New YPD training program seeks young recruits, 18-20

For young adults who desire a career in law enforcement but don’t yet meet the minimum age requirement of 21, the Yuma Police Department is launching a program that aims to transform young recruits into experienced, academy-ready cadets.

Slated to begin in early January, the Police Recruit Program has four full-time positions open to 18-20 year olds.

According to Sgt. Lori Franklin, spokesperson for YPD, the positions come with full-time pay, insurance benefits and a yearand-a-half of trainings, class lectures and exams, as well as opportunities to work with officers in various areas within the department until the recruits transition to the police academy.

“We’re investing in our younger kids and giving them that leg up when they go to the academy,” said Franklin. “There’s kids who don’t want or can’t afford to go to college, so what do they do between the ages of 18 and 21 when they’re old enough to go to the academy? We’re hoping that by having this position open, we’ll be able to give four young adults the opportunity to work full-time and learn everything they need to know to set them up for the academy.”

The program is not only advantageous in terms of hands-on training and considerable benefits, but also in terms of intercepting youth who may be headed toward the wrong path after high school.

“We were noticing that there’s a span between when kids get out of high school and before they’re 21, and a lot of kids sometimes go astray and maybe experiment with drugs or get into some trouble,” Franklin said. “Sometimes that trouble will actually disqualify you from putting in for (a career in) law enforcement. So the department decided, ‘Let’s invest in our younger community.’ And that’s what this is – it’s an investment in these applicants to come work here, keep their nose clean, go through and learn everything about the police department.”

With physical training each morning and on-thejob training with personnel like public safety officers and forensics, accident and crime scene investigators, recruits will also be making valuable connections that, according to Franklin, will set them up for success.

“You’re going to start meeting your coworkers, you’re going to start building trust and have a relationship with them – a good working relationship – and then go on to the academy,” she said.

After participating in the program, a recruit may find that they want to modify their career goals or go a different direction altogether. According to Franklin, that’s exactly the point of exposing them to the demands of working in law enforcement and the array of opportunities that exist in that field.

“They may decide, ‘I don’t want to be a sworn officer but, hey, I want to be a traffic investigator or an animal control officer or a public safety tech,’ and they can apply for those positions within the department,” Franklin said. “If they decide, ‘Law enforcement in general is not what I want to do,’ that’s part of the program, too.”

The only stipulation, Franklin said, is that if a recruit has not made a decision about pursuing a law enforcement career by their 22nd birthday, their position will open to another applicant.

Though recruits will be initially hired as civilians, Franklin noted that because they’ll already be working with YPD officers and detectives, program recruits won’t be required to take the written test administered by the city for the police academy.

“They’ll of course have to take all the required tests through the academy, because that’s all post-certification,” she said. “But all of the training that they receive from us (at YPD) prior to them going to academy will set them up to do way better and get a head start. Best-case scenario, we get four recruits, they trickle on to the academy, we fill those four slots again and start anew.”

Online applications open Friday and close Nov. 30 at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/yuma. Applications can also befound by visiting www.yumaaz.gov, selecting “Employment Information” and “Job Opportunities.”

According to Franklin, applicants must have a valid Arizona driver’s license and a high school diploma or GED.