FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno Police Department wants young men and women who are passionate about serving their community to fill its 76 vacant positions.
But Police Chief Mindy Casto wants the right candidate for the job.
“Today we have to go out and recruit, and what we’ve learned is that we have to grow our own police officers,” Casto said.
Before the sun rises, Fresno Police cadets, some as young as 18, start their day doing physical training. This group hasn’t entered the academy just yet, as many of them are still in school.
“Our officers who came through as cadets have an over 90% success rate through the training program,” she said.
And the chief herself is a shining example of that success.
“I was in one of the first classes back in 1996 when I got hired,” Casto said.
Cadets work around headquarters and assist with non-emergency calls, in hopes that the police department will send them to the academy.
“They go through the training program, and they’re promoted to police officer.”
A recruit must:
- Be over 21 years old
- Pass a background investigation
- Pass a psychological evaluation
- Pass a medical evaluation, which includes a drug and alcohol test.
Disqualifications include illicit drug use, either recently or extensively, and being a felon. Misdemeanors are evaluated based on the severity of the crime and when it happened.
“We look into every aspect of someone’s life to see if they’re suitable for a police officer,” Casto explained.
Recruiters tell YourCentralValley.com that the department has not lowered its standards to help fill vacancies. However, they stopped doing the written exam a few years ago.
“This is a very rigorous hiring process,” Casto added.
But getting fully staffed isn’t something the chief is overly concerned about, as it doesn’t impact response time to emergency calls.
“It’s been quite a while. We’ve never quite gotten up to 930 officers. It’s pretty ambitious.”
The more officers they have, the better response times for non-emergency calls – and less overtime. The only problem is that they receive fewer applications than in years past.
When she applied, Casto said it was very competitive.
“Every position had multiple applicants.”
So what’s changed?
“I think people are just more reluctant to take the risks that maybe some of us were back then.”
But even with all these reasons that might push someone away, Officer Amanda Gonzalez couldn’t ignore the call to join the Fresno Police Department.
“I’ve been dreaming about this day, and it’s finally here,” she reflected.
Gonzalez took a huge leap of faith at 33. She made a bold career move, trading her 5th‑grade classroom for the police academy.
“We only have like one life, and that’s it. So make the most of it. I have a lot of family members who are in law enforcement in Texas State Troopers, Marshals, FBI. So they were so excited,” Gonzalez said.
She graduated from the academy at the start of the year, earning the top physical training award for women.
“Like I was in shock. Like, I was so excited,” Gonzalez said.
Shocked, not because her hard work or strength were in question, but because she’s petite. Gonzalez is 5’3″ to be exact. Plus, she’s a new mom with a one and two-year-old.
“So, when I heard my name, I was like, okay, like wow,” she exclaimed.
Despite her size, gender, or even previous profession, no hurdle is too high to stop Gonzalez from living out her childhood dream.
“And then also for my little girl, just to let her know, like, you know, Mom can do it. You can do it, too. Just because we’re females doesn’t mean we can’t do it. We can also do what men can do.”
Ready to make a change like Officer Gonzalez, or if you’re still in school but think a career in law enforcement is for you, the Fresno Police Department’s cadet recruitment cycle opens next month.
Cadet I, those who aren’t quite old enough but want to learn what it takes to be a Fresno Police Officer can apply on March 30. Those ready to enter the academy and are over 21 years old can apply for Cadet II positions on March 2.
