National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0
4 - Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services
This broad category comprises managers in public administration, in education and social and community services and in public protection services, as well as occupations concerned with teaching, law, counselling, conducting social science research, developing government policy, and administering government and other programs, and related support occupations.
41 - Professional occupations in law, education, social, community and government services
This major group comprises professional occupations in law, education, social, community and government services. These occupations come with Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility (TEER) identified as TEER 1. Occupations classified in TEER 1, as those in this group with a 1 as the second digit of their code, typically require a university degree (bachelor's, master's or doctorate) or the accumulation several years of experience and expertise in the subject matter knowledge in a related occupation found in TEER 2, when applicable (which includes occupations with a 2 as a second digit in their code).
413 - Professional occupations in social and community services
This sub-major group comprises professional occupations in social and community services, including social and community service professionals; police investigators and probation officers; and educational and employment counsellors.
4131 - Police investigators and probation officers
This minor group comprises police investigators, and probation and parole officers. They are employed by municipal, provincial and federal governments.
41310 - Police investigators and other investigative occupations
Police investigators and professionals in related investigative occupations follow leads and investigate circumstances relating to crimes committed and obtain information to prevent crimes. They plan and coordinate investigations, collect evidence, interview suspects, victims, witnesses and other stakeholders, conduct surveillance and testify in court. They are employed by municipal, provincial and federal governments. This unit group includes coroners and medical examiners.
Illustrative example(s)
- detective - police
- detective sergeant - police
- drug investigator - police
- police investigator
Inclusion(s)
- coroner
- medical examiner
Exclusion(s)
- Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services (See 40040 Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services)
- Police officers (except commissioned) (See 42100 Police officers (except commissioned))
- Private detective (See 64410 Security guards and related security service occupations)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Police investigators
- Interviews persons in connection with criminal incidents, including victims, witnesses and suspects
- Exchange information and coordinate activities with other law enforcements agencies
- Prepare investigation reports and testify in courts concerning criminal investigations
- Search and collect physical evidence from crimes scenes, such as fingerprints, and attend autopsies
- Perform surveillance by using investigative technologies
- Obtain search warrants, conduct searches and arrest suspects
- May conduct investigation on online networks and computer systems to detect cyber crimes or to recover data.
- May supervise and coordinate the work of police officers.
Coroners and medical examiners
- Conduct death investigations to determine the identity of the deceased, date and location of death, medical cause of death, and manner of death
- Order or perform autopsies and other medical tests
- Consult with and request assistance from law enforcement, physicians, and family
- Issue death certificates, including assigning cause and manner of death
- Identify and educate the public on dangerous practices or conditions that may lead to death
- May testify or produce evidence in proceedings about observations made during investigations
- May supervisor and coordinator work of other employees.
Employment requirements
Police Investigators
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Several years of experience as a police officers are required.
- Completion of a university degree in police investigation is required in Quebec.
- Specialized training or certification may be required for certain areas of investigation.
Coroners and medical examiners
- In Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, a medical examiner is required to be a physician with an active medical license.
- In Ontario and Prince Edward Island, coroners are required to be a physician with an active medical license.
- In Quebec, coroners are required to be a non-retired member of the Collège des médecins du Québec, the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and have a minimum of four years of professional experience in their practice.
- In British Columbia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Yukon, it is preferred coroners have education and experience in the legal, medical or investigative fields.
Additional information
- For police investigators, progression to commissioned police officer positions is possible with additional training and experience.
- For coroners and medical examiners, progression to deputy chief coroner or deputy chief medical officer positions is possible with additional training and experience.
41311 - Probation and parole officers
Probation officers monitor the conduct and behaviour of criminal offenders serving probation terms and serving sentences of two years less a day. They are employed by provincial governments. Parole officers monitor the reintegration of criminal offenders serving the remainder of sentences on conditional release and individuals that are subject to a long-term supervision order. They also assess inmates and develop rehabilitation programs for criminal offenders who are incarcerated in correctional facilities. They are employed by federal and provincial governments. Both probation and parole officers work in the community and in correctional facilities including young offender's correctional facilities.
Illustrative example(s)
- parole officer
- probation officer
Exclusion(s)
- Correctional service officers (See 43201 Correctional service officers)
- Managers in social, community and correctional services (See 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services)
- Social and community service workers (See 42201 Social and community service workers)
- Social workers (See 41300 Social workers)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Interview inmates to assess adjustment problems and develop suitable rehabilitation programs
- Prepare reports for the recommendation of security level, penitentiary placement, type of incarceration and types of interventions considered most beneficial for the rehabilitation of the inmates
- Interview offenders, police, family, friends, school authorities and employers to prepare pre-sentence reports and assess offenders' prospects for successful reintegration into the community
- Plan rehabilitation programs with inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals and objectives
- Refer inmates and offenders to community and social service programs, as required
- Supervise the terms of a probation order and attend court
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans
- Recommend remedial action or initiate court action when terms of probation or parole are violated
- Attend court proceedings to provide expert testimony on an inmate's case as well as detention and dangerous offenders status court rulings
- May perform administrative duties and supervise support staff
- May participate in policy development.
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in social work, criminology, psychology, sociology or other related social science discipline is required.
- A master's degree in social work, criminology, psychology or other related social science discipline may be required.
Additional information
- Progression to correctional service management positions is possible with additional training or experience.
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