The Pathways to Policing program was created to help address staffing levels and to draw a more diverse pool of candidates, including people of color, women, veterans and those who have a career or education background outside of law enforcement who could bring fresh perspectives to the job.
The program was designed to remove barriers from nontraditional candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement but may not have the means to pay for or availability to attend a two-year program while continuing their current careers.
Program details
- No previous police experience is required.
- Programs last about 22 weeks.
- Full-time pay and benefits are provided while attending a professional peace officer education program.
- Tuition and other costs are covered.
- After completing schooling and training, candidates must pass the Peace Officers Standards Training (POST) exam and receive licensure before transitioning to a full-time sworn police officer position.
Minimum qualifications
- Two or four-year degree from a regionally accredited college in any field of study
- U.S. citizen
- Valid driver's license, or ability to obtain
- No felony convictions
- Must not have completed a Minnesota skills program or taken the MN POST or reciprocity exam
The department is seeking candidates who have the ability to fluently speak, and proficiently read and write, a second language, in addition to English.
Hear from program graduates
Interested in hearing from some of our Pathways to Policing program graduates about what interested them in this program and their take on how they think it benefits the department and the community as a whole? View our recent Pathways to Policing article from the Park Perspective newsletter.
