Roseville Police Program Gives Cadets A Taste Of Real World Policing

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — One of the most sought-after police departments in the area is seeing positive results from a different police-recruiting approach.

Over the last few years, the Roseville Police Department has been paying to have recruits attend a police academy, with a guaranteed job after graduation.

It's a method that has worked well for the Stockton Police Department and the Placer County Sheriff's Office.

About a dozen young Roseville police cadets trained on Tuesday with police officers, to get a taste of the real world of policing -- Mitchell Peralta was one of them.

"It's been a struggle with my weight so getting in shape was a big thing," Peralta said.

Peralta has dreamed of becoming a Roseville police officer since high school.

He joined the police department's weekly workout program last year to get in shape, and now he's a cadet.

"I care about this community and I don't want to work for another department that I don't care about," Peralta added.

Roseville Police Chief Daniel Hahn says that's why the police department has a paid-cadet program and also pays recruits to go through the police academy.

"The only way to know if someone is good for a community is to get to know them over time," he said.

Hahn says Peralta is a prime example of a homegrown prospect whose work-ethic and ideals fit perfectly with the department's policing goals.

"Mitchell came to our attention from the workout program and what impressed us so much is how hard he worked, and how he never gave up on the program," said Chief Hahn.

Hahn says about 90 percent of the police department is made up of locals who have been involved in one of their programs.
Over the last few years, the department has hired more entry-level officers than it ever has.

"They create a community even before they work for the police department, but they also know what we expect," Hahn added.

Once a department highly sought after by experienced officers out of the area -- now --Roseville PD is shifting its focus on younger officers as an investment into Roseville's future.

"It shows they are investing in you as a future officer and shows they are invested in you personally," said Peralta.

The police department is getting four new officers in the next two months.

The department averages 10 new officers a year.