The Grande Prairie Police Service celebrated its first class of recruit police officers during a ceremony on February 21st.
Twelve fresh graduates, along with dignitaries, family, and colleagues, gathered in Teresa Sargent Hall to mark the culmination of six months of hard work from recruits, their instructors, and the new police agency as a whole.
Officials say the first batch of recruits bring a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences to the GPPS, with eight being from the Peace Country, two from other parts of Alberta, and two from British Columbia.
Their six-month training program was completed at several locations across the Grande Prairie area, and recruits also participated in Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Police Cadet Training program, where they earned a certificate in Police Cadet Training.
The graduated officers will now participate in mandatory field training with experienced officers to further develop the skills and knowledge they gained in the classroom.
Six officers will be immediately deployed to the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment, where they will receive mentorship from seasoned officers for around four months to sharpen their skills. The remaining six will be assigned to other duties until additional field training officers become available.
The February 21st ceremony also marked the graduation of the GPPS’ third Experienced Officer Program, which includes a patrol sergeant, detective, and recruiting officer.
The GPPS says two of the experienced officers will be assigned to the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment, joining five other experienced GPPS officers, while the third joins the GPPS recruitment team.
The new agency’s numbers now stand at 32 sworn officers, and officials suggest the GPPS will begin training its second recruit class at the end of March 2025, with the third scheduled to begin sometime in the fall.
