5 minute read
Police Recruitment Program
By Candice Temple and Major Bob Wilson
With 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. “My father is a police officer, my grandfather was a police officer and it’s a family tradition,” he shares.
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.
When asked what makes him want to be a police officer in today’s climate, Nicholas stated, “There’s still good cops and we are in a great community!”
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.
“Law enforcement was always the backup plan,” he says.
Growing up playing catch in the front yard, he recalls that his next-door neighbor was a police officer. Years of casual mentoring from that officer left Joseph intrigued by the career field. So much so that even through his promising baseball prospects, he pursued a degree in Criminal Justice.
When asked if the national climate around police work ever made him hesitate about moving forward with his training, Joseph says it had the opposite effect.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department has a distinction of being a dually accredited agency meeting a highly regarded and broadly recognized body of law enforcement standards. We are nationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) as well as through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). Our organization offers various opportunities for career enhancement, educational development, and extensive in-service training. Additional benefits include paid holidays, personal leave, affordable medical, dental and life insurance, salary incentives for college degrees and career development courses, take-home patrol car, uniform allowance, and extra-duty detail employment opportunities. Our police facility is state-of-the-art and features its own headquarters, training facility, communications center, and off-site fitness center.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department offers two different types of recruitments for Police Officers: Police Officer Trainee (non-sworn) and Police Officer (sworn). When job opportunities become available, job announcements are posted online through the city website, local colleges, and various recruiting websites such as Indeed, GJobs and CareerBuilder.
Officers who are certified with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) are eligible to apply for a full-time position as an officer. Applicants who are certified with another state may also apply but will be required to complete the state of Florida’s Law Enforcement Officer Equivalency Course in order to become certified within the state of Florida. Earlier this year, the governor of Florida signed recruitment legislation to attract high quality law enforcement officers from other states by offering up to $1,000 in scholarships for training costs and up to $5,000 in signing bonuses.
APPLICANTS SEEKING SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES to attend the Florida Basic Police Recruit Academy to become a certified police officer can do so by applying for Police Officer Trainee positions. Sponsorship through the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department includes the cost of tuition, books, uniforms, state exam fee, and a starting salary of 75% of a police officer’s starting pay.
Over the years, the Police Officer Trainee program has been a great success since several sponsorships have consisted of applicants who were previously part of the agency’s Police Explorer program. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Explorer program is designed for individuals between the ages of 14 and 21 who have an interest in a future career in the law enforcement field. Many of the department’s explorers who went on to become Police Officers have even been promoted through the ranks to sergeant, captain and even major.
As the recruitment environment continues to change and evolve, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department looks towards the future in building a diverse workforce by employing individuals from all walks of life, with an emphasis on veterans with experience. As our city’s population increases, our department continues to expand with it in order to better serve the citizens of our community. Within the coming months, our agency will once again begin the recruitment process, searching for individuals who embody our department’s core principles: Respect, Accountability and Professionalism.
Individuals who are interested in becoming a Police Officer or Police Officer Trainee with our agency are encouraged to apply online at www.pbgfl.com/careers. Applicants who are eligible and meet the job requirements will be selected for an in-person interview. Candidates who successfully pass the interview process will be extended a conditional offer of employment, which is contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation. We look forward to having the opportunity to meet you and have you become a part of a great place to live, learn, work and play.
