The California Highway Patrol is campaigning for its largest expansion since the late 1960s, and today CHP Commissioner Mike Brown made a visit to Sacramento State to recruit potential cadets.

The CHP needs more than 500 new cadets to fill 270 vacancies and 240 new positions created by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the largest amount of new positions created since 1969, Brown said.

“I’m here to do some shameless recruiting,” said Brown, who was assisted by a multitude of officers, some fully armed and in uniform, at 1:30 p.m. Monday in the University Union Ballroom.

Brown, a Sac State alumnus and former professor, urged students to take the examination required to join the CHP, even if they plan on finishing school first.

“If you take the test, you can stay on the list until you graduate,” Brown said, adding that the CHP places a strong value on higher education.

The CHP is hoping to fill all of these vacancies by the end of its fiscal year next June, and it is turning to California universities to help recruit.

“We know Sac State has a huge criminal justice program,” said Fran Clader, a CHP spokesperson. “We hope to get a huge response.”

Sac State was the third stop in the CHP recruitment tour, which will visit each of the eight districts across California.

The crowd at today’s event seemed receptive to Brown’s presentation, and many showed interest in becoming members of the CHP.

“It was very informative,” said junior Oscar Velasquez. The criminal justice major, who plans to apply to join the CHP, said that he wished Brown had spent more time explaining the 27-week CHP Academy, which Brown described as a military-style training program.

Although he said the Academy is very rigorous, Brown explained that the CHP is seeking all kinds of recruits.

“You don’t have to be a criminal justice major,” Brown said. He added that he knew a music major who became a CHP officer, and the prerequisites only require a high school education or GED. While today’s presentation stressed the diversity of CHP officers and applicants, Brown said all members of the CHP share one key trait.

“Every one of us has one thing in common,” Brown said, “we’re committed to public safety and we want to save lives.”

For additional information on joining the CHP, either call the recruitment line at 1-888-4-ACHPJOB or visit www.chp.ca.gov.

Cody Kitaura can be reached at [email protected]