Winnipeg Police Service Recruiting

The Winnipeg Police Service requires a minimum of grade 12 or G.E.D., as assessed by the Manitoba Department of Education. Generally, all education is an asset and can be utilized throughout your professional and personal life.

The value of education is recognized by the Winnipeg Police Service, and we fully support our own members in their continuing education. Select courses that are challenging and of particular interest to you.

The Winnipeg Police Service does not endorse any academic institution nor do we endorse any particular subject areas. Whatever course(s) you choose, ensure you put forth your best effort. Academic results are given careful consideration, as they can be reflective of both an applicant's ability to learn as well as his/her work ethic.

There is no advantage afforded to an applicant who has taken law enforcement specific training. Private law enforcement training is given consideration as is any other post secondary education or training. The Winnipeg Police Service selects only the most suitable applicants. The value of your education, to the Winnipeg Police Service, is not solely determined by its source.

Recruit training is intense both physically and mentally. Successful applicants will be challenged with continuous learning throughout their careers. Policies, procedures and even the laws you will enforce are subject to change frequently. You must learn to work effectively with those changes.

There are many factors considered by the W.P.S. when selecting individuals for employment. Education is only one such factor and it alone will not afford an advantage to an applicant.

You must be 18 years of age in order to apply, however, there is no maximum age restriction. Every applicant must be in good physical condition and able to successfully complete the Winnipeg Police Service - Physical Abilities Test. (WPS-PAT)

Although the Winnipeg Police Service does not require an applicant to have volunteer experience, it should be noted that volunteering can provide valuable experience in terms of individual development.

If you choose to volunteer your time with an organization, try to ensure your volunteer experience affords you the opportunity to deal with a variety of people. A police officer must have the ability to effectively deal with diversity. Volunteer work, community work, education and employment are some of the ways you can develop your expertise in dealing effectively with people.

There is no recipe of skills and abilities that the Winnipeg Police Service is looking for. The foundation all successful applicants must build upon is honesty and integrity. The public places a great deal of trust in police officers, holding them to the highest of standards.

Here are some common attributes demonstrated by successful applicants:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Maturity
• Ability to learn
• Work ethic
• Ability to communicate
• Ability to make decisions
• Ability to function under stress
• Life Experience
• Discipline
• Dedication
• Responsibility
• Teamwork

As a potential applicant, you should take a thoughtful look at yourself to see if you possess all these qualities. If you feel you should develop yourself further in any of these areas, take the opportunity to do so. You may want to consider education, employment and/or volunteer work as a means to furthering your development.

The training provided at the Winnipeg Police Academy is highly regarded. Experienced Police Officers with various fields of expertise will instruct you in the practical and academic requirements relative to the duties of a police officer.

Currently the Winnipeg Police Service training is 37 weeks in duration. There is no cost incurred to a recruit for the training. The minimum academic requirement, upon completion is 65%.

While in Recruit Class you will be paid at the current salary rate of a fourth class Constable. Salaries and benefits are subject to change with the ratification of each collective agreement.

All Winnipeg Police are on probation for a minimum of 24 months from the date they become an employee of the Winnipeg Police Service.

Upon successful completion of the academic training, you will be placed in an operational division and assigned to work with a Field Training Officer, where you will be assigned to a variety of calls for service. During this phase of your training, your ability to practically apply your academic training will be evaluated. Progress reports will be maintained and submitted to the Training Academy. Your performance during this phase must meet the standards of the Winnipeg Police Service.

The costs associated with recruiting and training a Police Officer are significant. Therefore, the Winnipeg Police Service ensures, to the best of our ability, that we select only the most suitable applicants to be Winnipeg Police Service members.

Generally members must spend a minimum of five years as General Patrol officers responding to both emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The time officers spend in General Patrol is imperative to their overall development.

During this phase, members will apply their knowledge of the Criminal Code of Canada, Youth Criminal Justice Act, Controlled Drug and Substances Act, Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Control Act and Mental Health Act, to name a few. This time also allows the Officer to develop his or her investigative and communication skills, which are imperative to work successfully in a specialty division.

Once a member has completed five years of service, he or she is eligible to apply for specialty units which focus on specific areas of police work, such as Plain Clothes Investigations, Commercial Crime, Child Abuse, Homicide and the Canine Unit, to name a few.

This is incorrect. The Winnipeg Police Service strives to hire the 'best qualified' applicant regardless of what demographic they represent.

The policy of the Winnipeg Police Service is that an applicant must be free of all criminal activity for a period of two years prior to their application being submitted. The Winnipeg Police Service realizes that no one is perfect and that applicants may have made mistakes in the past, but what is important is how one lives their life now.