In Alberta, police officers are employed by:
- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Municipal police services
- First Nations police services
Following induction, recruits undergo a period of basic training that includes classroom lectures, physical fitness activities, and in-service street policing. Training is followed by assignment to a patrol or traffic division while partnered with a field training officer. Advanced and specialized training is provided later for experienced officers. Promotion to supervisory positions generally requires years of experience.
Police officers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 4311: Police officers (except commissioned). In Alberta, 98% of people employed in this classification work in the Public Administration [pdf] industry.
The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
- Trends and events affecting overall employment, especially in the Public Administration industry
- Location in Alberta
- Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
- Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
- Size of the occupation
In Alberta, the 4311: Police officers (except commissioned) occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 98 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.