Police Foundations

[Ironside]

Security Guard
Customs Officer
Correctional Officer
By-Law Officer

The above job titles that some (if not most) employers relating to these positions want to see you have LASA or PF because they rely mostly on recruits what they have learned in the college program because they don’t have the means to train like a police service.
Although if you ask me, most of the people I meet that have PF or LASA work in the first title I listed.

LOL... yeah, you're right.

It's not like the CBSA has any place to send recruits for 18 weeks of their life to completely train them for their jobs or anything; better rely on those community colleges.

...oh wait.

[Redfields Apprentice]

My take on PF.

CAN be valuable. ONLY IF you get hired soon after and learn things.

Reality: 240 students admitted. They readily tell you when you go to entrance testing that maybe five (5) will go the distance. It's been 5 years. I am the only 1 to my knowledge.

The overwhelming majority of people are idiots. They are not cut out for policing and will never wear the uniform. Their mere presence will irritate you.

PF leaves you no reasonable plan B. 200 students or so that graduated have a degree that isn't worth the ink it's printed on. If you get an accounting degree at least it's a reasonable fallback. Anyone want to do 30 years touring the mall with mag pouches containing candy bars?

[Redfields Apprentice]

Oh yeah. I had a 3.98 GPA. All A's, A+ and a single B.

I had references of the program coordinator, retired OPP D/C, and a retired Peel S/Sgt. I met an OPP recruiter who immediately noted my maturity above my peers and that I actually wanted this job and would likely make it.

Would I have got on without the PF diploma, yep I think so. Had I not got on I had no fall back. I think taking something else would have been better.

There was a guy with a 4.0. Spoke 2 languages, valedictorian. Good guy, one of few who wasn't a complete turnip. Only guy out of 240 that if I went up against for a police job I would have thought had an equal or better chance than I.

Despite efforts; he is not yet a cop. It's been 5 years for him.

[Mr. Islander]

.

[recceguy]

From what I've heard about it....it's ridiculously expensive, doesn't guarantee you employment, and it has an expiry date (but I could be mistaken about that.)

Either way....no thanks

[GoWings]

Back in the day when I was in high school (17 years old) deciding on what I wanted to do with my life I knew that I wanted to become a police officer but didn't know what "route" to take. I knew I could handle the academic courses, but I thought PF would be "fun" and "interesting" and that I would be guaranteed a job as a police officer upon graduation. Long story short, I was told by a highly educated family member to forget about PF and go to university. I was told that policing is very competitive and a) you want to differentiate yourself from other applicants - think of how many people are applying with a PF diploma?? b) what IF you don't become a police officer? - as someone else mentioned, do you want to walk around a mall for 30-40 hours a week with mag pouches filled with candy bars??

Best advice I can give is to go to university and take something that you can get a job with pretty much right after graduation. There is nothing stopping you from applying to ANY police service while still holding down a 40hr work week with a well-paying job. Fast forward to the recruitment process. Think about how many people are applying and then think about how many of those people hold a PF diploma and how many hold a 4 year university degree.

Obviously there are some people, for whichever reason, are not able to get into university. For these people, I would still recommend that they pursue a program other than PF at their local college. Take business, marketing, health care, complete a trade program, etc. I cannot stress this enough - DO SOMETHING THAT WILL GET YOU A GOOD JOB AFTER GRADUATION AND WORRY ABOUT GETTING HIRED AS A POLICE OFFICER LATER. The recruitment process takes usually at least 6 months if everything goes smoothly. The cost/benefit ratio for someone with a PF diploma is low. That being said, there are people who do get hired as a PO with a PF diploma, but they likely had other great attributes and/or experience to bring to their service.

The education system and academic counselors are failing to provide good advice to these young high school students. The thing is, if a student knows that he/she wants to be a PO in grade 8, he/she will apply most likely to high school and will stay in the applied stream because they BELIEVE they need to go to college for Police Foundations- versus the academic stream which essentially means they will not be able to apply to university. How is someone supposed to know what they want to do at 15 years old? Even if they change their mind and decide they want to go to university, the "streams" as I have previously mentioned inhibit their ability to switch to the academic route and they're therefore most likely stuck going to college - not saying that is a bad thing, though.

At the end of the day, it is your choice and all I can do is pass on the same information I was told, in the hopes that you or anyone else considering policing as a career take both mine as well as everyone else's advice into consideration.

PM me if anyone wants any other advice or has more questions.

Best,

GW