The Teaching and Learning Innovation Digest - May 2023

POLICE FOUNDATIONS
Technology and the future for the program
John Margetson
Faculty, Police Foundations
If you have been on the Progress Campus at
Centennial College, you may have noticed
a number of students wearing police-type
uniforms. These students are part of the Police
Foundations Program, and they wear the
uniform proudly. Police Foundations is a twoyear
diploma program, where students learn
about criminal and provincial laws, the Canadian
justice system, serving their community, and
conducting investigations. Many of our students
are also involved in supporting community
initiatives, such as clothing, toy, and food drives.
To give our Police Foundation students the tools
they need to be successful in the field of law
enforcement, the program professors are always
looking for innovative and interesting learning
tools. With that in mind, Police Foundations has
embarked on a pilot project where virtual reality
(VR) will be used to teach the students how to
manage and examine crime scenes. To enhance
the students’ learning experience, students
will be equipped with VR headsets that are
linked to various computer-generated crime
scenes. They will walk through virtual crime
scenes where they can learn to identify and
handle evidence. If the pilot project is successful,
it will be made a permanent part of the Crime
Scene Management course.
Another development in the Police Foundations
Program is the introduction of the Open-Source
Intelligence (OSINT) course. The ability to
conduct OSINT investigations is a sought-after
skill in law enforcement as well as the private
sector. This course will introduce students to
the world of lawful intelligence gathering using
open-source platforms such as social media
and internet footprints. The contemporary
student will be well suited and interested in
this type of investigative training as most will
be already adept in navigating various social
media platforms.
On February 22nd, at the Morningside
Campus, approximately 500 students from
the School of Community and Health Studies
were enthusiastic participants in the first inperson
mock disaster exercise since the start
of the pandemic. This exercise was a massive
undertaking for both the faculty and students,
but it was well worth the effort as it provided
the students with an unparalleled
learning experience.
Police Foundation students were deployed
alongside Pre-Fire and Paramedics students
as emergency responders in a number of
realistic scenarios. These scenarios involved
student first responders attending a number
of events such as a train derailment, persons
in crisis, and an apartment building fire
where they reacted to casualties played by
student actors.
All of the Police Foundation students were
mentored at the event scenes by members
of the Toronto Police Service. In one of the
final scenarios, Police Foundation students,
under the guidance of the Toronto Police,
successfully conducted a level three search of
the campus for a missing person in distress.
The mock disaster exercise also put Police
Foundation students to the test as emergency
managers in the Emergency Operations
Centre. These students were tasked with
coordinating the emergency response on
the ground using the Incident Management
System. The exercise culminated with students
coordinating the evacuation of a First Nations
reserve due to a wildfire. Students were
taught to conduct the evacuation through
an Indigenous lens to ensure a respectful
interaction between first responders and the
affected First Nations community.
As you can see, the Police Foundations
program is never standing still. Both students
and faculty are always looking for ways to
improve their learning experience at Centennial
College through forward thinking and the use of
technology. This mindset serves our students
well in their entry into the modern job market as
well as creating community-minded citizens.
Mock Disasters give students practical
learning, by showing them some of what
they could face in their careers should a
disaster occur, preparing them for critical
decision-making.
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