Military jobs in Canada

As a member of the military, Military Police Officers lead teams of Military Police members in enforcing laws and regulations on Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) establishments in Canada and abroad.

As a member of the military, Military Police Officers lead teams of Military Police members in enforcing laws and regulations on Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) establishments in Canada and abroad. They serve the entire CAF community including Regular and Reserve Force members, civilian employees, cadets and family members.

Military Police Officers provide leadership and professional direction to Military Police members, and manage available resources and equipment. They enforce discipline, control traffic, handle prisoners of war, detainees and refugees, and manage the collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of criminal intelligence.

The primary responsibilities of a Military Police Officer are to:

• Manage military police patrols
• Administer police operations
• Conduct investigations and interviews
• Manage investigations
• Administer police programs
• Administer security programs
• Provide police and security advice to senior authorities

All Canadian citizens are entitled to the same rights, privileges and protection under Canadian law, and Military Police Officers are qualified to provide these services to the same standard as every other Canadian police service. Military Police Officers work routinely within the civilian criminal and military justice systems, and are recognised as peace officers in the Criminal Code of Canada. With over 1,250 full-time members, they form one of the largest police forces in Canada.

Military Police Officers provide around-the-clock service to the military community in Canada or around the world, including areas of armed conflict or natural disaster. The majority of a Military Police Officer's work will be working indoors in an office setting, but working conditions will vary depending on the nature and the location of the services being provided.

If you chose a career in theRegular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: I’m Major Dave Hitchcock from Amherst, Nova Scotia, a Military Police Officer with the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service here in Ottawa, Ontario.

NARRATOR: Military Police Officers provide leadership and direction to the military police, and guidance to other leaders in the Forces on issues that affect security, policing and detention services. This includes managing military police patrols and investigations, administering police operations, and overseeing the execution of other security-related tasks.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: It's a very unique role because we act as police officers, as well as leaders in a police environment. So while you may find yourself doing policing, it's more likely you’re doing leadership in policing, which might be taking care of your subordinates, making sure they have what they need to do the job, be it equipment or training. At the end of the day, my job is to control the speed, flow and direction of our investigations.

NARRATOR: The Military Police handle everything from cyber-crimes to dockside patrols, from guarding Canada’s diplomatic missions overseas to providing assistance to their fellow Canadians in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: One of the biggest difference of being a Military Police Officer, as opposed to, say, a provincial police force officer, is the opportunity to deploy overseas and do policing in theatre.

NARRATOR: On deployment, Military Police Officers provide oversight to the planning and execution of security, force protection, the handling of prisoners of war and detainees, and ensure that discipline and the rule of law are maintained wherever they are located.

Military Police Officers also have the chance to undergo specialized training in security, surveillance, close protection, airfield ground defence, counter-intelligence, and even major-crime investigations.

In addition to full-time work in the Regular Force, there are also opportunities for Military Police Officers in the Primary Reserve, serving part-time in their local community while going to school or working at a civilian job.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: One of the unique things about being a Military Police Officer is no two careers are ever the same. You could have multiple Military Police Officers in the same environment and all of them could have a different background, which is something that really appealed to me. No two days are ever the same.

NARRATOR: After they complete their training, new Military Police Officers may exercise leadership within a military police detachment conducting day-to-day policing and security activities on a base here in Canada, be assigned to a field platoon preparing for the next Canadian Armed Forces deployment, or work at different levels of Military Police headquarters. This is the only police force where someone could be employed not just anywhere in Canada, but anywhere in the world.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: In a civilian police force, you might start as a patrol officer and slowly work your way up to a leadership position where you might be running a detachment. As a Military Police Officer, you get that experience right away once you're fully trained. So you could be a Military Police Officer running a police detachment within your first few years as a trained police officer. The best advice I can give is to remain open-minded, take advice from both your subordinates and your leaders. Someone will always be there to lead you down the right path.

MAJOR DAVE HITCHCOCK: I always wanted to be a police officer since I was younger. I went to university and then I was looking forward to a career in policing. And really at the end of the day, it was the opportunity to be both a soldier and a police officer at the same time that made me join the Canadian Forces.

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Provincial and regional police officers
• Federal law enforcement officers (customs, immigration and fisheries)

As part of the application process, all candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be required to complete career orientation and an aptitude assessment at a Military Police Assessment Centre to ensure that they have a realistic view of the Military Police Officer occupation and the potential to succeed.

If you already have a university degree, preferably in a criminal justice-related field, the CAF will decide if your academic background matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.