Supporting education and evidence-based innovations in public safety
Find out about our First Annual Conference on Canadian Police Reform
![]() | What is the Canadian College of Policing? Citizens are asking for fundamental change in policing. We propose a system of national governance that will deliver excellence in the training of police recruits. The proposal is modeled after the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Policing in the United Kingdom. A Policing College for Canada will set common nation-wide standards in police recruit training and advance the professional practice of policing whilst increasing the trust of Canadians across the nation. |
A Policing College for Canadians National Governance for Excellence in Police Recruit Training |
We propose a system of national governance that will deliver excellence in the training of police recruits. The proposal is modeled after the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Policing in the United Kingdom. A Policing College for Canada will set common nation-wide standards in police recruit training and advance the professional practice of policing whilst increasing the trust of Canadians across the nation.
What is a Policing College?
The world and our nation are evolving and so must police to meet the realities of the 21st Century. It is time to elevate policing as a profession because policing is an important element of our stability as a nation. We are now a diverse nation and we must stand strong as a democracy in a world with growing disorder.
The purpose of the College is to provide those working in policing with the best skills and knowledge derived from what is proven to work to prevent crime, protect the public, and secure public trust. The outcome will be better trained recruits qualified for portable employment in any jurisdiction of Canada including First Nations Policing. Certifying police officers to a standard level of knowledge will ensure a common level of ability, knowledge and empathy from the High Arctic to the 49th parallel.
The models that show the way for our Policing College
How can Canada create a successful national Policing College? We propose an Act of Parliament to establish the College. Governance of the College would include policing officials and citizens representing the diversity of Canada. It is important to achieve understanding with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and each provincial Solicitor General as a first step. We believe that police leaders, First Nations leaders, other community leaders, police associations and police officers are ready for change. |
National standards will:
Further Reading; News Articles and Publications
Opinion: Police training across Canada should adopt reforms proposed in Edmonton John Lilley, Nancy McNaughton, David Cassels, Roger Chaffin (2021) Edmonton Journal | Opinion: Elevate policing as a profession with national training standards John Lilley (2020) Edmonton Journal |
Opinion: Teach police to be peacekeepers, not law-enforcement officers David Cassels (2020) Edmonton Journal | Cassels: Reboot the police. They can serve communities better David Cassels (2020) Edmonton Journal |
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP There are so many ways to support our mission. Contact us to find out more about volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, and ways to get our message to your friends and family. Subscribe to our newsletter // Become a member for 1 year $25 or 5 years $100 or join for life $500 We have plans and to achieve those plans we need your support - as a member and through your membership fees. Find out about our First Annual Conference on Canadian Police Reform We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries. An important step in reconciliation is our acknowledgment of traditional land. |