One particular item to take away from the meeting about policing in Gravelbourg and rural south central Saskatchewan last week is the lack of RCMP recruits in Canada. “Every police department is struggling,” Cal Corley affirmed in the Lions Club on January 15. The RCMP are in a great need to have more officers fill their ranks – this proved to be a consistent theme throughout Gravelbourg’s townhall gathering. “We want to avoid the peaks and valleys that our detachments are suffering from,” Corley often restated.
In particular, the RCMP are seeking more women and minority recruits, but this has been difficult. “Do we need to change some aspects to include more women in the force?” Asked Inspector Mark Harrison in response to a question from a community member about what the RCMP are doing to attract more women into their ranks.
To become an officer, there’s long list of requirements to fulfill. Prospects must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status in Canada. Individuals with permanent status should have lived in Canada for the last 10 consecutive years. Future officers must be fluent in either English or French, including being able to speak, write, read and understand either one of the official languages.
Also, recruits should possess an unrestricted driving licence. They should also be high school graduates – if a prospect attended school outside of Canada, or if they didn’t graduate, they must obtain an equivalency assessment. Recruits also have to meet the force’s health and psychological standards – these requirements are evaluated by RCMP Health Services. These RCMP tests are stringent and include intense rounds of laboratory, medical and psychological examinations.
RCMP hopefuls will also have their vision tested – they should meet the minimum vision standards in accordance with a registered ophthalmologist/optometrist. Moreover, recruits need to have their hearing analysed by an audiologist. Recruits must be in excellent shape, allowing them to attend a physically draining 26-week course at the RCMP Academy in Regina. Prospects are also examined on their good behaviour throughout the force’s recruitment procedures.
