By Erika Rolling

Municipal Police

Fourteen more recruits training in GPPS second class

Apr 2, 2025 | 2:08 PM

The Grande Prairie Police Service says following the successful completion of their first class of recruits, they are now welcoming their second class to the force.

The historic milestone of the second class comes as over 300 applications were received, and the decision was made to bump the class size up by two due to high interest.

The hiring process has been completed. It included written and physical assessments, multiple interviews to evaluate character and organizational fit, polygraph tests, psychological evaluations, and background checks.

The second class of recruits has 14 members and comes from a variety of different backgrounds and places. Eight recruits are from Grande Prairie area, five come from other parts of the province, and one is from Ontario. Some of their pervious fields of work were: trades, legal support (paralegals), corrections, peace officers, and military police, among others. The police service says there are also three females in this class, to enhance diversity and representation on the team.

GPPS Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta said in a news release; “These recruits bring invaluable depth and diversity to the strength of our service.”

“I am truly impressed by their commitment to serving our community, and I am excited to see how their unique backgrounds and experiences will contribute to their growth and development throughout their training.” – Chief Lakusta

Over the next six months, the group of 14 will take the Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Police Cadet Training program, as well as specialized instruction in:

• Firearms
• Control tactics
• Physical fitness
• Community policing
• Crisis communication
• Indigenous learning
• Interviewing techniques
• Mental health first aid

Training is to take place at Northwestern Polytechnic, as well as other facilities in the region like Eastlink Centre, Wapiti Shooters Club, and the NAPA Auto Parts Raceway in Beaverlodge. Recruits are paid full wage while in training.

Third class recruitment is expected to begin Fall 2025.