Application Process

Qualifications 

You may be eligible to apply with the Surrey Police Service as an exempt candidate if you are a currently employed member (or have been so employed in the past three years) of a Canadian police department whose training and minimum standards are equivalent to that of a BC municipal department. You must have a minimum of one year of service in order to apply and have successfully completed your recruit field training.

Section 2.0 of the BC Provincial Policing Standards states that in order to be considered as an exemption (or experienced police officer) you must have attended police recruit training, including any and all field training required as part of that training, provided by any of the following:

  • Justice Institute of BC 
  • RCMP Training Academy (Depot)
  • Ontario Police College
  • Chief Crowfoot Learning Centre (Calgary Police Service)
  • Edmonton Police Service, Basic Recruit Training
  • Lethbridge College
  • Winnipeg Police Service, Police Recruit Training Academy
  • Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
  • Saskatchewan Police College
  • École Nationale de Police du Québec
  • Atlantic Police Academy
  • Canadian Forces Military Police Academy

If you do not meet the criteria of an experienced officer, we encourage you to apply as a new police recruit.

Step 1: Online application and Integrity and Lifestyle Questionnaire

Candidates must complete the online application and submit a resume, cover letter, and a copy of their government picture ID. Resumes should be a maximum of three pages, and cover letters a maximum of two pages, single spaced, that uses 12-point Arial font. In order to be a competitive candidate, it is important that the cover letter and resume present a professional, up to date and accurate representation of your skills, abilities and suitability for the position applied for.

Resume and Cover Letter tips

The cover letter should contain an introduction, including, where your expertise lies and why you are applying for the posted position with Surrey Police Service. Ensure you include your full name, address, phone number and any relevant information that you were unable to include in your resume or would like to emphasize. The second and third paragraph should respond directly to the job description and reference your relevant professional experience, achievements, skills and education, you can include a bulleted list of your accomplishments.

The resume should include but is not limited to; positions you’ve held within policing, current/previous volunteer experience or community engagement, your highest level of education achieved, and for members with less than ten years experience, a minimum of one previous employer.

Documents should be submitted in a PDF format with the following naming conventions:

T001-SURNAME,GIVEN-RESUME-YYMMDD

T002-SURNAME,GIVEN-COVERLETTER-YYMMDD

Integrity and Lifestyle Questionnaire

The Integrity and Lifestyle Questionnaire (ILQ) is included alongside your online application and must be completed accurately and truthfully. The ILQ assesses your honesty, lifestyle and integrity to ensure you are suitable for employment with SPS. Once your completed application is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and the minimum requirements for an experienced officer. 

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Step 2: Behavioural Interview

A behaviour-based interview will be conducted by a panel of three senior SPS officers. The panel will ask competency-based, behavioral questions, requesting specific examples of your past experiences. The interview will be approximately 60 minutes and will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate how you display the essential competencies of a police officer through your experiences.

 

Step 3: Background Investigation and Reference Check

A thorough investigation into your background will be done by an experienced investigator to determine your employment suitability. It may include a check of your qualifications, training records, discipline records, resume and/or interview information. The investigation will verify information provided by you. 

You will also be required to submit six (6) references including, if possible, a supervisor, a subordinate, and a peer. This stage may also include interviews of your past employers, friends, relatives, landlords and/or neighbours.

 

Step 4: Officer Review

The Recruiting Officer will present your entire application package to an Inspector and Deputy Chief Constable for their review. Recommendations for hire are dependent on many factors including your competitiveness against others in the pool.          

 

Step 5: Chief Constable Review

The Chief Constable reviews your application package and makes the final hiring decision.  

 

Step 6: Job Offer

If you are selected, you will receive a job offer or letter of intent from the Chief Constable, based on consultation with you and the timing required for the position to be filled.

Questions?

 The answer to your question may be on our FAQ page or in one of our recorded information sessions. For more information or to speak with a recruiter email at SPSrecruitingunit@surreypolice.ca or call us at 604-591-4084.