Index
Intro
Police officers protect the public, detect and prevent crime and perform other activities directed at maintaining law and order. They are employed by municipal and federal governments and some provincial and regional governments. This unit group includes railway police.
Main Duties
Police officers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Patrol assigned areas to maintain public safety and order and to enforce laws and regulations
- Investigate crimes and accidents, secure evidence, interview witnesses, compile notes and reports and provide testimony in courts of law
- Arrest criminal suspects
- Provide emergency assistance to victims of accidents, crimes and natural disasters
- Participate in crime prevention, public information and safety programs
- May supervise and co-ordinate the work of other police officers.
Employment Requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Completion of a college program or university degree in law and security or in the social sciences is usually required.
- A three- to six-month police training program is provided.
- Physical agility, strength, fitness and vision requirements must be met, and psychological or other tests may also be required.
- Experience as a constable and the completion of specialized courses are required for detectives and sergeants.
All Titles
- bodyguard – police
- cadet, police
- Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) investigator
- canine-team member – police
- community police officercommunity policeman, community policewoman
- community relations officer – police
- community services officer – police
- constablepoliceman, policewoman
- counterfeit and forgery section detective
- crime prevention constable
- crime scene technician – police
- CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) investigator
- desk officer – police
- detective – police
- detective, counterfeit and forgery section
- detective, narcotics squad
- detective, vice squad
- divisional diving supervisor – police
- dog master – police
- drug investigator – police
- duty officer, headquarters – police
- duty officer, station – police
- education relations officer – policing
- ethnic relations officer – police
- evidence technician – police
- harbour police officerharbour policeman, harbour policewoman
- harbour police sergeant
- harbour policeman/woman
- headquarters duty officer – police
- highway patrol officerhighway patrolman, highway patrolwoman
- highway patrolman/woman
- identification officer – police
- investigator – police
- investigator, railway – police
- morality officer – police
- motorcycle patrolman/woman – policemotorcycle patrolman – police, motorcycle patrolwoman – police
- mounted police constablemounted policeman, mounted policewoman
- mounted policeman/woman
- narcotics squad detective
- officer, community relations – police
- officer, recruitment and training – police
- patrol officer – police
- patrol officer, traffic
- peace officer
- plain-clothes officer
- police cadet
- police constable
- police constable, railwayrailway policeman, railway policewoman
- police corporal
- police diver
- police diver – salvage
- police investigator
- police officer
- police sergeant
- policeman/woman
- railway guard – police
- railway investigator – police
- railway police constable
- railway police officer
- railway special agent – police
- RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officer
- RCMP officer
- recruitment and training officer – police
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer
- safety patrol officer – police
- school liaison officer – police
- school safety officer – police
- scuba diver – police
- scuba-diving specialist – police
- secret service officer
- security constable – police
- security officer – police
- staff sergeant – police
- station duty officer – police
- station officer – police
- traffic patrol officer
- vice squad detective
Exclusions
- Progression to commissioned police officer positions is possible with additional training and experience.