Pursuing My Dream: Becoming a Police Officer at Peel Regional Police

To start with, this is essay my dream to become a police officer where I will consider the Peel Regional Police, their history, core values and other responsibilities and after that I will show personal viewpoint whether I am ready to be a part of this community. 

History, Structure & Community Area Served

Peel Regional Police was formed back in the 90s on January 1st, 1974, it was created by combining several police services such as; Mississauga, Port Credit, Streetsville, Brampton and Chinguacousy. The Regional of Peel was named in honour of a British Prime Minister names Sir Robert Peel. Sir Robert Peel formed a police force called London Metropolitan Police back in 1829, he was considered to be the father of modern policing. Along with being the leader of the police force, Sir Robert Peel created 9 rules which had to be followed for policing. Sir Robert Peel believed that the police and community are one strong team. Peel Regional Police’s structure includes 5 divisions which are; 11 Division, 12 Division, 21 Division, 22 Division which is the headquarter and Airport Division. Peel Region Police serves mostly in Mississauga and Brampton.

They serve over 1.4 million residents and at the Pearson International Airport, they serve around 35 million people. Peel Regional Police has over 2,000 police officers and 800 civilian employees. Peel Regional Police goes to schools nearby once in a while to talk to students about bullying awareness and street proofing. They engage with the students very well and they also come to schools for fundraising for cancer, they play games such as basketball and volleyball. They also fundraise in the community and they have cancer awareness activities; such as shaving their heads, riding bikes. This shows that they have a healthy relationship with their community and they are ready to do anything for their community.

Mission Statement, Core Values & Strategic

The mission statement of Peel Regional Police is “To protect the lives, property and rights of all through service excellence and community engagement”, which means that their mission as a police officer is to protect people, their properties and their rights. Peel Regional Police’s value is formed out of trust. T stands for “Trust is the foundation of all we do”, which means that their whole work is based on trust. R stands for “Respect for the dignity and rights of all others”, which means that officers respect people’s dignity and rights. U stands for “Understanding our community”, which means that they understand how their community is. S stands for “Safety through service excellence”, which means that they keep their community safe through their service. T stands for “Transparency at all times”, which means that the work they do is clear. The strategic plan by Peel Regional Police is to work together with their community to make it a safer place. They also plan to use their core values to reflect on.

Relevant Information & Hiring Trends

Peel Regional Police has a respectable reputation in the community because of their professional work and keeping the neighbourhood safe from any kind of trouble. They are also always ready to help you no matter how busy they are. The officers respect the law and follow everything by the rule book. Peel Regional Police doesn’t have a hiring trend, they hire anytime you apply after you pass your written and physical test for any position in the police such as; a cadet or a constable.

The Position - Duties & Responsibilities, Area of service, Competencies required & Selection criteria & Processes

Peel Regional Police’s duties and responsibilities include; protecting people and their properties. Some other duties and responsibilities are controlling traffic, patrolling neighbourhoods, responding to emergency calls and arresting criminals. The geographic area that Peel Regional Police serve is mostly Mississauga and Brampton. All the applicants who apply for Peel Regional Police must Canadian citizen or Permanent resident. They have to be at least 18 or above and they must have at least 4 years of high school completed. The applicant should also have a valid Ontario driver’s license, for cadet’s it’s G2 and for constable, it’s class G driver’s licence with full driving privileges. They shouldn’t have a criminal record. They should have good character and habits and should be able to perform their duties physically and mentally. The applicant has to pass the written, physical and medical tests. They should also have their First Aid and CPR Level C, which is basic rescuer certifications at the time of hire

The hiring and testing process of Peel Regional Police starts with: 

Step 1 - meeting minimum requirements. Then you apply online for either constable or cadet (you can’t apply for both), the Recruitment and Staff Support Bureau does not accept resumes because it’s the only online application process. After submitting your application online, an application package will be emailed to the applicant once the online application is processed. The package must be emailed back within 14 days to proceed. They will respond once the applicant’s application has been processed, there is no time limit for how long is the process going to take. 

Step 2 - the information the applicant has sent will be reviewed, the possible results for the application can be a rejection or an invitation to the next steps which is called, Local Focus Assessment (LFA). 

Step 3 - LFA include general knowledge test, which includes a written test. Next step is pre-background questionnaire. Then the applicant will have an interview with a Recruiting Officer. If the applicant missed, their application will be closed and they’ll have to apply after 6 months. If the applicant is successful they’ll be led to the final stage. 

Step 4 - the applicant will have an in-depth interview with a Recruiting Officer, then they’ll have another mini-interview but this time with a Sergeant. Then they’ll have a Competency test with the Peel Regional Police’s psychologist. The applicant will have their background checked which includes; checking with their local, provincial and international law enforcement agencies. The school the applicant has attended will also be checked, along with their driving history. The applicant credit and financial will be checked, and their personal and work references will also be checked. The applicant will have a home visit. The applicant will have a Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police, along with physical skills and abilities test of the Constable Selection System, and the PIN test. They will also have a final interview with senior officers and then they’ll have a medical examination. The applicant will then be offered employment, and then they’ll have a uniform fitting. The position I want to apply is for cadet first and then constable even though the hiring process is a lot tougher because Peel Regional police have a great work environment, and it is a great community to work in and also, I want to gain experience as a cadet before applying for a constable position.

Present Abilities

I believe that I match with most of the demands for the Peel Regional Police cadet service. I am capable of performing police duties mentally but physically not so much. I already turned 18 in April of this year, I am a Canadian citizen. I attended and graduated from high school successfully and I don’t have any criminal record. I already have my G1 license and will apply for G2 in summer of 2020. I already have a standard First Aid and CPR (C) with AED, and WHMIS which will end in Sept of 2020 but I will get it renewed in summer.

In conclusion, I am trying to stay on track for being physically prepared for the physical ability test by eating healthy and working out. I work out almost every day for an hour which includes cardio workout and boxing. I believe that if I stay on this plan I will be in better shape and I will be ready to pass the physical ability test. To ensure that I am ready to become a police officer in the future, I want to volunteer at Peel Regional Police at some point before I graduate to make sure that this is what I want to do. I want to see the reality of the police work rather than just looking at tv-series and believing that everything is easy, which nothing is in life. I want to see the challenges that everyday police officers face. Volunteering can also teach me about if there are other opportunities relating to police work even if it’s not fully being a police officer.

I believe that Peel Regional Police is a great police force for me to work in because they are a strong team, which helps people and they solve crimes quickly. Every day you learn something new in the police force. I think that this is a great place which can make my dream to become a police officer come true. The officers work professionally and their work is amazing, they solve crimes quickly, they also tell what to do and what not to do if you are in trouble. These are the reasons why I want to work in Peel Regional Police.