V.I.P.P. (Volunteers in Policing Program) is a partnership between the Brockville Police Service and second year Police Foundation students from St. Lawrence College. These students are highly motivated and display a high level of personal qualities with a desire to help others. Starting in 1996, each fall, a team of second year Police Foundation students are selected based on their college record and their performance in an actual police employment interview. All second year and select first year students are encouraged to apply for these positions as they provide valuable experience.
Today’s V.I.P.P. students are involved in many proactive aspects of Community Policing and Community Safety. The V.I.P.P. team is involved in such programs as Child Identification, Halloween Patrols, Crime Stoppers and many other projects. Members of the V.I.P.P. team intern with the Police Service from October to May.
Students have also been actively involved in annual Use of Force training with the Police Service and assist in a multitude of other crime prevention and community safety programs. Being on the Brockville Police Service V.I.P.P. team is an excellent stepping stone and opportunity for any Police Foundations student. It gives students a chance to gain valuable volunteer experience which is a major requirement for future police constable candidates. Students get a firsthand glance into the world of policing and get a taste of what is actually involved in being a police officer.
This partnership with St. Lawrence College has resulted in a number of graduates who experienced the V.I.P.P. internship being hired as police officers by the Brockville Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the R.C.M.P. and a number of other police services since 1996.