People entering policing in Canada must finish three years of training and obtain a degree before becoming a full-fledged officer.
That’s one of the recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission's final report released last spring — one that Dave Cassels said should be non-negotiable.
Cassels, a 30-year police veteran and former Winnipeg police chief, say Canadian cops aren’t getting the training they need.
“We are actually falling way behind,” said Cassels, chair of the Coalition for Canadian Police Reform.
The group is determined to see Canada adopt advanced training models that exist in other countries but haven’t been brought in here.
Right now, public trust in police agencies across the country is waning and recruitment is a challenge. Professionalizing policing would help reverse the trend, Cassels said in an interview.
There are models out there.The coalition held a panel discussion in December looking at some of the options, including Ireland's model. Panelist Shawna Coxon, deputy commissioner of Gharda Síochána, the police and security service of Ireland, pointed out the force holds about a 90 per cent public approval rating. Education is a big part of it, she said.
The country has a national policing college that’s partnered with the University of Limerick. All police officers have at minimum a two-year undergraduate degree in applied policing. Cadets are also paid to complete the program. Once they’re done, they’re put on a probationary period for three years.
“Professionalization is really important,” said Coxon. “It was one of the reasons I was attracted to coming to Ireland in the first place.”
Before that, she was deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service.
Police cadet training in Canada is limited to a few months. Today’s officers need much more in-depth training, ranging from use of force and emotional intelligence to de-escalation, understanding case law and technology.
Michael MacDonald, who chaired the MCC, also took part in the panel and supports a college model, as well. He pointed to the Finnish model outlined in the commission’s final report. Citizens’ trust of that country’s police force is the highest in the world, at 91 per cent. Like Ireland, education there is extensive and cadets must complete a multi-year bachelor degree.
Ontario’s Chief Justice Michael Tulloch, another panelist, has conducted two independent reviews of policing in that province and believes there must be a “common and clear entry-level academic requirement of police officers.”
He said the country is ready for a Canadian College of Policing that sets the curriculum and regulates the profession.
The bottom line for Cassels and the coalition is that action is needed.
“There is no entity in Canada that collects and disseminates current and relevant police training,” he said. “Most existing police training institutions are teaching in a silo.”
A modernized and regulated profession is in the interest of Nova Scotians and Canadians, he says.
But there is no guarantee that the commission’s recommendation will be acted on. Police leadership needs to show the way, with the backing of the federal government, says Cassels.
“History shows that the recommendations from many public enquiries, government commission studies and important reviews often collect dust on a shelf,” he said.
