New & Out of Province Applicants
All new, out-of-province and international applicants must complete the same basic recruit training.
New constables will start as recruits in training. The majority occurs at the William Griesbach Training Centre in Edmonton. Training is divided into three phases or Blocks.
Block 1 (22 weeks) - A recruit can expect to spend about 50% of their time in the classroom, and 50% doing practical exercises. Working hours vary, but a recruit in Block 1 can expect that most of their working hours will be from Monday to Friday. Basic training involves a number of topics:
- Criminal law
- Report writing
- Court procedure
- Problem solving
- Mediation
- Conflict resolution
- Physical training
- Scenario training
- Firearms training
- Driver training
- Arrest/control tactics
Block 2 (23 weeks) - Working hours will change to the patrol shift rotation of four days on, four days off. You’ll have many opportunities to spend evenings and weekends with your family and friends.
In Block 2, recruits are integrated into their patrol squad and partnered with a Police Training Officer (PTO). The PTO will oversee the recruit’s progress through live calls for service, report writing, and problem solving.
Block 3 (2 weeks) - Recruits review their experiences and prepare for graduation. Once the recruit constable has successfully completed Block 3 of their training, they will continue with regular patrol duties as constable in their designated squad. The probationary employment period for new officers is 18 months.
What actually happens in training?
Training is an exciting and a stressful time, but it is also a valuable time during which you will better yourself beyond your wildest expectations and forge lasting relationships with your peers.