My Studies.

To become a police officer, I have to study Police Technology for three years. In the province of Quebec, there are twelve colleges offering this program. I hesitate between Ahuntsic College and Maisonneuve College because they are close to where I live. Also, unlike Maisonneuve, Ahuntsic College gives an Aquatic Rescue Training.

Choice 1 : Ahuntsic College.

Choice 2 : Maisonneuve College.

Ahuntsic College.

I decided to go to Ahuntsic College. I had to take a Cooper Test, a 200-meter swim test and a medical exam. I was selected and finished my studies after three years with straight A's. Now, I have to complete a 15-week training at the ENPQ (École Nationale de Police du Québec). There, I will practice more specifically different scenarios related to the job of patrol policeman. After this training, I have to decide in which police department I want to apply.

Choice 1 : SPVM (Montreal Police Service).

Choice 2 : SQ (Sûreté du Québec).

Maisonneuve College.

I decided to apply at Maisonneuve College. I had to take physicals tests and a Cooper Test. I was selected and now I have finished my studies. I have to apply for the ENPQ (École Nationale de Police du Québec) to finish my training. It costs approximately $10,000 for a 15-week training. It is located in the city of Nicolet and it enrolls approximately 650 students per school year. After graduating, I have to apply for a police department.

Choice 1 : SPVM (Montreal Police Service).

Choice 2 : SQ (Sûreté du Québec).

SPVM (Montreal Police Service).

I applied for the SPVM. The service first did a background check to make sure that I did not have a criminal record. This police service requires police officers to have good communication skills, leadership and an analytical mind. Its main values are respect, integrity, and commitment. I have been patrolling this service for 7 years now. I want some changes because there are risks for an officer's mental health. I am getting old, and I am scared of being shot by a suspect or to arrive at a crime scene and suffer a post-traumatic shock resulting in depression. That is why I want to apply for another grade.

Choice 1 : Homicide Investigator.

Choice 2 : Sergeant.

SQ (Sûreté du Québec).

I applied for the SQ. This service requires police officers to demonstrate professionalism, to serve the population and to be attentive to the needs of others. After 5 years working there, I arrested the wrong person. It is a risk related to this job. I intervened on a drug traffic call and there were four potential suspects. I had a photo fit and the one of the suspects looked a lot like the portrait, so I arrested him. It was the wrong man, so I was pursued in police ethics.

Choice 1 : Suspension for 30 days without pay.

Choice 2 : Dismissal.

Homicide Investigator.

I applied to become a member of the Homicide Investigation Department. It requires seniority, observation, and organization. I got the job but I encountered obstacles. One of them was harassment. There is a lot of competition in this field and investigators do not want to be retrograded. The perpetrator kept intimidating me to discourage me. I do not know how to face this situation.

Choice 1 : I quit.

Choice 2 : Speak with the HR.

Sergeant.

I decided to apply to become a sergeant when a position was released. This job requires firmness, an ability to make quick decisions and leadership. I got the job but after a few years, I realized that this job took up a lot of my time. I had to neglect my family life to invest myself at work by doing overtime. I am not sure if I want to keep working. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Take my retirement.

Choice 2 : Keep working.

Suspension for 30 days without pay.

The police ethics suspended me for 30 days without pay. I was lucky because the worst that could have happened is a suspension for 60 days without pay. I decided to learn from this situation by validating my perceptions the next time. Our impressions can often be misleading because of our prejudices, so it is important to analyze the situation first.

Choice 1 : Start over

Dismissal.

I can no longer work as a police officer because I was dismissed.

Choice 1 : Start over

I quit.

I had too much anxiety and stress, so I decided to quit this job.

Choice 1 : Start over

Speak with the HR.

I decided to discuss the problem with the HR which, in the police forces, are the ''Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal''. It is a police union that advocates the defense and development of social, moral and economic work relations. They made a follow-up with the persecutor of my harassment. The problem stopped and I kept working as a homicide investigator until my retirement.

Choice 1 : Take my retirement.

Take my retirement.

I decided to retire. Since I am over 25 years of service, I can retire without any actuarial penalty. Also, the retirement fund is a positive aspect of the police profession because I only had to contribute to the third of it. Finally, I can live a great retirement with my family because of all my social benefits. For example, I have a dental insurance, a private insurance and a life insurance.

Choice 1 : The end

Keep working.

I decided to keep working as a sergeant. It was not a good idea because after a few months, I started to feel exhausted. The field part of this work consisted mainly to take the citizen depositions and their complaints. It affected a lot my mental health because I felt a lot of empathy towards their situation. I was not always able to detach myself from their experience. I decided to call 280-Bleu which is a phone line created to listen to police officers experiencing emotional difficulties. I felt better but I wanted to spend more time with my family.

Choice 1 : Take my retirement.