Hundreds turn out for law enforcement job fair at Temple University
NORTH PHILADELPHIA - A mix of emotions and opportunity filling up the Aramark Complex on Temple University’s campus Saturday as more than 100 police agencies are recruiting potential new members.
"You have 87 percent white makes that dominate law enforcement, so we’re trying, with this job fair, to increase female participation and minority participation and so, for anybody interested in law enforcement, this is a place to be," Michael Robinson, Director of Community Outreach and Hiring for Temple, stated.
Robinson says the amount of opportunity for any kind of job in law enforcement is abundant.
"You have the federal alphabet boys, the FBI, the CIA, the NSA and other federal law enforcement. You have state troopers from across the country and you have local municipality police officers represented from across the country," Robinson explained.
Nia Brown is a college student studying business, but also a minor in criminal justice and she’s armed with her pen and pad ready to explore any option available.
"I want to see how I can incorporate the two and it’s part of my goal, is just talking," Brown remarked.
She says becoming a police officer is definitely a possibility. "I definitely would say yes to the academy. It scares me a little bit, but, yeah, definitely excited, too!"
Courtney Bailey is an HR Analyst with the Pennsylvania Attorney General. She says an event like this allows them to cast a wide net in search to fill open positions. "Agents, which are very similar to police officers and then, also, we have analysts and all sorts of support personnel attorneys, as well."
Robinson stresses there are several ways to be employed in law enforcement without becoming a traditional police officer.
"Information systems and people to work fingerprinting, who may not be on the street kicking down doors and doing the arrest, but they need people in the background to do some of the administrative stuff," Robinson added.
For Brown, she understands the modern-day challenges that law enforcement face and she’s ready to contribute to it in a positive way. "As much as it’s hard, it’s also something that, once you accomplish it, it’s okay. Now I’m here, how do I go about it in the best way?"