A recruitment open house for those in the Rainy River District interested in a career in policing will take place on Monday, June 5, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Fort Frances Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment.
OPP Provincial Constable Bradley Scoyne said there will be several displays from speciality units including the Emergency Response Team, Canine Crime Unit, Forensics, and Provincial Recruitment.
“When you go through the OPP hiring process, you give detachment selections in that process, which could be anywhere in the province,” he said.
“However, there’s an emphasis and focus on assisting individuals in the Rainy River District who are looking for employment and to remain in the Rainy River District or Northwest Region.”
Currently, every detachment location in the Rainy River District, including Fort Frances and Atikokan, has available positions.
“The OPP recruitment motto or hashtag right now is ‘Always Hiring,’” said Scoyne. “So if you’re interested in a career in policing, there’s definitely opportunities in the Northwest region for you.”
To make it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more police officers, tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College have been removed.
Premier Doug Ford said covering 100 per cent of tuition costs for Basic Constable Training will help get “more boots on the ground” and keep communities safe.
The government estimates total savings for recruits to be around $15,000 for anyone hired by a police service, said Scoyne.
“The provincial government is obviously supporting policing and understands that there’s a need to hire more police officers and is making that easier and reducing obstacles to do so,” he said.
Scoyne welcomed younger students who may be interested in a career in policing to attend the open house too.
He said the detachment has reached out to all local high schools to notify their students that they’re invited to come to the police station.
While some people enter the field with a background in trades, others may wish to enter college or university training first. Either way, Scoyne said the OPP “can help them to navigate the path to a career in policing.”
“We’re definitely looking to help young people figure out a path into a policing career,” he said.
Furthermore, individuals who have already worked in other fields are always welcomed to discover a second career, Scoyne said.
“If you’re already in your 40s or 50s and are looking for a second career, then we definitely want to talk to them and help them to understand the process and determine if they would be a good candidate,” he said.
Those interested are encouraged to use a self assessment tool at opp.ca to see if they meet the requirements to work for the OPP.
Otherwise, everyone is welcomed to “just come and go” at the recruitment open house on Monday, June 5, to have their questions answered.
“Come speak to a vast array of different roles within the policing organization and learn a bit more about how you can serve your community and serve the province of Ontario,” Scoyne said.
