St'uxwtews Education Centre

Community and Public Safety

This program is for students interested in a career in public safety.

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Programs & Courses

Community and Public Safety

Graduates of this program will have access to multiple career options public safety. The revised program has moved away from policing-specific content to now include other fields such as border services, conservation, SPCA, probation, and commercial vehicle safety. While students explore these various professions, they will also be looking at the socio-historical relationship as well as current relations between Canada and Indigenous people, specifically in the criminal justice system. This will allow students to understand the immense impact of colonization on Indigenous people, thereby better preparing them for their selected career and the people they may serve in said career.

This program will provide graduates with:

  • A decolonized perspective on the current and traditional justice practices used to address crime and punishment
  • An extensive understanding of recent relevant publications, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Bill 41 in British Columbia, and the Murder and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry (MMIWG) and the purpose of learning these documents
  • An explanation and solid understanding of the disparities that still exist in the criminal justice system, directly contributing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the system
  • An understanding for why there is strong mistrust among Indigenous people for Canada’s criminal justice system
  • An understanding of how various environments, including social, economic, and political, directly contribute to challenges faced by Indigenous people

Admission Eligibility Requirements

  • Be a minimum of 18 years of age before the start date of the program
  • Grade 12 or equivalent or mature student status
  • C+ minimum in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 or English 12 or English 060
  • Foundations of Mathematics 11 or MATH 057
  • Be a Canadian citizen or have Permanent Resident status
  • Completed medical clearance form from a physician
  • Completed criminal record check confirming no charges or convictions

Readiness Pre-Application Requirements

  • Applicants must meet academic requirements before entering the program.
  • Applicants must go through their local RCMP detachment to obtain a complete criminal record check and are responsible for the associated fees.
  • Applicants must contact their physician to obtain medical clearance to participate, which will include physical education and simulated fitness tests.
  • Most public safety careers will require a valid, unrestricted Canadian-issued class 5 driver’s license – Applicants who do not currently have this are encouraged to start the licensing process before beginning this program.
  • There are certain professional requirements for a career in public safety, which include an enhanced reliability security check as well as hearing and vision tests. While these are not requirements to enroll in this program, applicants are strongly encouraged to consider these aspects before beginning the program

Certificate Courses

Students will earn 36.0 credits in the program from the following courses:

  • CAPS-100 – Physical Education Development for Public Safety I
  • CAPS-101 – Physical Education Development for Public Safety II
  • CAPS-110 – Introduction to Public Safety
  • CAPS-120 – Intro to Interpersonal Violence and Abuse
  • CAPS-140 – Criminal Justice Studies I
  • CAPS-141 – Criminal Justice Studies II
  • CAPS-145 – Public Safety Investigational Techniques
  • CAPS-150 – Public Safety: Special Topics
  • CAPS-160 – Approaches to Conflict Resolution I
  • ENGL-101 – Foundations for Academic Writing
  • ENGL-110 – English Composition
  • PSYC-111 – Introduction to Psychology I