Coaching as a Training Strategy

Police Recruit Training is ensured in part by police officers on loan. Once at the School, these officers, who have a minimum of 5 years' experience, undergo training on teaching techniques and operational supervision and are then integrated into a team of more experienced officers who have already been working with recruits for several months. The team leader's role consists of helping police recruits develop their understanding of police work. They interact with candidates in a similar way to which a coach interacts with hockey players. Team leaders play an important part in setting up different scenarios and taking on the role of observers when such scenarios are acted out. Their aim is then to guide and direct candidates in the way they intervene in different situations, as opposed to just dictating the theoretical side of things.

Each cohort is made up of 72 police recruits, divided into two groups of 36 candidates. Each one of these groups is supervised by three team leaders. For teaching purposes, the School ensures an equal proportion of team leaders from all three Quebec police forces is respected, ie. the Sûreté du Québec, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal and a municipal police force. This way, police recruits have the opportunity to see the different working methods used throughout the province of Quebec.