Recruitment Plan
(revised June 2011)
Introduction
The City of Brantford currently has an estimated population of 93,000. The City of Brantford Official Plan Review (March 2006) projects the population to increase annually by 1,800 persons.
The Brantford Police Service is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in the hiring of its employees. The Service is committed to recruiting and hiring only the most highly qualified of candidates. Highly-qualified personnel who receive professional training, supervision and written policy guidance can be expected to successfully deliver effective law enforcement and policing services within the City of Brantford.
Brantford police officers provide services to people who live in, work in and visit Brantford and also to those who travel through the city in motor vehicles, on trains, bicycles, and on foot. Brantford police officers therefore serve a “community” which is ethnically, racially and religiously diverse as is the area surrounding the city.
The Brantford Police Service and the Brantford Police Services Board believe that one component of effective policing is an organization whose personnel reasonably represent the diversity of the available workforce of the community it serves. Purposeful recruitment of qualified candidates who represent the diversity of the police department’s available workforce population is consequently one strategy for effective policing. It is due to these beliefs that the Recruitment Plan was developed with very specific objectives, as well as an action plan to facilitate attaining those objectives.
This report focuses on the Brantford Police Service’s recruiting processes, which will occur during the life of this plan in conjunction with the BPS Equal Employment Opportunity Plan. Every year an analysis will be undertaken to examine and assess the degree of success resulting from the implementation of the recruitment action plan and the plan will be revised as needed.
There is a high degree of mobility of the population in the City of Brantford. Over the last fifteen years, Brantford has experienced a population increase due to the completion of Highway 403, which links Windsor to Toronto and the Niagara Region. Further, the price of houses in Brantford is still relatively affordable compared to areas closer to Toronto. As a result, many families have moved to Brantford and commute to work in larger metropolitan areas. Brantford is also a hub for many smaller outlying communities. People from these smaller communities travel to Brantford to enjoy restaurants, movies, shopping, leisure activities and entertainment (performing arts, casinos, etc.); therefore, the source of the demographic profiles of the available labour force for Brantford may not fully reflect all of those we serve.
Community Profile/Available Workforce
Entry-level police officer positions are limited to applicants between 19 and 60 years of age with an educational attainment of a high school diploma, being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, physically and mentally able to perform the required functions, and being of good moral character and habit. In addition, the applicants must possess a driver’s licence with no more than six demerit points, have a current certification in CPR and first aid, and be able to pass a security clearance , background investigation, credit and reference checks. Given all the aforementioned requirements for employment, the pool of candidates from the population of Brantford is relatively small, and is reflected in the demographics of candidates.
The most current demographic statistics for Brantford are available at: www.statcan.gc.ca . Brantford has a very diverse population with over 130 ethnic backgrounds living in our community. According to Statistics Canada, the number of visible minorities in Brantford in 2006 was 6200.
Brantford is located just north of the Six Nations Indian Reserve, one of the highest populated reserves in Canada, which is policed by the Six Nations Police. Natives receive financial advantages by working on the reserve, making it difficult to attract applicants to any other type of police service. The Brantford Police Service is cognizant of the difficulties of attracting aboriginal applicants for whom there is a significant incentive to police in First Nations communities.
In Brantford, Statistics Canada reports 3,440 people (3.8% of the population) who were identified as aboriginal in the 2006 census. The available workforce will be those who meet the qualifications listed above. (We can only measure the age and education requirements from the census, so the other qualifiers are not factored into the available workforce.)
Based on the latest numbers, it appears fewer females are applying for positions at the Brantford Police Service. According to an article in the Hamilton Spectator (January 13, 2007), this lack of enthusiasm is not just specific to Brantford. To maintain or increase our female representation, efforts will continue to be made at increasing the number of female recruit applicants to the Brantford Police Service.
Because our utilization analysis deals directly with the ethnic and gender makeup of personnel, this report addresses the recruiting practices of the Service that contribute to its current makeup. The available workforce demographics of the City, are reflected in the chart below. The available workforce is determined by taking the gross population data, subtracting those without the educational requirements and those outside the age requirements. The number is then shown as a percentage of the target population (aboriginal, visible minority). Criminal records, physical ability (fitness), driving records and other background information that would preclude a candidate have not been factored in. Therefore, the target numbers (available workforce objectives) are likely stacked in favour of the targeted groups making our goals necessarily high.
| Aboriginal | Visible Minority | Female | |
| Available Workforce | 3% | 8% | 14% * |
*National Association of Women in Law Enforcement (NAWLE)
Our Service numbers compare closely with the nationwide female law enforcement availability rate of 13% given by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and the availablity rate of 14% as provided by the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement.
Recruitment
The Brantford Police Service has long attempted to employ a recruiting campaign designed to attract qualified minority and female candidates for the position of entry-level police officers.
Young people in Canada do not perceive policing as a preferred profession. Surveys have shown that young people believe the negative stereotypes of the quality of life of police officers and over rate the dangers of the job. This lack of interest from young people is exacerbated when looking at numbers from smaller groups. Recruiters across Ontario and the Police Sector Council in Ottawa are looking at how to combat the negative media attention and better educate young people about the realities of policing as a profession.
Our recruiting methods range from advertising in local media and on the Service website to using personal and organizational contacts. The “Action Plan” will address some goals of increasing our recruitment of qualified individuals from these groups.
Objectives
The Brantford Police Service has established the following objectives for this plan:
- Attract quality applicants representative of the demographic composition of the available workforce in Brantford to our recruitment pool, with the objective of increasing their representation in our ranks.
- Approximating within the sworn ranks the demographic workforce composition of the community we serve.
Plan of Action
In order to meet the aforementioned objectives, the following are strategies that will be used:
- Visible minorities and women will be depicted in the law enforcement role in Service publications whenever possible to encourage potential female, aboriginal and visible minority candidates.
- Involve female officers or officers and officers of visible minority status within the Service to actively encourage recruitment of potential candidates.
- Advise our employees of the acceptance of applications via the intranet so that our members can spread the word that we are hiring.
- Work to get young people informed about policing as a career. This may be accomplished through Service supported youth programs and officers developing relationships with youth and youth groups.
- Conduct recruitment activities at colleges and universities, which have significant female or minority student body representation, as well as during Police Week, fairs, and career workshops.
- Take advantage of every opportunity to work with Mohawk College to promote the Service to good candidates from their Police Foundations program.
- Work with diverse community groups to build relationships and encourage potential recruits.
- Acknowledge and credit special skills such as fluency in a foreign language during the selection process.
- Include in recruit advertisements that the Brantford Police Service is an equal opportunity employer.
Administration
The Inspector i/c Administration Branch shall be responsible to administer the recruitment plan by overseeing the recruitment and the selection process, and ensuring the annual analysis is completed.
