Border Security: How the OPP and CPKN Fast-Tracked Training to Help Enhance Border Security

Border security is critical to safeguarding Canada from illegal activities like human smuggling and contraband transport. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over 3.2 million transport trucks and more than 9.1 million cars crossed the Ontario border from the United States to Canada in 2024. Trade between Ontario and the U.S. is so high that if it was a standalone country, Ontario would be America’s third-largest trading partner.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) identified a training gap on recognizing and articulating indicators of border-related criminality and took the initiative to address it. At the time, there was no centralized platform offering foundational knowledge that could accommodate police officers and law enforcement partners with varying levels of knowledge and experience—and the OPP needed a solution developed quickly.

With strong support from all relevant partner police agencies, the OPP reached out to the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN,) collaborating closely to co-develop training focused on developing the knowledge and skills needed to help enhance border security.

CPKN is a national not-for-profit organization and a recognized leader in online training for the police and public safety community, offering customized training courses for the needs of its partners. With over 20 years of experience in eLearning, CPKN has the national reach and ability to develop a high-quality training solution for frontline personnel.

In what usually takes 13 weeks, CPKN, in collaboration with the OPP, was able to develop, design, and launch an online course in just three weeks—making it quickly accessible for users through the CPKN course catalogue. CPKN’s platform also allowed the OPP to package and distribute the training broadly and track course completion.

"Policing is dynamic, and the need to be adaptive and current in our training is critical if we hope to support our officers in their efforts to promote public safety," says Chief Superintendent Bryan MacKillop of the OPP. "Recognizing this, a diverse team of experts from across disciplines came together with a shared purpose: to develop a robust and forward-thinking product that meets the evolving needs of modern policing."

The Border Awareness: Deter, Detect, and Disrupt course provides registrants the ability to recognize and report border-related criminal activity. Users also learn proper procedures, impacts of border security, and how to report their observations to proper authorities. The one-hour virtual course includes a short knowledge check to ensure high completion rates and accessibility.

Feedback on the course has been positive, especially from municipal and government partners. Border Awareness: Deter, Detect, and Disrupt provides a refresher for some users—and new information for others—on the roles and responsibilities of police services, public safety organizations, and partner agencies. While designed for Ontario, the course offers knowledge applicable to police and public safety services nationwide.

"Each contributor took ownership of the initiative, understanding its significance and the impact it would have on frontline officers and communities alike," says Chief Superintendent MacKillop. "This collaborative and innovative approach not only resulted in a high-quality solution but also serves as a powerful example of what can be achieved when expertise is united by a common goal. Its success highlights the immense potential for future partnerships and reinforces the value of working together to drive meaningful change in policing."

The OPP and CPKN coming together to develop this course is a great example of tactical collaboration to help support not only provincial services, but also national efforts. Creating Border Awareness: Deter, Detect, and Disrupt builds a network of informed public safety professionals and ultimately, enhanced security at the U.S./Canada border.

To learn more about the Border Awareness: Deter, Detect, and Disrupt course and CPKN, visit cpkn.ca.