For several years, the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Department has been trying to get closer to its population. Against this background, the immersion program was launched in 2019. Now, more than ever, it is important to understand people’s realities in order to intervene in the best possible way.
Thanks to this initiative, experienced police officers will leave their uniforms behind for five weeks to explore diverse environments ranging from diverse families to families with autistic children, including community organizations and technical schools. This allows us to not only build relationships with people, but more importantly, understand their daily lives. Police officers are therefore better prepared to deal with difficult situations such as mental health issues, homelessness or even cultural differences.
In addition, participants can also talk about the difficulties of their profession, build relationships with speakers and create an environment conducive to exchange and collaboration.
And the program works! So much so that this year even Toronto police officers are joining the group of 34 participants. Other police forces in Quebec have also taken the initiative, including the SPVM, Sherbrooke Police, Toronto Police and even the Belgian Police!