CPO Induction Program plays out pepper spray scenerios in training exercise

The County posted information on its social media accounts with images from the exercises. 

According to the post, “Over the past two weeks, our Community Peace Officer Induction Program (CPOIP) cadets were exposed to pepper spray and completed a scenario where they had to arrest a subject afterwards.” 

As seen in the posted images, cadets were both sprayed with pepper spray and did the spray.

Fourteen cadets participated and arrest tactics were used, as well as cleaning techniques. Students came from all over, one as far as Winnipeg, explained Chris Clark, the Manager of Enforcement Services with Lac La Biche County.

“In the current recruit class, we have students from all over Alberta including Lac La Biche, Slave Lake, the MD of Lesser Slave River, NAIT, Grande Prairie, Jasper, Lethbridge Police Service, and three self-pay students that are seeking employment and paid their own cost of tuition to be in the program. One of those students is from Winnipeg.”

Clark said of the training, “This type of scenario trains recruits to the effects of OC that occur both physically and psychologically. In the event that they deploy their OC spray on a subject who is assaultive or are cross-contaminated during spray deployment or are exposed to bear or dog spray, they will know how to respond.  

“The scenario also demonstrates and enforces their learning to this point in the program and developing their officer response options for times in which they may be assaulted by a client they are dealing with.”

CPOs are authorized to carry and use pepper spray when on duty, confirmed Clark.

Clark said this is one of many training exercises the program offers.

“Our cadets experience a wide range of scenarios that are realistic. In terms of volume, over their 11 weeks of training, they are exposed to approximately 70 different scenarios. These include traffic stops, assaultive subjects, groups with large people, subjects who are verbally not cooperative, subjects who will threaten to kill the officer and utilize a weapon, and a variety of others.”

 The program, run through Portage College, prepares cadets to become Community Peace Officers. In order to be accepted into the program, candidates must be employed with a municipality as a Community Peace Officer.

“The change that occurs within our Cadets through training is almost surreal.  They come from this shy and non-confident field to being assertive, confident, knowing how to deal with difficult people, utilize their tools like baton’s and OC spray and overall much more empathetic and sympathetic when dealing with people. We strive to change how officers communicate with clients and other people that they deal with on a daily basis. Up until just a few years ago law enforcement officers were taught to utilize very little verbal tactics when dealing with people and to make clients comply with direction.” – Chris Clark, the Manager of Enforcement Services with Lac La Biche County.

Candidates are trained by two Law Enforcement Instructors, two Lac La Biche County Peace Officers and Chris Clark, the Manager of Enforcement Services with Lac La Biche County.