19 year old in WI

[Dons]

Could anyone give any advice on a goot entry job for a 19 year old attending college in WI? I really want to get my foot in the door. Any advice is welcome and greatly appricated.

[reuters]

Police cadet is a good entry-level job for a college student. Other good jobs are CSOs and PSAs, although some might be full-time so it might be hard on your schedule. If none of these are available, I would suggest volunteer work at your local PD. It'll look good on your resume, plus when a position opens up you'll be a likely pick. I'm a recent college grad working as a PT civilian officer, let me know if you have any questions.

[Dons]

I am sorry, I should probably know this by now, but what is a CSO and a PSA?

Also, does any one from WI know of any departments with Cadet or Police Aid positions?

[keith758]

A CSO is a Community Service Officer. Several Departments in Wisconsin have them. Fond du Lac City, Oshkosh, Waupun,Appleton, and I think Green Bay are just a few. These are positions usually given to criminal justice students. They are non-sworn positions whose duties include ordinance citations, traffic control, vehicle lockouts, etc. They are a good foot in the door because you work along with real cops.

[reuters]

Some depts might not have PSAs....it stands for Public Safety Aides/Assistants. They do more administrative things and not so much fieldwork. In my dept, its like one step below CSO, but a step above cadet. IMO, CSO is more fun but its a pretty sought after position among the younger crowd. Check your university police, I know some hire student CSOs to help out with traffic control and parking. Good luck.

[K9 Police]

Look into reserve positions with some departments, Brookfield, New Berlin, etc. In comparison to other states, i.e. Minnesota, California, there are not as many oppurtunities for criminal justice students in terms of CSO, Reserve, Park Agent positions. Therefore you might have to look at also security for malls, security for stores, or loss prevention to gain some experience. Think about working for detention centers, dispatching, corrections, etc.

K9

[Serpico]

Anybody have an opinion on Madison? I'm thinking about applying, but would like to get some background on the city.

[K9 Police]

Excellent department, very hard to get into. They value education and applicants with diverse backgrounds not just focused on criminal justice. Very liberal city with liberal politics. College city also so you have that end to deal with, even though University cops are there. Couple coppers on this forum from that area that probably have better info than I. They are a department that I would work for and did consider when lateral transferring. Madison is a nice city, just got to be careful of the politics.

K9

[Serpico]

Thanks, K9.