Diversity Initiatives

Employee Equity

The Regina Police Service is an Employment Equity Employer under the Human Rights Commission. To reflect the growing cultural diversity within our community, we are committed to increasing the number of Indigenous people, women, individuals with disabilities and visible minorities within our Service.

The Regina Police Service has a number of initiatives designed to attract and employ people from diverse backgrounds.

 Treaty Four Citizens’ Police Academy

The Treaty Four Citizens’ Police Academy is an interactive one-week program that gives participants hands on experience and information on many facets of policing. Participants experience some of the testing which occurs in hiring competitions. The objectives of this program are to:

• Encourage more Indigenous applicants to Police Services
• Provide these applicants a better understanding of the opportunities available within the policing profession
• Introduce the basic requirements and demands place on a police recruit at the Saskatchewan Police College
• Provide a measure of the applicants’ physical and cognitive abilities which are necessary in a hiring process
• Provide a list of candidates with whom the Police Services can consider for possible future employment
  To strengthen the working relationship with the Treaty Four partners
• After completion of this program, those participants who are interested in pursuing a career in policing, and meet the qualifications, are invited to participate in a hiring competition. All persons interested are encouraged to contact 777-6630 for more information.

Mentorship Program

In September 2008, the Regina Police Service implemented a Mentorship Program. The mandate of the program is to increase the existing number of diversity employees, both sworn and civilian, within the Regina Police Service. It provides the Service with an opportunity to coach perspective employees in areas in which they may need to be strengthened. Examples of such areas include but are not limited to: fitness, report writing, and public speaking. The program provides the candidates with opportunities such as working in the Community Service Centers, attending to community meetings, participating in community and law enforcement projects, firearms and fitness training, and job shadowing. It also benefits candidates by providing them with insight into a career in policing and the Regina Police Service as a perspective employer. The visibility of this program demonstrates to the community, the Regina Police Service’s commitment to being an Employment Equity Employer and increasing the number of diversity employees within the police service to be more reflective of the community to which it provides a policing service. For further information contact Human Resources at 777-6630.

The Regina Police Service has been running an Indigenous Summer Student Program since 2004 to provide Indigenous students an opportunity to gain work experience and to provide the Regina Police Service an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the Aboriginal community. All status Indians, non-status Indians, Inuit and Metis candidates are eligible to apply. You must be a student continuing your studies in order to be eligible. For more information, call (306) 777-6467.

Indigenous Recruitment Liaison Officer (IRLO)

The Regina Police Service (RPS) Indigenous Recruitment Liaison Officer (IRLO) is part of the Human Resources Section and works closely with both the Sergeant in charge of Recruiting as well as the Cultural Unit.

The IRLO position is responsible for increasing communication by developing a common understanding of the Indigenous Recruitment Officer Strategy activities and what it means for Regina Police Service employees and community partners.  They are also tasked with increasing education by effectively facilitating positive education, awareness, and an understanding of the history and current issues Indigenous people face.  For 100’s of years the Indigenous culture has been destroyed, languages and traditions have been lost. Continued education needs to be provided and can be accomplished by addressing lifestyle pre and post contact, the Indian Act, the PASS system, Intergenerational Legacy of Residential Schools, Lateral Violence in Indigenous people, and the impacts to policing and the many challenges in acquiring employment.

Providing education, building relationships, and gaining trust, is extremely important to the success of this position.  Some of the specific initiatives the Aboriginal Recruitment Liaison Officer is working on include:

• Treaty 4 Citizens Police Academy
• Community Cadet Corps
• Proposed In-Service training for Human Resources
• First Nation Policing Partnerships
• Awareness workshops and events for Human Resources to attend
• Community Outreach and Cultural engagement in First Nation Communities
• Career Fairs and Job Fairs in First Nation Communities
• Bold Eagle Program
• Teaming with Cultural and Community Engagement Unit at events
• RPS Feast to learn proper protocol
• Proposing and supporting cultural wellness initiatives for Indigenous employees.
• TRC implementation and education in block training
• Review of past Indigenous applicant deferrals
• Partnership with Sask Polytech APP Program
• Ongoing research and learning for hiring strategies
• Involvement in hiring process with Indigenous applicants
• Redeveloping and Renaming the current Mentorship Candidate Program