Police Recruitment Program by Candice Temple and Major Bob Wilson
W
ith societal changes and the added pressures that come with policing today, recruitment is more challenging than ever. We spoke with two current recruits of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Officer Trainee program to find out why police work is still their chosen career field. Meet Nicholas Badolati (above, left) and Joseph Strzelecki (above, right). Nicholas Badolati’s journey to police work has taken a more traditional route. He is the third generation in his family to pursue the profession and he spent five years in the Gardens Police Explorer Program. 6
SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens
“My father is a police officer, my grandfather was a police officer and it’s a family tradition,” he shares.
stated, “There’s still good cops and we are in a great community!”
At a young age Nicholas was exposed to the career field and through the Explorer program participated in ride-alongs and different community service opportunities. It was during that time that he says he fell in love with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. Fast forward a few years and he has completed a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Being in the Trainee Program is the last step before he is able to join the Department and achieve his goal.
Recruit Joseph Strzelecki shares Nicholas’ commitment to law enforcement, but his journey to the Trainee Program started out much differently. Joseph’s first career tract led him to play major league baseball. After being drafted in 2018, he pitched for the Miami Marlins for two years before being injured. Following rotator cuff surgery, he was unable to return to baseball, but he always had a “Plan B” in mind.
When asked what makes him want to be a police officer in today’s climate, Nicholas
“Law enforcement was always the backup plan,” he says.
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