Because crime isn’t limited to specific working hours, a police constable must be able to work shifts. This includes evenings, nights and weekends, throughout the entire year. Patrol officers are assigned to 12-hour shifts, which consist of working 4 days and 4 days off. The same schedule may also apply to constables assigned to specific Units, although this isn’t always the case. Some positions in Units require working 8-hour day, staggered evening shifts, or other scheduled hours. Officers are also required to attend court. If the court date is not during a scheduled shift, the officer is compensated for his or her time.

In addition to regular scheduled shifts, opportunities are also provided to work Special Duty requests at events within the Region. Special Duty provides extra pay, and may involve working at festivals, nightclubs or other locations that require a police presence.