Mohawk College is offering a Police Foundations Co-op for the first time this year. Students are able to volunteer at the local Hamilton Policing Centre on Ottawa Street to gain experience in the field by participating in different programs.

“Some of them have a couple volunteer jobs,” said Marg Marshall, volunteer program coordinator at the Policing Centre. “If they’re doing a co-op program, they need seven hundred hours.”

Marshall will have students work in programs such as the Car Seat Instalment program, speed watch, the Lock It or Lose It program and school presentations, and currently has one co-op student booking appointments for the Car Seat Instalment program.

“Toni and I choose who is doing what, based on if we feel they’re the person who can do the job correctly,” Marshall said.

Toni Incretolli, an officer with the Ottawa Street Community Policing Centre, explained how representation is important at the centre.  Part of the co-op student’s job may be to present programs such as 9-1-1 or bullying programs in elementary schools.

“A lot of kids don’t know the difference between a police officer and someone who’s got a crest for volunteer on their shirt,” said Incretolli. “You’re representing the police, so you have got to look presentable.”

The program started when the volunteer administrator at the court house contacted the Policing Centre. Marshall said they had to give it a try and is looking forward to having more volunteers.

“These guys want to be here and they know they have got to do a good job,” said Incretolli. “It’s work, but they really enjoy it. You can leave them with a task and know it’s going to get done.”

The new co-op program for the Mohawk Police Foundations students has been very successful. If students are interested, they are to contact the co-op consultant for the Police Foundations program at the college.