Your Typical Day as a Police Officer in Ontario

One of the biggest misconceptions that people may have about working as a police officer is about what their daily tasks will ascertain.  Some people believe that it will be gunfights and shootouts that will closely resemble what they see on the televisions.  Others have this belief that there will be lots and lots of paperwork with no really nothing happening.  The truth is closer to the middle of these scenarios.  There may be times when something happens that is quick and exciting that gets your adrenaline flowing, but there will also be times when the pace is more laid back.  One thing is clear that police officers will be dealing with people no matter what position or field they are in as an officer.  You should prepare yourself for both of these ends of the spectrum.

Communication

Probably the biggest task that you will have during your day as a police officer is being able to communicate.  You will have to communicate to dispatch what you are doing and where you are going.  You will have to be able to communicate with a partner if you are assigned one.  You will have to communicate with the people that you come across whether they are following the rules and regulations or not.  You will need great communication skills to speak with victims that could be in shock or offenders that may try to get away with their crime.  People are constantly watching the police for misconduct, and failing to communicate is often one problem that can kick off an instance of the public mistrusting the police.  No matter what task you are assigned, you will have to have great interpersonal communication skills.

Enforcing the Law

There are several key responsibilities that you will have as a police officer in Ontario.  You will work to preserve the peace, work to prevent crimes from occurring, assist victims, apprehend the offenders, and execute warrants.  The main reason behind your purpose as a police constable is to help keep the peace so that people can go about their day without worry that a crime will happen to them.  You may find that instead of writing tickets you are helping to counsel domestic situations or give directions to someone lost.  Not that there won’t be ticket writing.  

Reports

There will be reports that need to be filled out and filed.  Any crime that occurs or incident that you witness will need documentation.  This may be as easy as filling out a traffic citation for speeding or something a little more complex, like a traffic accident incident report or other crime.  You will have to take down information from several sources, such as what you observed, what those involved observed, and what eyewitnesses observed, and be able to write this up into a legible report to file.

Demands

Being a police officer is very demanding work.  You need to always be on the top of your game to handle the pressures and stress that comes from serving and protecting the population of your city.  This means being able to mentally and physically do the job day in and day out.  Often, police officers may have trouble finding a work/life balance meaning that they may have to work a little harder to ensure that they do not get burnt out.  For instance, you may find that on your off days you are going to court to deal with tickets and citations that you have issued or that the rotating shifts are hard on your family and friends.  Finding a better balance can be hard, but will be better for your health.  Most feel that the help they provide the community is worth it because it is an enriching experience.

Testing

The testing that you go through to start the process of becoming a police officer in Ontario will help you to start to get into the right frame of mind for this career as well as help you to determine if you are capable of handling the tasks and responsibilities that you will face on a typical day.  These tests include an analytical test, a writing test, a physical test, and a behavioral test that will determine how well you can handle typical situations that you may be faced with during your shift.  The WCT or Written Communication Test and the B-PAD or Behavioural Personnel Assessment Device for Police are two of the tests you can expect to take, and are great examples of how the testing pairs with the job that you will be performing. 

When you are ready to start your career in policing, contact Police Test Prep to help you jumpstart your career.  Our students are able to gain passing marks on the two testing phases that you have to go through to become eligible to apply for positions as a police constable in Ontario.  Get started today to help you accomplish your goals.