The Ontario government is removing tuition fees for the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College and expanding the number of recruits that can be trained each year.

It’s a move aimed at making it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more officers.

Premier Doug Ford says the province is pushing back the growing tide of crime by getting more boots on the ground.

The Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College will be expanded immediately to accommodate an additional 70 recruits per cohort, from 480 to 550, with further expansion next year.

If passed, legislation will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer, as set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act. The change would amend the CSPA to provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer.