Requirements to Join Peel Regional Auxiliary Police

To be eligible to the Peel Regional Police Auxiliary, persons must possess the following qualifications and meet the requisite criteria:

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.

2. Applicants must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada pursuant to the Police Services Act, R.S.O.

3. Must be of good moral character and habits

4. Must produce satisfactory proof of having completed the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Graduation Diploma (30 credits), or equivalent. Note: Equivalency can be obtained through your local Board of Education.

5. Must be willing to commit to a two-year commitment and twenty-four hours per month voluntary service.

6. Will be required to successfully complete a series of tests set by the Peel Regional Police Service.

7. Must provide all information considered to be related to an appointment, including discharge papers in respect to any former service with a police service or the armed forces.

8. Must be certified to be in good health by a legally qualified medical practitioner; mentally and physically fit for duty (having met the fitness requirements) as an auxiliary constable.

9. Must posses a valid Ontario driver’s licence. Not G1 or G2: Must be G

10. If required to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, vision must not exceed 20/40, correctable to 20/20 with the aid of said eyeglasses or contact lenses. There must be no red/green colour blindness.

11. Must receive the approval of a selection committee.

12. Must agree to abide by the directives of the Peel Regional Police and the Regional Municipality of Peel Police Services Board’s by-law #227.

13. Will be required to attend all training sessions which include two evenings a week, and any Saturday session as directed by the Training Team.

14. Applications will not be accepted from persons who have been convicted of a criminal offence, unless they have received a pardon. Convictions include the following dispositions:

1. Pled guilty

2. Found guilty

3. Suspended sentence

4. Conditional discharge

15. Applications will not be accepted from:

a) Persons licensed as private investigators or security guards licensed to carry firearms pursuant to the Private Investigators & Security Guards Act, R.S.O.; or

b) Persons whose occupation or lifestyle may pose a conflict of interest with Auxiliary Police duties.

Note: Conflicts of interest will be determined by the Officer in Charge, Staff Services; or

c) Persons who have current applications for employment submitted to this service’s Recruiting Bureau for the position of Police Constable.

Peel Regional Auxiliary Police

Auxiliary Police Service

The Peel Regional Auxiliary Police Service is supported by over 100 active volunteers. Supporting our volunteers are two full time staff, comprised of a Sergeant and Constable. As well, there is a civilian administrative support staff member assigned to assist the unit.

The Auxiliary Service supports the regular police service in the following ways:

• patrol and marine escorts
• R.I.D.E, program assistance
• special events
• emergency callout.

These unpaid volunteers show their support for the Peel Regional Police, while giving something back to their community at the same time.

• Put in countless hours at special events, such as Santa Clause Parades, Remembrance Day parades, local community events, like the Streetsville Bread and Honey Festival and Canada Day celebrations in Brampton and Mississauga.
• Providing assistance to the Training Bureau at Recruit Graduations.
• They are frequently called upon by Canada Immigration to be on hand for monthly citizenship court swearing in ceremonies.

Since the unit was formed in 1989 the Auxiliary Police Service members have participated in many community fundraising events, such as:

• Toys For Tots campaign at Christmas

• Hospital visits to children at Christmas

• Peel Children’s Safety Village (A street at the village is named Auxiliary Avenue)

• Car-wash for cancer, which has raised several thousand dollars to date for cancer research

• Gathering clothing, sorting and shipping same to the victims of the Manitoba Flood.

The Auxiliary Service has played an important role in a number of major investigations.

• They located a victim’s shoe during a field search at a homicide scene, as well as a weapon used in another incident.
• They have participated in many searches for Alzheimer’s patients.

The criteria to be accepted into the program are very similar to that expected of our constables in the regular service.

There is a four-month training period of 160 hours for our recruits. Training takes place on Tuesday and Thurday evenings from 7-11pm and every other Saturday from 8am-4pm.

As an Auxiliary Officer you must make a commitment of 24 hours per month, for at least two years to the program.

Naked Person Sought

Peel Regional Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a male party seen naked on Highway 407, overlooking the Credit River.

On Tuesday, November 28, 2006, at approximately 11:00 p.m., a motorist travelling on Highway #407, observed a tall, thin, white male standing on the highway, overlooking the Credit River, just east of Mississauga Road. Emergency personnel responded to the area and conducted an immediate search. Peel Regional Police, 22 Division uniform officers, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Canine and Marine Units, Ontario Provincial Police, and the Brampton Fire Department, assisted in the search, however, have been met with negative results.

The search investigation has been hampered due to the heavy fog and darkness. Highway #407 between Mississauga Road and Mavis Road has been reduced to two lanes; travellers heading westbound should expect some delays.

Investigators have concern for this male party’s well-being and are asking the public to come forward with any information that they may have. Anyone with information is asked to contact 22 Division, Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 2233, or Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS/8477.

OPP Auxiliary Police

Working in a highly structured environment, Auxiliary Members are expected to maintain the high standards of the O.P.P., sometimes working under very difficult situations. Please consider all aspects of the Program before you decide to become and Auxiliary Member.

Duties

Auxiliary Members, as part of their duties, may assist regular O.P.P. Officers with the following:

• Community policing initiatives and projects,
• Regular patrol,
• Crime and disaster scenes,
• Large gatherings or parades for crowd and traffic control, and
• Traffic accidents.

Minimum Qualifications

• Be at least 18 years of age,
• Be a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident of Canada with a valid drivers license,
• Have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma program or equivalent,
• Have completed CPR and First Aid Certification
• Be a good moral character, and mentally and physically able to perform the duties of the Auxiliary position.
• Standard First Aid and Basic Rescuer (level C) CPR

Be a Volunteer

• Be able to commit the time and effort required of the program – a minimum 10 hours per month on patrol with a regular force officer and six hours in-service training.
• Work with the community and the O.P.P. in identifying and resolving problems.
• Perform many duties outdoors, often in unfavorable weather conditions.

Prospective members are required to complete a series of tests which include general aptitude and psychological assessment. If successful, a 60-hour recruit orientation course follows. Topics include Community policing, federal and provincial laws, O.P.P. policy and procedures. Other topics are problem resolution, communication skills, victim assistance, race relations, note-taking, self-defense, traffic control and firearms training.

Benefits

• An Auxiliary member is provided with an opportunity to work with the community to ensure everyones pursuit of legal activities in a safe environment.
• An Auxiliary member develops a better understanding of the police function, and an esprit-de-corps with regular and fellow members.
• The O.P.P. provides uniform and equipment for all phases of the Auxiliary Program.
• While on duty, an Auxiliary member is covered by WSIB, The O.P.P.’s Employee Assistance Program, legal assistance and an accidental death insurance policy.
• The Auxiliary Program provides a possible avenue for future employment with the O.P.P.
• Ontario’s communities benefit from Auxiliary units located across the Province.

• The Auxiliary O.P.P. was originally formed in 1960 by an Order-in-Council. Prior to that it was known as the Emergency Measures Organization who were trained in crowd control and first aid in the event of a nuclear attack from Russia. The EMO transferred over to the O.P.P. and known as Auxiliary.
• The Program was managed by the O.P.P. and its members in the early years helped at community events and patrolled with regular O.P.P. members
• Following an audit in 1988 a number of recommendations were made and in 1991 they became self-directed and the Commissioner appointed Aux Chief Superintendent Terry Harkins as its Executive Director; Provincial Commander of the O.P.P. Auxiliary.
• The volunteer component developed and included ranks, positions, promotional processes that mirrored the regular O.P.P. structure.
• In the new organization the Auxiliary took on the responsibility for standardized selection process and training of its members.
• The Auxiliary O.P.P. uniform differs only in the light blue shirt they wear as opposed to the dark blue shirt worn by regular O.P.P. members and all components of their outwear bear insignia identifying them as “Auxiliary/Auxiliare”
• In 1997 GATB (General Aptitude Test Battery) and Psychological Testing of new auxiliary recruits commenced.
• Members of the auxiliary are “unpaid” and receive some compensation for travel and meals. Their membership consists of people from diverse backgrounds and civilian occupations including members of the military, lawyers, pilots, farmers, paramedics, bus drivers, nurses, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, homemakers, private businesspeople to name a view.
• Enrolment requirements are: Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, minimum age of 18 years, Ontario Secondary School Graduation diploma or equivalent, have “standard” First Aid, mentally and physically able to perform duties of auxiliary member, possess a valid drivers licence, good driving records and successfully complete the interview process.
• Their duties are endless but include traffic control, ground security at major events, doing surveys, seat belt clinics, assisting on RIDE initiatives, bicycle inspections and rodeos, assisting at safety displays and presentations, foot and road patrols with regular members, accompanying regular members on marine and snow vehicle patrol, victim assistance, tagging evidence, ceremonial duties, search and resuce (to name a few)
• In 2000 almost all-available Auxiliary O.P.P. were placed on stand-by during Y2K and were prepared to assist where necessary.
• The Auxiliary were placed on emergency stand-by for post Sept 11th planning.
• In 1998 the Ice Storm in Eastern Ontario utilized auxiliary members in providing assistance to stranded persons without power. The use of their civilian occupations played a significant part by providing medical services, mechanics, electricians etc to aid people getting the lives back to normal.
• The O.P.P. Auxiliary are governed by a Mission Statement agreed to by its Executive Director, the Commissioner, the Ontario Provincial Police Association and the Commissioned Officers Association…
  ” To provide fully trained volunteer auxiliary members to perform police duties only in special circumstances, including an emergency, that the police officers of the O.P.P. are not sufficiently numerous to deal with.”
• It is recognized that the Auxiliary O.P.P. shall not be utilized to replace regular members in any duties, training must occur for auxiliary personnel to a level to provide necessary skills to safely fulfill the requirements of their mandate under the Police Services Act, and that they participate within those duties which enhance community policing efforts, crime prevention programs, and public service as opposed to direct police service delivery.

How to Join

Auxiliary Program - How to Join

Volunteers for a Better Community

Citizens & the O.P.P. working together to ensure the safety & security of Ontario.

Application process:

Interested persons can print out the forms below and complete them by hand and deliver them in person or mail to the Auxiliary Unit located nearest to you.

You will be contacted by the Unit and a date arranged for you to appear before an interview panel of three. Once successful in the interview you will also be required to produce copies of your O.S.S.G.D. (or higher) education, drivers license, and C.P.R./First Aid qualifications. Your fingerprints will also be taken at this time.

Aptitude and psychologist testing will be conducted in the next step followed by a background investigation that includes contact with present and past employers and references.

A positive background investigation will result in an acceptance of your “offer of services” and notification of the next available Auxiliary Recruit Class.

Application Steps

Step 1: Fill out the AP30 and AP61 forms
Step 2: Deliver or mail to one of the listed detachments
Step 3: Interview (panel of 3)
Step 4: PATI and Psychological Testing
Step 5: Background Investigation, medical and vision testing
Step 6: Course Loading on Aux Recruit Class

Auxiliary Units

Central Region

City of Kawartha Lakes (Lindsay)
Nottawasaga (Beeton)
Barrie
Orillia
Muskoka (Bracebridge)
Huronia West (Wasaga Beach)
Peterborough
Southern Georgian Bay
Collingwood & The Blue Mountains
Northumberland (Cobourg)

Highway Safety Division

Cambridge Site
Aurora / 407 Site
Niagara Site
Port Credit Site
Caledon Site
Burlington Site
Whitby Site

North East Region

North Bay
Temiskaming (& Kirkland Lake)
Sudbury
Sault Ste Marie
South Porcupine
Cochrane (& Moosonee)
Kapuskasing

North West Region

Thunder Bay
Kenora

Eastern Region

Leeds County (Brockville)
Upper Ottawa Valley (Pembroke)
Central Hastings (Madoc)
Bancroft
Hawkesbury
Frontenac
Ottawa
Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry (Long Sault)
Lanark County (Perth)
Renfrew

Western Region

Oxford County (Tillsonburg)
Middlesex County (Strathroy)
Haldimand County (Cayuga)
Norfolk County (Simcoe)
Huron County (Goderich)
Wellington County (Fergus)
Grey County (Owen Sound - Kincardine)
Essex County (Essex)
Lambton County (Petrolia)
Perth County
Brant County (Paris)
Elgin County (St Thomas)

Effective Communication for the Police Officer

If there is one occupation where communication skills are an absolutely essential that is the job of a police officer. In terms of police officers and the jobs they are expected to do on the street, communications skills are so critical that they can spell life or death for the officer or others involved. On the job officers are required to talk to all different types of people and those people are in sometimes the worse situation they have ever been in. Police Officers deal with people of all races, cultures, ages, ethnicities and background. Having to deal with all different types of people, officers must know what each person expects to hear and what each person expects not to hear. As the United States is becoming more diverse in cultures, police officers need to be very careful dealing with the different cultures. What could be perceived as being normal in the officers culture may not be in dealing with certain ethnicities. For examples in some cultures and religions it is forbidden for women to speak with a man other than her husband. This can turn into a pretty difficult situation if an officer does not know this and insists on a female speaking with him. This works both ways as well as many ethnic groups coming to this country do not follow and agree with all of the rules we follow.

Police need to adjust their tone and attitude depending on the situation they are presented with. Police officers need to show sympathy and comfort victims and at the same time are expected to lay down the law and show assertiveness and authority. For some officers it is very difficult turning emotions on and off and police officers will never know what emotions and attitudes they will be presented with throughout a days work.

Police officers have to not only respond to stressful situations, they have to take control of them and get everyone to work together to resolve the situation. Officers are expected to put their own emotions on the side so that the situation at hand can be dealt with effectively. Police officers need to know how to deescalate a situation before the matter gets out of hand and they need to do so in a way that everyone involved in a particular situation agrees with. Examples of this would be a suicidal subject calls or calls involving the mentally ill. Both situations are very difficult for officers to deal with especially those officers who are faced with these calls absent any experience or training in how to deal with them. These situations are highly charges and volatile situations and proper communications is required for a successful resolution. Officers need to evaluate each situation and attempt to give in the needs of the subject but at the same time still showing authority as well. In situations like these just a few wrong works or actions could spell disaster for all that are involved.

An officer is only as good as him reports are. Not only is an officer expected to handle multiple calls a day they are also expected to document everything that takes place on those calls and then put that information into a report form for future use. Officer must be sure to put everything in there police reports and to do so in a way that everyone reading it will understand what they are stating. This becomes especially critical when a case goes to court and the officers police report is questioned and challenged by the defense.

The job of a police officer is very difficult one and having sharp communications skills is a required skill to have and will mean the difference between a successful officer and an unsuccessful one.


About The Author
Kenneth R Tapscott is a Criminal Justice major currently working in the law enforcement field. More information can be obtained at http://www.tapscott.info.

Ethical Standards of Cops

Throughout an officers career there will be many occasion when the officers’ ethics will be put to the test and it will be up to the officer not to allow there own ethics to weaken or become compromised. So many officers do find themselves in situations in which they have a serious ethical decision to make and whether or not they make the right decision will depend on that officers ethics. The decision the officer makes can also have drastic effect on how the officer’s career as well as personal life play out.

I have been fortunate enough through my five-year career in Law Enforcement in that I have not been faced with any serious moral dilemmas. By the nature of the job of law enforcement you can surmise that there are many occasions when a police officer can be confronted with a moral dilemma. The question is not will an officer be confronted with a moral dilemma; it is instead when will an officer be faced with one. Throughout my career I have often referred to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics which is a code that embodies everything a police officer should be. This code was established by the Peace Officer’s Research Association of California in 1956 and since then has made its way throughout the country to Police departments and its officers. Many department mission statement have been derived from the very words that appear on the code of ethics.

Code of Ethics

As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities. I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession. . . law enforcement. (Dantzker et al, 2003)

Dilemmas

A common temptation an officer can find throughout there career in law enforcement is that of money. Especially since a large number of officers feel as though they are drastically underpaid and deserve a higher rate of compensation. In September 2003 a former Orlando police officer was arrested for stealing nearly $60,000 meant to help solve Crimeline cases. Charlie Worrell stole the money and using it for child support, his credit card payments and his car. The money was supposed to be used to pay informants to turn in criminals. (WKMG. 2003). Situations like this unfortuanly are not uncommon even today when there is a more professional qualified group of officers on the streets. Due to this being a common temptation and because there are many situations when officers will be handling money, ethics training and awareness becomes that much more important. Under ethics training officers are commonly quizzed on scenario cases to determine what consequences could result. The follow scenario would be a common example pertaining to police ethics.

Ethical Scenario

A newbie rookie officer right out of the academy arrived at a welfare check call. The reason for the call is to check on an elderly man who neighbors had not heard from in several days. Upon entry into the house the officers finds the elderly man deceased on the floor. While looking around the residence the officer also located $2000 in cash on bureau. The question in the scenario is of course, would you take the money? Given the situation where you have an elderly man who lives alone and the fact that you are alone on the call, who would ever know the money, was missing. Quiet obviously during ethics training an officer would certainly say no to this question, however in the heat of the moment when no one is around it would still be the same situation. Hopefully the officer’s morals are strong enough not to even think twice in situation like this one.

Consequences

Though the officer may get away with taking the money there will be many other consequences to their actions. Once an officer behaves in this manner and lets there ethics and morals weaken, they open themselves up for further temptations in the future.

In addition to that the officer is now damaged goods in terms of honesty and that officer from that point forward does not have a shred of credibility. Officers do not have much to rely on but there word in many cases. There are many occasions in police work in which it will be the officer’s opinion versions another individual’s opinion. More likely than not it will be the officers opinion which is trusted. This happens in essentially every cases where there are just two people involved, the officer and the accused. An example would be traffic enforcement when the majority of the time only the officer and the other party are witness to the incident. Later on in court the officer’s word is accepted as the truth. Those would even show a faint weakness in morals and ethics have no business in police work as there word is trusted by so many others. If an officer does not have there integrity, they have nothing.

Conclusion

Ethical and moral decision are a big part of the job a police officer has. The officer will likely be faced with decision of this nature over and over again through there career. In most cases the decision the officer makes will either make or break them as an officer and the decision they make will either strengthen or weaken there ethically values. Fortunately over the past several years, the job of policing has become more professionalized and requirement to hold the job as a police officers have been increased. Special attention is also being placed in the area of ethics training and this is resulting in the majority of officers around the county getting some form of this training throughout there career. The results of these efforts unfortunately have not been able to weed out all of the bad apples in the field, but these steps have served to make the officers on the streets more aware of the issue of morals and ethics. This training as shown to be very valuable to the officer, the department and the community the police have sworn to protect.

References

Dantzker, M. (2003). Understanding today’s police. 3rd ed: Prentice Hall, Inc.

WKMG Local 6 (2003, Sep). Former Officer Allegedly Steals From Crimeline. Retrieved January 18, 2006, from http://www.local6.com
http://www.local6.com

About The Author
Kenneth R Tapscott is a criminal justice graduate currently working in the law enforcement field. More information can be obtained at http://www.tapscott.info.