Cadets and local police departments

By Connor Gunn

12 recruits take in 23-week college police cadet training program

Nov 1, 2021 | 12:37 PM

TABER, AB – In partnership with surrounding police services and Lethbridge College, a dozen individuals will undergo a 23-week college cadet training program.

The 12 cadets will be going to various police departments including Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber, the Blood Tribe, CP Rail, and the Manitoba First Nations police services.

Those that graduate from the program, earn an academic credential, and have also satisfied all training requirements established by the Alberta Solicitor General for police constable induction training.

Over the next few months, these cadets will train under harsh conditions and learn what it takes to be a police officer.

The service will also offer the chance for up to six self-sponsored people to obtain the credential.

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Dr. Graham Abela, Chief of the Taber Police Service, says he cannot wait to help some of these cadets through the training period.

“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.”

Abela explained that graduates of the program aren’t guaranteed a job coming out of the training due to the high standards police require.

“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.”

The college’s Dean of the Centre for Justice and Human Services, Dr. Jeanine Webber stated that “we are proud of our ability to offer this high-quality and relevant program that meets the needs of our partner agencies.”

“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.”

This is also the only police training program of its kind at any public college in the country and was recognized with a gold Program Excellence award by Colleges and Institutes Canada in 2018.

For more on the program, go to lethbridgecollege.ca.