Foundations students with a solid base for handling a wide range of scenarios that come with jobs such as: police officers, customs officers, security officers and more. In fact, Police Foundations graduates are prepared to apply for positions with the Provincial Police Services, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Armed Forces and more.

As previously mentioned, courses are based on real world scenarios and include: Fitness, Principles of Psychology, Criminology for Policing, Youth in Conflict with the Law, Crime Scene Management, Community & Experiential Policing, Communication Skills, Current Criminal Justice, Criminal Code & Police Powers, and more. Once particularly beneficial Police Foundations course is the Police Prep component, which professor Philip Sampo describes as, “[it] assists you in actually getting through all of the testing that you will be required to do [to become a police officer].”

As a result of their Police Foundations training, students are equipped with the ability to: document, prepare and assist in the presentation of court cases in compliance with criminal and provincial law, rules of evidence and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; assess the use of police powers; initiate, promote and facilitate partnerships to meet community policing and security needs; cope with stress and optimize physical fitness and wellness; develop strategies to assist crime victims and much more.

Police Foundations hopefuls must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, they must have compulsory English 12C or U credits or skills assessment or equivalent. English proficiency will also be considered and a program information session may be required. There is also a host of essentials to be met that are typical in policing: no criminal record, a security clearance as well as a background investigation including CPIC, credit and reference check; a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record and valid first aid and/or CPR certification. Lastly, physical requirements for Police Foundations are as follows: vision checks, standard normal hearing, physical fitness and readiness for the Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP) test. It is worth noting that students are expected to assume the cost of their uniform. Applicants are also advised that some program experiences may require a criminal reference check. Certain criminal convictions may disallow participation in these experiences and program completion may not be possible.