Police officers (except commissioned)
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Police officers maintain order, protect public safety and make sure that federal, provincial and municipal laws are followed.
They respond to emergency calls, patrol public areas, regulate traffic, control crowds, arrest offenders and build community relationships. This group also includes military and railway police.
Police officers in B.C. work for police departments (PDs) that serve specific cities, such as the Vancouver PD or Victoria PD. They may also work for B.C. Transit, the military and railways.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is run by the federal government and provides contract policing for cities and towns that don’t have their own police force. The RCMP also provides contract policing for the Province (Government) of B.C.
Job Titles
Duties
In general, police officers:
- Respond to emergency calls and complaints, execute search warrants and arrest criminal suspects
- Patrol communities on foot, horseback, bicycle, boat or motorized vehicle to keep the public safe, maintain order and enforce laws and regulations
- Take notes and write reports
- Give testimony in courts of law
- Offer help to victims and witnesses of crimes, accidents and natural disasters
- Monitor traffic to ensure motorists follow traffic regulations and test persons suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
- Control crowds at public events and protests, and monitor suspicious and violent behaviour
- Participate in crime prevention, public information, safety and community relations programs
- Maintain equipment and information files
- May help police investigators in criminal investigations
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
10,135% Employed Full Time
84%Police officers work in indoor and outdoor settings, in a range of weather conditions. They may spend their shifts in patrol cars, in a police detachment office or at crime and accident scenes.
Police work can be dangerous and stressful and has the potential for injuries.
Career Pathways
With additional experience and training, police officers can progress to senior positions or work in investigation and other specialized fields.
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Police officers must:
- Have a secondary (high) school certificate
- Be a minimum of 19 years old
- Have at least one year of post-secondary education
- Have a valid Class 5 driver’s license
- Pass physical, strength, fitness, vision and psychological tests
- Pass a nine- to ten-month training program
- Be certified in First Responder or standard first aid and CPR
Each policing organization has its own set of requirements. Many require that applicants have no past or pending criminal convictions, or no criminal convictions for which a pardon has not been granted.
A college or university degree or diploma may be beneficial.
Additional training or certification may be needed to work in specialized areas of policing such as forensics, marine, cybercrime, emergency response (ERT) and K9 handling.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
10,135Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 355 | 3.5% |
| Kootenay | 185 | 1.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 6,515 | 64.3% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 235 | 2.3% |
| Northeast | 155 | 1.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,100 | 10.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,595 | 15.7% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2025-2035)
4,460Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2025-2035)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 100 | -0.1% |
| Kootenay | 60 | 0.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 3,080 | 1.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 80 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | -2.7% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 380 | 0.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 770 | 1.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 4,430 |
| Educational Services | 10 |
Insights from Industry
Police officers regularly interact with members of the public, including those accused of crimes and victims of crimes.
For many people, contact with a police officer may come during an upsetting, frightening or tragic time and they may react with anger, fear or even violence. Good communication skills, empathy and the ability to remain calm during highly stressful situations are critical.
Police officers often work in culturally diverse neighbourhoods and communities and it’s important for them to understand different cultures and ways of life. The ability to speak a second language is a valuable skill.
Many police departments across B.C. are actively recruiting to replace officers expected to retire in the next decade, as well as those who have left the occupation.
Resources
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Abbotsford Police Departmentwww.abbypd.ca/
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Central Saanich Police Servicewww.cspolice.ca/
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Delta Policewww.deltapolice.ca/
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District of Oak Bay Policewww.oakbay.ca/services/public-safety/police/
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Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) Career Pathswww.jibc.ca/career-paths
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Metro Vancouver Transit Policewww.transitpolice.bc.ca
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Nelson Police Departmentnelsonpolice.ca/149/Nelson-Police-Department
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New Westminster Policewww.nwpolice.org/
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Port Moody Police Departmentportmoodypolice.ca/
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Careerswww.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/recruiting-recrutement/index-eng.htm
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) E-Division (B.C.)bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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Saanich Policesaanichpolice.ca/
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Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service (Mt. Currie and Lillooet)stlatlimxpolice.ca/
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Surrey Police Service Careerswww.surreypolice.ca/careers
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Vancouver Police Department Careersvpd.ca/join-us/recruiting/
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Victoria Police Department Careersvicpd.bamboohr.com/careers
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a police officer is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a police officer is like.
