Job
fair brings law enforcement to campus
By Heather Faith Hoefnagels
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The award winning Criminal Justice Student Association hosted its 32nd Annual
Criminal Justice Career Day Thursday in order to recruit students interested
in a career in criminal justice.
More than 75 local, state and national criminal justice related agencies attended
the fair to recruit Cal State Long Beach’s upcoming and recent graduates.
Nearly 3,000 students attended the event, along with people from all over the
state.
Among the recruiters were probation and corrections officers, sheriff’s
departments, more than 20 different police departments, private investigators,
dispatch agencies and security specialists. The U.S. Marine Corps came to enlist
officers and law schools came to recruit America’s future attorneys and
judges.
The FBI came to recruit for its Honors Internship Program. The rigorous curriculum
requires students to be full time and have a cumulative grade point average of
at least 3.0. They offer an internship in Washington D.C. and it can only be
completed the summer between a student’s junior and senior year.
Recruiters enticed prospective applicants with potential salaries, benefits,
retirement packages, pensions and flexible schedules. They gave away trinkets
such as key chains, tiny flashlights and highlighters.
Students interested in criminal justice careers usually major in psychology,
accounting and criminal justice, but students from a variety of other majors
attended the fair.
"
I’m interested in being a part of the community and helping out," said
Julie Ann Sowards, a senior communications major.
The police officers who attended came from around Southern California and all
over the county. Along with representatives from our local Long Beach Police
Department were officers from Manhattan Beach, Oceanside, Newport Beach, Ontario
and
Tustin. The officers were eager to share their passion for their careers and
describe some of their most interesting
experiences on the job.
"
I have a great schedule, it’s fun, and there is nothing better than knowing
that you are making the world a safer place," said Sgt. Jeffrey Leyman of
the El Segundo Police Department.
At the end of the displays set up by each of the agencies was a corridor of law
enforcement vehicles. Nearly 50 vehicles lined up either side of the lower campus
sidewalks, including police cars, motorcycles, vans and RV type mobile command
posts.
The majority of the represented agencies recruiting were traditional criminal
justice organization there was one, one seemed out of place – Target. Target
attended the event to recruit people to their loss prevention department. This
special division of Target employees focuses on theft and reducing the amount
of theft that occurs in their stores which in turn keeps prices low for customers.
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