MHPS cadets will graduate from their 24-week intensive police recruit training program on Mar. 27. A graduate receives their diploma at a 2023 graduation ceremony at Patterson Armoury.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
At the end of the month police cadets enrolled in the Medicine Hat Police Services 24-week intensive recruit training program will earn their badge at a graduation ceremony at Patterson Armoury.
Members of the Medicine Hat Police Commission heard that four MHPS cadets and another representing the Blood Tribe Police Service will officially become officers Mar. 27.
During a presentation by Sgt. Jeff Klick, who has been in charge of the local police recruiting program over the past three years, provided the committee a presentation during its open meeting Wednesday night, highlighting a curriculum taught entirely by subject-matter experts.
Throughout the 24-week program cadets undergo a robust fitness regimen, 13 authentic evaluation assessments and training for a variety of emergencies and law-enforcement simulations.
Klick told commission members the program begins with basic policing skills and quickly ramps up to more advanced training.
“We build that up right to the end where it ends up (that) our last scenario is a use of force scenario where they have to take someone into custody and use their skills that they developed.”
Those skills include training in control tactics, emergency vehicle operations, firearms, de-escalation techniques and education on criminal law and mental health issues.
“We have a program with assistance from the Edmonton Police Service, we took a very robust criminal law program including all of your authorities under the criminal code as well as our provincial acts and municipal bylaws,” said Klick, adding cadets were given exams to evaluate their understanding of the curriculum.
Last year the MHPS began a partnership with Medicine Hat College to assist with the criminal law curriculum as well as provide student actors for training purposes to simulate real-life scenarios.
Klick says the program has also enhanced training on mental health issues and de-escalation techniques, including a week-long focus on personal mental health and dealing with community members with mental health challenges.
Cadets are provided ethics training and bias-free training, which is incorporated into each scenario.
MHPS also added an advanced casualty medical-care program to train recruits for a situation where someone is seriously injured.
“They’re getting more advanced immediate care of them. It might just be applying tourniquets or whatever it is, but it’s a new program that we’ve brought in this year which was really quite exciting,” said Klick. “We also teach them for rapid deployment for serious incidents at schools or so forth, where we need to take immediate action.”
Cadets also underwent a comprehensive physical fitness and wellness program.
“We teach them mental wellness, we teach them how to work nights and sleep and develop good sleep habits, to fitness, to dietary programs,” said Klick. “Hopefully for the longevity of our officers to last and make a 25-year career.”
Klick said cadets are also required to run at least 300 kilometres outside program hours.
Following graduation, cadets will become serving members with MHPS and BTPS.
The next recruitment program will begin in September.
