Applying to be a Peace Officer

Duties and responsibilities

As a Public Safety & Enforcement officer, you will help keep all Calgary Transit employees, customers and property safe. You will be a highly visible point of contact, providing information and reassurance by responding to crime and disorder on transit property.

Duties include:

• Provide customer service 24 hours a day to Calgary Transit employees, customers and citizens, by responding to service calls and conducting patrols based on intelligence-based analysis.
• Enforce municipal bylaws and provincial statues.
• Respond to emergency situations and provide assistance to the public.
• Contribute to community safety by patrolling all transit networks, promote public safety and awareness on issues impacting customer safety.
• Prepare and give evidence in court: collaborate with and exchange confidential information with the Calgary Police Service and other law enforcement agencies.
• Maintain the integrity of Calgary Transit’s fare payment system.
• Act as an ambassador for Calgary Transit, by promoting positive relations with citizens and customers by providing information and assistance.
• Educate the public, employees, schools and Calgary Police School Resource Officers and Community Resource Officers on transit safety and security.

To become a peace officer, you will first need to meet the minimum requirements for the job posting: 

• 18+ years old.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Full Alberta class 5 operator’s licence, or a provincial equivalent, with no more than six demerits and no charges or pending suspensions.
• A degree in Criminology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Physiology or a related field plus one year related work experience OR
• A related completed two-year certificate or diploma and a minimum of three years of related work experience OR
• A High School diploma or equivalency (e.g. GED) and a minimum five years of related work experience
• No criminal convictions and be eligible for a community peace officer appointment. An extensive security background check is conducted by the Calgary Police, including a 10-year history review.
• Training or certifications in conflict resolution, mediation or negotiation are considered assets.
• Demonstrated ability to mediate conflict situations with the public, build strong partnerships within the community and ability to follow clearly-defined policies and procedures.
• Successful completion of one of the following within the provincially recognized timeframe is required:
  • Physical Ability Requirement Evaluation (PARE)
  • Alberta Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police Officers (APREP)
  • Police Officer’s Physical Abilities Test (POPAT)
  • Correctional Officer’s Physical Abilities Test (COPAT)
    You are responsible for test scheduling and payment.
• Ability to work a 24-hour shift rotation.

To become a peace officer, there are multiple steps to the application process. Learn more below about how to apply, the interview stage, security clearance requirements and more.

How to apply

Applications are only accepted when there is a competition open. Please be advised the recruitment process takes approximately 12 weeks to complete.

There are three ways you can apply:

Please fully complete each section of the application form including the competition number and position title. These can be found on the top of every job posting.

Ensure you include:

• Contact information including phone numbers and e-mail address.
• Education and training directly related to enforcement, public relations, safety or interpersonal communications.
• Employment history with specific positions in law enforcement or security and/or a customer service role.

Once your application is graded, you may be contacted for a pre-screen interview.

Interview

If you are successful, you will move onto the interview. The panel interview uses The City of Calgary’s targeted selection method. The Peace Officer job posting lists several duties and qualifications that you will require to fulfill the duties of a Calgary Transit Peace Officer. Use this information to help you better prepare for the interview.

Arrive 15 minutes before your interview to complete mandatory paper work.

Please bring:

• Proof of education.
• Driver’s licence.
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) card.
• A current (no older than 60 days) original (no photocopies) driver’s abstract from all jurisdictions that you have been a licensed driver in the last two years.
• Three work-related references.

Security clearance

Once you have passed the interview, we will run a police information check, at no cost to you. Successful applicants will also be required to complete an extensive personal disclosure form and a polygraph test will be conducted.

We will conduct an in-depth reference and background check on each applicant reaching this stage. Drug and psychological testing may be required. All applicants will be contacted with the results of their process.

Our training program is designed to provide trainees with the knowledge, confidence and skills to become peace officers. The training takes approximately 24 weeks to complete and covers a variety of topics.

What should I expect from the program?

Successful candidates will commence a 10-week, in-classroom training program. This portion of the training is Monday-Friday from 8-4 p.m. The classroom portion covers an intensive study of the law, authorities and defensive tactics for a community peace officer.  Other components of the training program include:

• A fitness program
• Mental health training for yourself and the citizens you encounter
• Verbal Judo training
• Mock trials with the courts
• Ride-alongs in the field
• Drill uniform inspections

Upon successful completion of the in-classroom training, candidates will enter into the 12-week officer coaching program, spent in the field. Practical demonstration, written exam assessments and homework assignments are given throughout the program. You will be working 10-hour days, on a rotating schedule of days, afternoons and nights, depending on the assigned team schedule. Peace officers are required to cover the system 24 hours a day.

You will also be required to obtain a City of Calgary vehicle proficiency and pass LRV rules training.

During the training program, you are required to wear the issued uniform:

• Black duty boots
• Black undershirt
• Long-sleeved grey uniform shirt with recruit epaulette
• Navy clip-on tie with tie bar
• Grey striped navy coloured uniform pants
• Navy forage cap with grey banding and cap badge

You must complete all aspects of the training process to be employed with Public Safety & Enforcement. 

As a Calgary Transit peace officer, you’re choosing a career of public service, helping keep our communities safe, where Calgarians can feel secure when riding our transit systems.

The application and training process is vigorous and requires full dedication. As a peace officer, you will require the same dedication. You will respond to and resolve diverse situations, prevent disorder and make sure everyone arrives home safely.

We have an agreement with the Calgary Police Service that allows us to process our own arrests.

Some of the work we do includes:

• Enforcing municipal bylaws, provincial statutes and Criminal Code offences.
• Conducting proof of payment checks on the CTrain system.
• Investigating complaints on transit system.
• Responding to emergency situations and helping the public.
• Problem-solving through social development and helping Calgary’s vulnerable population.
• Protecting transit customers and property; conducting preventative patrols on the C-Train system.
• Providing Calgarians in need transport to local social service agencies.
• Preparing and giving evidence in court; exchanging criminal and confidential information with the Calgary Police Service and other law enforcement agencies.

Every peace officer must be able to work shift work 24 hours a day, seven days a week – including statutory holidays.