Graduates of the Police Studies program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon will now be able to apply to join the RCMP without writing an entrance exam.

“This is terrific news for those considering the Police Studies program at Assiniboine because graduates of this program do not have to write that exam,” said Acting Sergeant Russ Paterson, lead instructor in Police Studies. “They can go right into the competition and further in the process.”

A/Sgt. Paterson notes that the change gives Police Studies students an incentive to do well in the program. “It gives them a leg up in the hiring process. I’m thrilled. It’s a feather in the cap of Assiniboine,” he added.

Recruits will still need to fulfill all other requirements of the RCMP recruitment and training process, including a hearing and vision test, criminal record and other security checks, and passing a polygraph test.

Bruce Klassen, chairperson of Human Services at Assiniboine, credited Paterson for initiating the process of earning the exemption and the “heavy lifting” to see it through.

A/Sgt. Paterson also gave credit to Constable Chris Joven, a recruiter with the RCMP “D” Division in Winnipeg.

“We’ve come out to the school a few times. We did career presentations there. We looked at their program. We felt that the program was one that should be accredited, to be exempt from the RCMP exam,” Const. Joven said.

“The program is excellent. It gives them a good basis for training and helps them prepare to be police officers,” he said.

Graduates of Assiniboine’s Police Studies program have careers with police services across Manitoba, including Brandon, Rivers, Morden, Ste. Anne, Springfield, Victoria Beach, Winkler and the Manitoba First Nations Police Service.

In the last four years, three Police Studies graduates have begun careers with the RCMP and three are recruits in training now.

The Police Studies program is an eight-month certificate program that is the first of its kind in Manitoba.