Learn via live instructor-led virtual lectures completed online, anywhere in Ontario.
Do you want to make a difference and serve your community? The Law and Security program provides students with the foundation, knowledge and basic skills needed for successful employment in the field of policing.
Students are required to complete 100 hours of community service to supplement their educational experience.
Main Duties
- Patrol assigned areas to maintain public safety and order and to enforce laws and regulations
- Investigate crimes and accidents, secure evidence, interview witnesses, compile notes and reports and provide
- Testimony in courts of law.
- Arrest criminal suspects.
- Provide emergency assistance to victims of accidents, crimes and natural disasters.
- Participate in crime prevention, public information and safety programs.
- May supervise and coordinate the work of other police officers.
- Security guards control access to establishments, operate security control-room equipment and patrol assigned areas to guard against theft, vandalism and fire, enforce regulations to maintain order and resolve conflicts and to monitor establishment activities; ensure safety and emergency procedures are followed; issue passes and direct visitors to appropriate areas, check age identification of patrons, and perform security checks of passengers and luggage at airports.
Career College Versus Public Community College
What is different about attending a Career College like Gates College versus Public Community Colleges like Fleming College, Confederation College, Sault College or Durham College?
Gates College is registered as an Ontario Career College and programs are approved as vocational programs under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005 and follow the several amendments included in the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 (Effective, January 1, 2024*). Public Community Colleges such as Fleming College, Confederation College, Sault College and Durham College operate under a separate branch. There are benefits you may experience when attending an Ontario Career College like Gates College, that the Public Community Colleges may not offer.
For example:
- Small Class Sizes
- One course at a time Modular Based Learning
- Fixed Block Schedules
- Frequent Start Dates
- This program is currently being delivered in an Instructor-led online environment
A Gates College student will find that our Campuses and our Online experience is very student-focused and always puts the student’s goals first!
Program Outline
Canadian Government & Politics Course Description
This course explores the structure and functions of the main institutions of Canadian government. Students will examine Canada’s constitutional history and modern constitutional challenges, Canadian federalism, the prime minister, the Cabinet, the Parliament, the bureaucracy, and the judiciary. The course provides the basis for understanding Canada’s parliamentary system and more advanced study of Canadian governments.
Community Policing Course Description
Students will be able to describe the theory of Community Policing in today’s modern society. They will become familiar with several community policing programs and initiatives within their own communities and identify the role they play in dispute resolution and crime prevention. Students will also become aware of how public perception influences community policing strategy and the decision-making process.
Criminal Code and Federal Statutes Course Description
This module is designed to build on the knowledge learned in earlier foundation courses. It will provide students with an in-depth study of the Criminal Code and other related Federal Statutes in relation to the Law Enforcement Officer, including the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Canada Evidence Act, Identification of Criminals Act, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Criminology Course Description
This course is an introductory look at the study of crime and deviant behaviour. The students will examine and discuss the various theories, motivations and causes of crime in Canadian Society. Students will also know the psychological/social impact of violence and crime on the Criminal Justice System and the role of criminologists in relation to law enforcement.
First Nations People Course Description
This course explores the historical relationship between Indigenous Peoples and new populations of settlers, and lays a foundation for understanding past and present interactions and relations. In this module students will examine key topics like treaty processes and land claims, contemporary socio-economic issues facing Indigenous Peoples, and the legacy of the residential school system, with an emphasis on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and its Calls to Action. In addition we will cover the positive strides that Indigenous communities are making toward self-government and the stabilization of their communities.
Fundamentals of Law Enforcement Course Description
This module is designed to provide students that plan a career in Law Enforcement an in-depth study of current Canadian Policing. The Law Enforcement Handbook: Foundations, Skills, and Career Pathwaysprepares students for a rewarding career in any facet of law enforcement. This practical resource is the perfect companion for all career-preparation courses, with its focus on key competencies, hiring processes, exam and interview preparation, and much more.
Issues in Diversity Course Description
Students will gain knowledge of diversity issues within law enforcement, populations in Canada, identify concepts of sensitivity and critical situations, which may arise from diversity based issues. Core competencies include, but are not limited to: ideologies, human rights and freedoms, immigration policies, religious diversity, family violence and Mental Illness.
Law and the Legal System Course Description
Learn the foundations of Canada’s legal system including the history of law, freedoms of Canadians, tort law, federal and provincial statutes, and an overview of family, contract, immigration, environmental, native laws and more.
Police and Security Operations Course Description
This module is six weeks in length and is broken down into three, two-week sessions. Each two-week session covers one of the three texts related to this course.
- Basic Police Powers – Arrest and Search Procedures (4th Edition).
- Fundamentals of Security
- Evidence and Investigation – From the Crime Scene to the Courtroom (2nd Edition)
During this course, students will examine and discuss the various operational and procedural issues related to police and security. Topics will include, arrest, search and seizure, search incident to arrest, proper security procedures, dress and deportment, communications and report writing, evidence identification and collection.
Provincial Statutes Course Description
This module is five weeks in length and is an in-depth examination of the various provincial statutes. The course begins with a look at the Provincial Offences Act, an act that sets the stage for all provincial legislation. Students will then examine such provincial statutes as, the Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Licence Act, Dog Owners Liability Act, Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, Off-Road Vehicles Act, Coroners Act and the Mental Health Act.
Young Offenders in Canada Course Description
Young Offenders in Canada takes a historical-comparative approach and locates contemporary youth justice issues in a historical context. Students will discuss how we think about youth and their behaviour, and about how these views are reflected in public discourse, scholarly theorizing, public policy, and institutional responses to “troublesome” youth behaviour. Issues such as violence, homelessness, victimization, social injustice, and marginalization are multifaceted issues and therefore are addressed from a number of angles.
Career Options What Students Could Be:
- Police Officer – Federal, Provincial or Municipal
- Provincial Offences Officer
- Transit Police Officer
- Canadian Border Services Agency Officer
- Probation and Parole Officer
- Special Constable
- Provincial Offences Officer
- By-Law Enforcement Officer
- Federal or Provincial Correctional Officer
- Security Guard
Work Locations:
- Police Services
- Transit Authorities (E.g. GO Transit, Toronto Transit Commission)
- Banks
- Retail Companies – Loss Prevention
- Youth and Community Service Organizations
- Event Management Security
- Security Companies
