When is the next DEO class?

If you are an experienced police officer looking to start a career with the Calgary Police Service, the CPS Direct Entry Officer (DEO) Program is hiring. Please see our Experienced Police Officers page for more information.


Can I transfer my pension?

There likely will not be an option to directly transfer your
pension, however you can purchase pensionable years with the CPS using your
current pension payout. To consider this, please discuss a Locked In Retirement
Account (LIRA) at your financial institution before your submit your
resignation with your current employer. Once employed with CPS contact the
Special Forces Pension Plan (www.sfpp.com) to
discuss the LIRA and pension. 


What qualifies an experienced officer to apply for the DEO program?

All minimum requirements, including:

  • must have a minimum of 2 years of policing experience (including training) with an accredited Canadian Police Service / Agency;
  • must be currently employed by an accredited police service, in Canada;
  • must be in good standing with your current police agency;
  • must be free and clear of any ongoing internal investigations or disciplines;
  • the final decision regarding a candidates eligibility for the DEO program will be determined by the Recruiting Unit

How do DEO applicants apply and what is the process

By completing a full online application package  on
APATS and have all required valid documents.  Experienced officers must
complete each stage of the process. 


What if I do not meet the Visual Acuity Standards on the application?

If any portion of the vision standards examination is not met, you will be asked to provide a letter from an optometrist or ophthalmologist stating you are a good candidate for corrective surgery. In this letter, the optometrist or ophthalmologist must confirm that you are eligible for one of the allowable corrective procedures and state your potential to meet the standard following the corrective surgery.

Please ensure the letter is signed and dated by the eye care professional.

The allowable corrective procedures are Corneal Refractive Surgery, Pseudophakic Intra-Ocular Lenses, or Phakic Intra-Ocular Lens Implants (only certain designs are allowed).

The surgery does not need to be completed prior to your application, as part of a conditional offer of employment, the vision standard, including appropriate healing time and medical clearance, must be met before you can be placed in a recruit training class.


I’ve completed testing in a province other than Alberta – is it recognized?

Each province has their own testing measures, and you will be required to meet the Alberta standards if you are applying to the Calgary Police Service. Our written testing consists of the Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test (APCAT) and our physical testing is the Alberta Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (A-PREP).


I’m a serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force– can I apply?

Yes, you can apply. Applicants from the Canadian Armed Forces find policing to a be a natural transition to a new career path. Much of the training, discipline, and mental fortitude that you’ve developed during your time in the military will be of value to you as a Police Officer. Once you are through our full process, at that time you will be asked to start your release of your employment contract with the Canadian Armed Forces, or your transfer to the Reserves.


I submitted my application on-line but haven’t been contacted by anyone – how long will it take?

The Calgary Police Service is currently facing a very high volume of applications and each application is processed individually, often causing a delay in time from when the application is submitted to when the applicant is contacted by a File Manager.

Thank you for your patience.


I received a deferral, what are my next steps?

Applicants may be deferred in the initial stages after a review for content, completeness, minimum requirements and competitiveness with other applicants. Deferrals can also take place at any stage of the recruiting process.  A deferral period will be applied and depend on the severity, frequency and recency of any identified concerns or competitiveness.

If deferred, there may be a number of reasons your application is not being considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to review the requirements and assess your application. The self-assessment questionnaire and preferred qualifications section may help with this self-reflection of your submission and assist you in identifying areas for improvement. Lastly, if you have disclosed involvement in criminal activity or behaviour inconsistent with our core values, this may preclude your application from being considered.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not contact every applicant who applies with us, only those that will be moving forward in the recruiting process.   If you wish to discuss how you may be more competitive, consider attending an information session.

After serving a deferral period, you may still not be successful again if you are not displaying a higher level of competitiveness.   Take the time to make self-improvements prior to applying again.

If you have received a lifetime deferral / disqualification you may provide a written appeal as detailed in the notification letter. All other deferrals cannot be appealed.


I haven’t found the answer to my question, what do I do now?

If you are confident that your question has not been answered by any section of our website, feel free to drop us an email at cpsrecruiting@calgarypolice.ca. Note that the email mailbox is not monitored on a daily basis, so please be patient.