Nine new Delta Police officers will be hitting the streets after completing their training and graduating earlier this month.
The rigorous hiring and training process for the Delta Police puts these recruits through some physical and mental situations that prepare them for their role as a police officer.
One of the graduates Const. Aidan Creber shared his experience.
Like most careers, it all started with a resume and cover letter. After a general screening by the recruiting department, Creber was invited to write a general police aptitude test, run the timed Police Officer’s Physical Abilities Test (POPAT), and submit the 40-plus page integrity and lifestyle questionnaire.
Upon completion of each step, Creber had an integrity interview, a panel interview, a medical and psychological evaluation, and a polygraph examination, validating the information shared in the previous steps. Once approved for serious consideration, Creber was subject to a lengthy background investigation of family, friends, employers, colleagues, and past connections from all walks of life, before defending his candidacy with an administrative interview led by the Chief Constable.
In total, the DPD’s hiring process consists of 11 significant steps, each subject to varying degrees of stress, self-reflection, personal limitations, and moral fiber.
For Creber, specifically, the hiring process took over a year – a common timeline for prospective applicants.
Once successful, Creber joined Class 166 at the Justice Institute of British Columbia.
His academy training was divided into three blocks:
Block one encompassing 13 weeks of training, focused on legal studies, physical fitness, patrol tactics such as de-escalation training, emergency vehicle driving, use of force, and duty of care responsibilities. The grueling experience was measured daily through simulation assessments, peer-to-peer feedback, examinations, and instructor evaluations.
Block two, 16-weeks of practical training, saw Creber partnered with a Field Training Officer (FTO) for on-the-road training throughout Delta. Creber and his FTO worked in tandem, attending hundreds of real police calls for service, and building camaraderie with his shift.
When asked to reflect on the sharpest learning curve from his Block II experience, Creber stated that the expectation that he be a “Jack of All Trades” took time to embrace.
On one call, Creber was expected to determine lawful property lines between two neighbours, while at the next, demonstrate potentially life-altering social work skills.
Block three was the nine-week advanced education component of the classroom training portion, which saw Creber put his practical knowledge to use in increasingly complex scenario-based training, detailed legal studies, and specialized tactical training.
Now graduated, Creber and his eight classmates have joined their new patrol shifts
-submitted by Delta Police
