DENVER — RTD has launched a new transit police cadet program for full-time college students in the Denver Metro area.
The program is available for students who are pursuing a degree in criminal justice or something similar.
Cadets will gain insight about the day-to-day work of an officer in a transit police environment while earning a college credit.
RTD Deputy Chief Steven Martingano created the program for students to learn about the agency and explore the public safety field. Martingano knows the importance of a cadet program, before this job, he was a cadet himself.
"A lot of agencies are struggling, so we’re trying to think outside the box on how to get qualified candidates," Martingano said. "You are going to learn firsthand what we do every day, and we want to make sure that this is a career for you. These careers go 20-30 years, so we want to make sure that individuals are getting into and don’t leave the profession in a year or two and realize this is not what we want to do. This is a great opportunity to learn if this is what you want to do."
Martingano was enrolled with the New York Police Department police as a cadet for a year and a half. Originally, he intended to pursue a degree in accounting but the program pushed him to a job he’s passionate about — being an officer and now a deputy chief.
One of the cadets enrolled in the RTD cadet program, Johan Sherpa, started on July 22. Sherpa is pursuing a criminal justice degree with CU. While he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do with that degree, his uncle, and officer with the Golden Police Department, encouraged Sherpa to join the program before going out into the real world.
“There’s still a lot to explore. For those joining the program, come in with an open mind and be willing to learn as much as you can," Sherpa said.
RTD’s cadet program will provide specialized training for skills essential to pursuing a career in public safety including video investigations, integrated security, cybersecurity and police dispatch communications.
To enroll in the RTD Cadet Corps, a candidate must:
- Be at least 20 years old and eligible to meet the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification including age requirements (21 years old) to be a police officer upon graduation.
- Be a full-time college student with at least 90 credits at the time of hire. Students must have a 2.0 GPA, earn a minimum of 12 credits each semester and be in a 4-year degree program at a Colorado accredited institution in good academic standing.
For more information and how to apply, click here.