Ontario Provincial Police trying to collar B.C. recruits

The Ontario Provincial Police are going a long way to get their men — and women.

The OPP are in the middle of a hiring spree, with plans to employ 300 people over the next 18 months. Previous, out-of-province recruitment drives have focused on Quebec and Manitoba, but next week the OPP will be coming to B.C. for the first time to hire recruits.

“We are going to have a lot of people retiring and need to fill those vacancies,” said OPP Acting Sgt. Shernett Williams.

The pitch: The opportunity to work anywhere in Ontario and in a variety of special units, such as the canine squad, aviation services or forensic identification.

“There’s about 150 different jobs in policing one person can do,” said Williams. “It’s many careers within one career.”

Aside from meeting minimum qualifications — including being at least 18 years old, with a Grade 12 diploma and no criminal record — Williams said she’s keeping an eye out for leaders who are continuous learners and active in volunteering.

The OPP are also looking to add more women and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

It has a training salary of about $50,000 a year, which rises to $63,400 for probationary constables, then up to $90,600 for first-class constables.

It’s a higher paycheque than what an RCMP constable receives, making the OPP an appealing employer for those who want to work at a larger police force. An RCMP constable tops out at $82,110.

The Vancouver police may offer bigger bucks (about $5,000 to $7,000 more compared with the OPP) and job perks like milder weather and sea and mountain views, but Ontario has an edge, at least outside of Toronto: More affordable housing.