Springfield Police Department hosts open house showcasing current job opportunities

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield Police Department held an open Saturday to showcase its many career opportunities.

During the open house at the south Springfield Police Station, attendees could check out the SPD drones, robots, K9 units, tactical vehicles, and more. They also had demos of detective tools and evidence gathering, as well as VR simulators to emulate situations officers deal with.

“Before I was a cop, I didn’t necessarily know everything cops did. Now that I get to be a cop, I know exactly what they do, I get to learn that. And it’s pretty educational. So I love that people can come here and kinda learn what we do, they get to learn more about us and why we do the things that we do, so it’s very informative,” said SPD Recruiting Officer John Van Gorden.

The event had dual purpose: to recruit anyone interested in joining SPD, and to meet with the public to answer questions, educate on different tools and methods that they use, and humanize the officers in relation to the public.

Recruitment for the 79th Academy, set to begin September 2024, is ongoing. Visit GoSPD.com for more information and to apply online.

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