Let’s bust some of the most common myths about becoming a police officer. Which one surprises you the most? “You have to speak both English and French.” • Being multilingual can certainly be useful in Ottawa, but candidates shouldn't automatically assume that not being perfectly bilingual means policing is closed to them. The operational language is English. Our newest recruits speak numerous languages, including French, Arabic, Bangla, Hindi and Urdu. Speaking French is not a requirement! “I need a Police Foundations or Criminology degree.” • Police related schooling is not the only route. Our recruits come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, including business, nursing, sciences, psychology and engineering. “I need previous law enforcement or military experience.” • A policing background isn’t the only experience that can prepare someone. Customer service, leadership, volunteering, trades, healthcare, business and other careers can develop transferable skills. We encourage applicants from different backgrounds and walks of life. “Police work is basically just arrests and responding to crime.” • Modern policing involves community engagement, communication, de-escalation, investigations, mental-health-related calls, traffic/public safety, deterring crime and working with many partner agencies. “Everyone who becomes an officer has wanted to be a police officer since childhood.” • There’s no single path into policing. Some police officers knew from a young age that policing is what they wanted to do, while others discovered it later after building experience in completely different careers. People can bring valuable skills from business, healthcare, trades, education, customer service, the military, public service, and many other fields. A career change doesn’t mean starting from zero, your previous experience may bring maturity, communication skills, leadership, problem solving, and a different perspective to policing. “You need to be huge, extremely muscular, or look intimidating.”

If I was to book a gym for one of these days, what day works best for you. We will run the beep test, do some running drills, and some speed work :) Feel free to add any time that works best in the comments

I’m looking for some advice from those who have gone through the process. Has anyone had success finding a mentor or arranging a ride-along with an officer? If so, I’d really appreciate hearing how you made it happen. Were there any specific approaches, networking opportunities, or tips that helped you connect with someone willing to mentor you or let you observe their work?

As promised registration for the upcoming shuttle run is officially open to our Skool members first. While this test is offered at no cost, spots are limited. Please only reserve a time slot if you can fully commit to attending. https://form.jotform.com/opsrecruiting/septembershuttlerun

Grab a cup. Start the conversation. ☕ Our recruitment team is hosting a Coffee with a Recruiter event! Whether you’re curious about joining the team, exploring job opportunities, or just want to pop by for a friendly conversation, we’d love to see you. No pressure, no formal presentations, just good conversation. 📍 West Community Police Centre 🗓 Tuesday, July 28, 2026 | ⏰ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 🏢 211 Huntmar Dr. 📍 East Community Police Centre 🗓 Tuesday, August 4, 2026 | ⏰ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 🏢 1705 Blair Rd. Drop in anytime between 11 AM and 2 PM. See you there! 👋