March 3, 2010 – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is pleased to welcome the Calgary Police Service to the International Police Peace Operations Program.
Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson and Superintendent Paul Young, Director of the RCMP's International Peace Operations Branch, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, bringing the total number of municipal and provincial police services in the program to 23.
“Our police partners are key to helping us meet international demand for Canadian police officers - both in numbers and experience,” explains Supt. Young. “Having the Calgary Police Service on board will give us a big boost in that regard.”
“We are proud to be a part of this program, and look forward to deploying our first officers,” says Chief Rick Hanson. “It is my hope that our participation in these peace missions will help create environments in other countries that allow commerce to flourish, children to be educated, and average citizens to go about their business without fear.”
Joining the program enables municipal and provincial police services to offer international postings to their members. And when it comes to developmental opportunities for police officers, nothing quite compares to serving on a peace mission overseas.
The intense 9-12 month experience helps build leadership, problem-solving and organizational skills. Mission participants also come home with a more global perspective and a greater appreciation for different cultures and backgrounds. This is good for participants, their police service and the communities they serve.
The cost of participation in the program is paid for by the Government of Canada. This enables participating police services to keep boots on the streets in Canada while still contributing to building a safer world.
Municipal and provincial police services joined the program in 1995. In total, since the first mission to Namibia in 1989, more than 2,400 Canadian police officers have participated in approximately 50 peace missions in 28 countries around the world.
Today, close to 170 police officers are deployed to 12 missions in 8 countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan and Kosovo.
The RCMP is responsible for managing the deployment of Canadian police to these missions. This includes planning and evaluating missions, selecting and training candidates from across Canada, as well as providing support to them in mission and upon their return to ensure a smooth transition back to life in Canada.
