CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — On Wednesday, more than 40 law enforcement agencies gathered at the American Bank Center for the largest law enforcement job fair in the Coastal Bend.
This was the third year of the job fair, hosted in collaboration with the Refugio Police Department and Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend. Refugio Police Chief Enrique Diaz said the purpose of the job fair is to give people opportunities to connect with some of the best agencies in Texas.
Some of the agencies that participated were the Rockport Police Department, Port Aransas Police Department, Corpus Christi Police Department, Nueces County Sheriff's Office, Harris County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and others.
“You have agencies from way outside other cities. You have a couple of agencies who traveled three-plus hours to be here. We're not here to hire good police officers. Our department is looking to hire good people who can practice good law enforcement. What easier way could you really come up with than having all these entities under one roof," Diaz said.
Diaz said last year was a success, with more than 100 applicants to various departments. He added that some agencies are looking to hire people right out of high school. You don't have to have experience because the agencies will train and teach you.
“They’re needing jailers, obviously police officers are very much needed, and dispatchers. We're looking for everything across the industry," Diaz said.
On-site interviews were available and some employers even offered sign-on bonuses for veterans and peace officers from out of state.
Julio Ruiz said he heard about the job fair on social media. Pursing a career in law enforcement has always been a dream of his and he didn't want to pass up the opportunity.
“I was like ‘this is my time.' I’ve been looking to get into the law enforcement career and this is the perfect timing for me to come and talk to these different agencies to see which one is the best fit for me and see what they offer," Ruiz said.
The job fair was only for one day. However, if you missed it, all of the law enforcement agencies, including Chief Diaz's department, encourage you to still reach out to them and apply for a job.
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