LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE
Lethbridge College and Taber Police Service collaborate to launch new initiative

Lethbridge College and Taber Police Service are launching a new initiative that will allow up to six police recruit candidates to self-sponsor their own training at the college's police cadet training program this fall.

Until now, the Lethbridge College Police Cadet Training program has only been open to recruits who have already been sponsored by a police service. In the past four years, more than 40 cadets from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber, Blood Tribe, CP Rail and Manitoba First Nations police services have sent their recruits through the 22-week innovative and collaborative program. Cadets who graduate from the program earn an academic credential and have also satisfied all the training requirements established by the Alberta Solicitor General for police constable induction training.

^{Members of Lethbridge College's 2019 Police Cadet Training program.}

This fall, the Taber Police Service will be hosting the college's police cadet training program and will sponsor two new recruits to enrol in the program in the traditional method. The service will also offer the opportunity for up to six self-sponsored people to obtain the credential. Candidates interested in either position must let Taber Police Service know about their interest by early June.

"High quality training and education is the foundation for the work that must be done by modern day police officers," says Dr. Graham Abela, Chief, Taber Police Service. "We are fortunate to have an excellent partnership with the other police services in southern Alberta and Lethbridge College, to provide this opportunity. It is awesome that we can be the first in Alberta to offer a self-sponsored candidate the opportunity to gain the academic credentials to be a police officer in Alberta, in a short-duration, intense and gold-medal award winning educational program."

Although there is no guarantee the self-sponsored recruits will be hired by the Taber Police Service, graduates of the program will be eligible to apply to police services throughout Alberta and can highlight their completion of the program when applying for a variety of public safety positions at justice agencies across Canada.

"We are looking for candidates who want to make a difference in community by using their skills and competencies gained in life; through advanced education, experiencing diversity and other vocations," says Abela. "If you are a problem solver with critical thinking skills, we are certain with the foundations we can teach you in the police academy, you could be one of our next police officers in southern Alberta."

Lethbridge College's Police Cadet Training program launched in March 2017 and was designed to meet the specific needs of southern Alberta police services by teaching competencies needed for the job, such as de-escalation skills, interpersonal problem solving, cultural competency, professionalism, adaptability, community service/responsiveness, driving, firearms, public safety, organizational awareness, team work and communication. It is the only police training program of its kind at a public college in Canada, and it was recognized with a gold Program Excellence award by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) in 2018.

"We are proud of our ability to offer this high-quality and relevant program that meets the needs of our partner agencies," says Dr. Jeanine Webber, Dean, Centre for Justice and Human Services. "By focusing on competency-based education, we ensure graduates of the Police Cadet Training program are ready to serve their communities. We are pleased to be at a point with the program where we can offer this training to self-sponsored cadets, giving individuals the opportunity to learn these important skills for their own career development goals."

Criminal Justice programming has been a staple at Lethbridge College for more than 50 years. The School of Justice Studies offers Correctional Studies and Criminal Justice - Policing diploma programs, along with a Justice Studies - Bachelor of Applied Arts degree program. Anyone interested in pursuing these programs can email infojustice@lethbridgecollege.ca or call 403-329-7246 for more information.

The Town of Taber is a community of about 9,000 people who are served by 17 police officers, four auxiliary officers and seven communication officers. Those interested in applying for the two traditional police recruit positions or one of the six self-sponsored positions should stop by the Taber Police Service building at 5700 50 Avenue or email smeggison@taberpolice.ca.

Additional quotes

"The Blood Tribe Police Service is proud to partner with Taber Police Service and Lethbridge College in this year's police induction training being held in Taber. It is through this training that our cadets receive the knowledge that sets them up for success throughout the program and into their careers." - Kyle Melting Tallow, Chief of Police, Blood Tribe Police Service

"The Lethbridge Police Service fully supports the fall 2021 Police Cadet class initiative. Working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners in Medicine Hat, Taber and the Blood Tribe will help us better mould a future generation of police officers that will meet and exceed the expectations of the respective communities in which they will serve." - Shahin Mehdizadeh, Chief, Lethbridge Police Service

"We are proud to partner with Lethbridge College and other southern Alberta police agencies in this collaborative training program. Many talented professionals have worked together to provide a high quality, hands-on learning experience that successfully prepares the cadets for the challenges that lay before them." - Mike Worden, Chief, Medicine Hat Police Service