A recently signed Minister’s Directive on Police Training sets out new training standards for officers appointed under the Police Act on Prince Edward Island, says Minister of Justice and Public Safety Doug W. Currie.
“These new standards will provide our police officers with ongoing training which will help them be effective and safe on the job,” said Mr. Currie.
The new training requirements will apply to municipal police officers, security police officers at the University of Prince Edward Island, and instructing officers at the Atlantic Police Academy. They include mandatory training for firearms, conducted energy weapons recertification, first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, domestic violence intervention, law and legal process, use of force, motor vehicle pursuit and emergency vehicle operation.
Each of the mandatory areas of training has a time frame within which training must be refreshed or repeated. For example, firearms and use of force techniques require annual training, while law and process training must be completed every three years.
The requirements were developed in consultation with the Police Training Advisory Committee whose membership includes police chiefs, the Atlantic Police Academy, the PEI Police Association, labour unions, senior administrators of municipalities and UPEI, consultants such as the RCMP and officials in the Department of Justice and Public Safety. The Committee will continue to meet regularly to ensure that the training model continues to evolve and develop.
“I am very pleased with the level of training that will now be made available to officers,” said Mr Currie. “We expect a very high level of professionalism from police officers and must, in turn, ensure they are provided with the knowledge and support needed to uphold those standards.”