The Grande Prairie Police Service has proudly celebrated the graduation of its inaugural class of recruit police officers. A ceremony, attended by dignitaries, family, and colleagues, was held on February 21, 2025, at the Teresa Sargent Hall to commemorate the achievements of the 12 graduates and mark this historic moment.
This long-anticipated milestone in the development of the municipal police service follows the successful completion of a comprehensive six-month training program, conducted at various locations across the Grande Prairie area. In addition to benefiting from the expertise of local professionals, the recruits also participated in Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Police Cadet Training program, earning a certificate in Police Cadet Training upon graduation.
The graduating officers bring a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences to the Grande Prairie Police Service. Of the 12 recruits, eight are from the Peace Country, two hail from other parts of Alberta, and two are from British Columbia. These officers were selected for the GPPS' inaugural recruit class through a highly competitive process that attracted nearly 200 applicants.
The newly graduated officers will now undergo field training with experienced officers to further develop the skills and knowledge they acquired during their classroom training. Six of the officers will be immediately deployed to the Grande Prairie RCMP Detachment, where they will receive mentorship from seasoned GPPS officers. This phase of training is mandatory and is expected to last up to four months. The remaining six officers will be assigned to other duties until additional field training officers become available.
The February 21st ceremony also marked the graduation of GPPS’ third Experienced Officer Program. The three graduates, a patrol sergeant, detective, and recruiting officer, come from the Toronto Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, and the RCMP. Together, they bring a wealth of expertise in areas such as organized crime investigations, major crimes, covert operations, collision reconstruction, and community policing.
Two of the experienced officers will be assigned to the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment, joining five other experienced GPPS officers, while the third will join the GPPS recruitment team. The GPPS now has a complement of 32 sworn officers working together to prove the transition successful.
GPPS will begin training its second recruit class at the end of March 2025, with the third scheduled to start in the fall. Recruitment for Recruit Class #3 and Experienced Officer Program #4 is currently ongoing.
Information provided by the Grande Prairie Police Service