Recruit Information

Police officers perform duties of considerable variety and responsibility involving public service, protection of life and property, prevention and investigation of crime and the enforcement of law. These duties must be performed in accordance with a wide variety of police regulations and legal requirements.
 
A police officer is required to act without direct supervision and to exercise a degree of independent judgment when dealing with routine and emergency situations. With this responsibility comes a high level of accountability to supervisors, the Court of law, and to the community.
Overview of Information
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    Minimum Standards

    • Minimum age, 19 years;
    • No Criminal Record;
    • Completion of secondary school;
    • Good verbal and written communication skills;
    • Physically fit and have a healthy lifestyle ; and
    • Meet the vision and hearing standards.

    Vision Requirements

    Note: Applicants who have had laser surgery must wait one month post-surgery for an eye examination and have our form completed by the surgeon stating there are no adverse conditions.

    (i)

    Must be binocular and have unaided vision of not less than 20/40 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye;

    (ii)

    Vision should be correctable with approved vision aide to a minimum 20/20 both eyes open with no one eye poorer than 20/30;

    (iii)

    Colour vision must pass the Ishihara test or the Farnsworth D-15 test;

    (iv)

    This minimum vision acuity is required for safe performance of policing duties if glasses or contacts are lost or displaced; and

    (v)

    Must be at least 150 degrees continuous along the horizontal meridian and 20 degrees continuous above and below fixation with both eyes open and examined together.

    Hearing Requirements

    Normal hearing in each ear – documented by an Audiogram produced by your Audiologist. 

    Hearing Standards

    Pure-tone thresholds measured under audiometric earphones shall not exceed 50 db in one ear and 30 db in the 500 to 3000 Hz range in the other ear.

    Becoming a Competitive Applicant

    It is important to understand that the selection process is a competition. Each applicant is assessed on their basic qualifications as well as their life experience, maturity, professionalism, work experience, volunteer activities, and education. The recruiting section will be interested in when an applicant first decided to pursue a career in policing, and what that applicant has done to demonstrate this genuine interest / goal.

    Applicants should note that completing Grade 12 is a minimum required standard, but applicants who have completed post-secondary education (such as a certificate, diploma or degree) may be considered more competitive during the selection process.

    To successfully pass the POPAT, applicants must complete the test in less than 4 minutes and 15 seconds. Applicants who complete the POPAT with a faster time may be considered more competitive.  Information provided by the JIBC tells us that recruits with slower times (4 minutes and over) are more likely to suffer an injury in Block I training.

    Applicants may consider a police reserve / auxiliary program, or volunteer work with a police agency or related criminal justice agency to enhance their experience and suitability as a police constable. Any work experience that involves a position of trust or responsibility may be beneficial.

    Applicants who have other community / volunteer experience, and those with significant interaction with the public may be considered more competitive. Applicants who are unsure of the volunteer opportunities in our community may wish to visit www.volunteervictoria.bc.ca

    Although police work is similar in a variety of jurisdictions, it can also be quite different, due to demographics and population. It is important for applicants who are applying with the Saanich Police to clearly articulate the reasons that they would like to join our organization and help keep Saanich safe.

    Behavioural Competency

    The following is a behavioural competency* profile that the SPD considers as a guide when assessing applicants throughout the selection process.  This list of competencies are considered critical for the successful performance of general policing duties. 

    • Ethical Accountability and Responsibility
    • Leadership Skills
    • Adaptability
    • Interactive Communication
    • Organizational Awareness
    • Problem Solving
    • Risk Management
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Teamwork
    • Written Skills

    *A competency is an observable and measurable ability, skill, knowledge, or other attribute that contributes to successful performance on the job.

    Out of Town Applicants

    We value all applicants’ time and financial commitment to this process. When possible we make efforts to offer a condensed selection process by conducting some of the early steps remotely. This can take the form of an initial web-based interview and physical assessments that can be conducted in your area. You will however be required to attend in person interviews which will coincide with other steps of the process wherever possible. 

    Applicant Costs

    The following is a list of costs you can expect to incur as a result of gathering the material you will need to submit with your application package. The estimated prices are based on the assumption that applicants are within the Province of British Columbia and are only a guideline. The Saanich Police do not offer any reimbursement for any of the costs, and you can be removed at any point during the application process. 

    Vision Exam: $100.00

    Audiogram: $50.00

    Academic Transcripts: $25.00

    Standard First Aid and CPR level C: $ 85.00

    POPAT: $75.00

    If you have a current application with another organization, some results may be transferrable.  Please inquire using our contact form.

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