Stratford police chief says increase in police college enrollment is good news

An increase in enrollment in basic Constable training at the Ontario Police College is good news, says Stratford’s Police Chief, Greg Skinner.

An additional 80 recruits will be welcomed starting in 2025, with priority for small, medium and First Nation police services.

Chief Skinner told MyStratfordNow there are 43 police services in Ontario and 25 of those will directly benefit from the initiative.

Stratford Police anticipate hiring up to six new officers in 2025 to support community safety in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth South, the chief said. 

The expanded enrollment will bring the number of officers trained a year province-wide to 2,080.

Last year, the Ford provincial government eliminated the tuition fee for the program, which all recruits in Ontario must complete if they want to become a police officer.

Chief Skinner said police services across the province have prioritized frontline staffing to support community and officer safety, adding that the initiative will allow small and medium-sized police services to appropriately staff the frontline and maintain the service delivery expectations of the public.