‘Policing is a calling’: London police hopes to benefit from provincial recruitment campaign

It's a new campaign to attract people to a career in policing. As CTV London’s Gerry Dewan tells us, police services are anxious to find more recruits.

It’s a social media campaign designed to attract more people to a career in police.

Many police services say retirements are outpacing new hires and welcome the recruitment effort called “Answer the Call.”

A video posted on YouTube and shared on police service social media feeds across our region emphasizes the appeal that police work could have for people who may have never considered it.

It includes an image of an officer putting on her uniform with the narration, “You’ve heard it your entire life. That persistent pull to serve, help, uplift. It’s what drives you to answer the call.”

Acting Superintendent David Younan has spent time in the recruitment division of London Police Service, “Policing is a calling, and we’re looking to find the best and brightest in our community to come join our ranks.”

Younan says the London Police Service has been able to effectively find new recruits, but the need is expected to persist.

London police received a record four-year $672M budget, with much of that funding geared toward hiring 97 new officers.

In 2024, 69 officers were hired - filling retirements and resignations, as well as growing the service.

To this point in 2025, Younan says about 32 officers have been hired, with another 15 expected in the fall.

Younan told CTV News that London police have been running their own social media campaigns, including the 30 by 30 initiative - which targets a recruiting class comprised of 30 per cent female recruits by 2030.

Campaigns also target individuals from various social and cultural backgrounds.

Younan believes people in various careers may find elements of policing that appeal to them. That could include finance, life-sciences and digital technologies, “There’s a wide swath of different units and sections within the London Police Service. Once you achieve a certain amount of time on the frontline ranks, you can go and apply to a unit and bring your talents into our organization.”

The campaign is a collaboration of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), Ontario Association of Police Service Boards (OAPSB), Police Association of Ontario (PAO), Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario (IPCO), Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA), and Toronto Police Association (TPA).

Aylmer Police Chief Kyle Johnstone said being part of the campaign and having the reach across the province that it offers is extremely beneficial for a smaller police service. “Bringing everyone together kind of removes this kind of siloed approach that we were all taking, all very well-meaning, and still rowing in the same direction. But, at the end of the day, this is something that’s good for policing in Ontario collectively. And all of our efforts combined are really going to make a difference.”

The web site provides links to all police services across the province, and provides insights into world of policing.