While millions of people enjoy dramatic behind-the-scenes looks at what it takes to be a cop via television shows, Quebecers were able to get a more realistic take from real police officers and trainees on Saturday.
For 50 years the province’s prospective police officers have attended the Police Academy in Nicolette. An open house gave a behind the scenes look at what type of training those officers receive.
As part of the open house, police cadets acted out simulated scenarios to show the public how they are trained to respond to situations like domestic disputes.
“To become a police officer in Quebec you have to go through three years of police technology and come to the academy for a period of 15 weeks,” explained academy spokesperson Pierre St-Antoine.
While there, the cadets are trained in situations they could face out on the street. Sets include a mock apartment where mannequin bad guys are set up as part of simulations, a fake courtroom and a video-game style simulator that emulates a police car with three screens.
The academy trains officers for 31 departments across Quebec, including the STM, whose cadets are able to train a reproduced metro car.
More than 32,000 officers have gone through the academy, a requirement for any non-federal officer in the province.
