Following the graduation of its first batch of Grande Prairie Police Service recruits, officials say the second class is ready for intense training, and includes a significant local contingent.
The 14 recruit class includes eight people from the Grande Prairie region, with an additional five coming from across Alberta, and a single recruit from Ontario.
Officials say the recruits bring with them a wealth of experience from several law enforcement, and other sectors, including legal support, corrections, peace officers, and military police.
“These recruits bring invaluable depth and diversity to the strength of our service,” says GPPS Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta.
“I am truly impressed by their commitment to serving our community, and I am excited to see how their unique backgrounds and experiences will contribute to their growth and development throughout their training.”
The six-month training class, through Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Police Cadet Training program, focuses on things like firearms, control tactics, physical fitness, community policing, crisis communication, Indigenous learning, interviewing techniques, and mental health first aid. You can also expect to see recruits training close to home at regional facilities like the Eastlink Centre, Wapiti Shooters Club, and NAPA Auto Parts Raceway in Beaverlodge.
In recent weeks, members of the first recruit class were among members of GPPS’s new Community Standards Unit, which works out of the old City on 99 building and will look to focus on social and civil disorder in the city, particularly in the downtown core. The transition from the RCMP to Grande Prairie Police Service will begin in 2026.
