Canadian Police College programs evolve to address modern challenges

Learning from gaps to lead with excellence

Dr. Emily Spencer has been steering the evolution of the College's Leadership program, which is set to fully launch in fall 2025. She says the program aims to prepare participants to always be the best version of themselves in the worst circumstances.

"It's a very complicated world and so we're trying to prepare people, not just for today's problems, but also future problems," says Spencer.

The new course offerings are interdisciplinary, topic and/or rank-specific, and underscore modernization and inclusivity. Spencer says the CPC has also rebranded legacy programs like Strategic Policing through Action and Character (SPAC). These courses, alongside new offerings such as the Advanced Executive Leadership for Law Enforcement (AELLE) programme for Chief Superintendents, aim to prepare leaders for contemporary and future challenges.

A notable aspect of CPC's approach involves identifying gaps in policing leadership, often revealed by incidents that attract public scrutiny or recommendations. Spencer says that unpacking leadership failures was a primary driver behind the course updates. "Often, it's not a failure of knowing what to do, it's a failure of doing the right thing at the right time," stresses Spencer.

The leadership courses also aim to address key issues like communication under stress and decision-making.

Alison Ste-Marie a who supports the Integrated Support Services unit under Forensic Science and Identification Services, participated in the first cohort of AELLE and left with some key insights to support her in her role as director.

"There was a specific component about the levers of power that was helpful," says Ste-Marie. "It's a way of thinking about who is making the decisions when you are trying to accomplish something; considering who has the power to say 'yes' or 'no,' and who has their ear."

Among the new offerings, the Data-Enhanced Decision-Making course is designed to reduce bias in policing by integrating data-driven methodologies. The course doesn't intend to replace intuitive thinking but instead complement it with concrete data to ensure better outcomes. The aim is to balance the use of data with the need for real-time decision making.

Addressing advancing technological threats

It's no secret that cyber threats are advancing at a rapid pace. As new technologies emerge, criminals are finding new ways to leverage them, threatening public safety. In response, the CPC has revamped its Technological Crime program to better focus its offerings. One stream of learning prepares officers and civilians for the challenges arising from sophisticated threats, such as ransomware attacks and online child exploitation, while another aims to build capacity around digital forensics, which provides digital evidence processing for many types of investigation including cybercrime.

Staff Sergeant Henry Saint-Fleur is a key contributor to the cybercrime program evolution.

"In the past few years our group has been adapting the curriculum to reflect the current crime types," says Saint-Fleur. A cornerstone of the updated program is the cyber-range, a simulated environment launched in 2022. This controlled setting exposes investigators to realistic cyber threats, allowing them to practice response strategies in real time.

"Deploying this training path into the cyber-range has been well received by investigators," says Saint-Fleur. "There is a definite shifting within the organization with respect to the skill sets required to address cybercrime."

The CPC has also redesigned its child protection programs to address the surge in online victimization during the pandemic, and to enhance the proactive nature of focused investigations. To achieve this, collaboration with various experts, agencies and partners such as the National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Calgary Police Service (CPS), and United Kingdom law enforcement, has been significant and beyond essential.

Anticipating future challenges, the program is actively incorporating teaching on novel technologies that assist investigators with intensive or complex activities. For example, learning how to analyze large or sophisticated datasets using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve human understanding and processing has been introduced to the program. And recognizing the context of policing, the program equally incorporates the application of strict data handling and privacy safeguards, including how to prepare for scrutiny by verifying results.

"In the law enforcement community, we've been forced to change our way of thinking and our way of doing business," says Saint-Fleur. "Policing twenty-five years ago versus policing today—it's not the same."

Looking ahead

Both Saint-Fleur and Spencer agree that forward-thinking and fostering a sense of resilience are essential to help leaders overcome the scrutiny that comes with modern policing.

"We are modeling tomorrow's mindset to be able to face the challenges to come," insists Saint-Fleur.

From honing leadership skills to preparing for the complexities of technological crime, the CPC's training programs are helping the RCMP create a stronger, and more capable police force. By addressing gaps, leveraging technology, and integrating practical application—the college is helping to train officers and senior leaders to navigate today's criminal landscape with both confidence and competence.