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.”

I’m gauging interest in running a shuttle run simulation at Orleans CrossFit on Saturday, November 21. Time: Approximately 12:00–1:00 PM, depending on how many heats we have. If you’re interested in participating, please comment below! FIRM RSVP DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 PM. I’ll use the responses to determine whether we have enough participants to run the session and organize the heats. Great opportunity to get some practice in, work on pacing, and prepare for the test! Let’s see who’s in! 💪

Honour. Courage. Service. If you joined this community, something inside you already knows - this isn't just a career choice. It's a calling. Think about it. When there's a crisis, are you the one who steps forward or the one who steps back? If you run towards it… you're in the right place. We've got over 700 men and women inside this community, all on the same path, wanting to serve with the Ottawa Police Service. Whether you just found us or you've been here a while, this is your sign to re-engage. Policing is about people. It takes empathy. Integrity. Physical readiness. Mental resilience. And a commitment to lifelong growth. 👉 Drop us a comment below & tell us where you are at right now in your journey