From the Sacramento County Probation Department to the Sacramento Police Department, the Spring Career Fair provided criminal justice majors and others with law enforcement-related job opportunities and information.

The fair consisted of more than 120 potential employers, many of which were linked to the law enforcement field.

“The turnout has been great,” said lead recruiter for the Probation Department Ron Barroga. “We were recently at (the University of the Pacific) for a job fair and the turnout was relatively small. This one has definitely surpassed our previous expectations.”

“Today has been great,” junior criminal justice major Gloria Robinson said. “I’ve been given a ton of information and have a lot to think about.”

Barroga said the only things missing from the Career Fair were proper advertising and previous notification for all students.

“The only negative I can think of is the lack of advertising,” Barroga said. “Besides the sign out front of (the Union) I haven’t really seen anything. There should be posters everywhere?and e-mails sent out to every student’s SacLink account.”

Barroga said that career fairs are important because they give students the chance to talk with different recruiters, ask questions and find out things they didn’t already know. He went on to say that the biggest misconception among people is how much education and experience one must have in order to apply for a job in law enforcement.

In order to be an aide for the probation department, a person most have 60 or more total semester units, according to a departmental press release.

According to a press release from the Sacramento Police Department, one must complete 43 total semester units before being accepted into the police academy.

An applicant will then receive an additional 17 units upon graduation from the academy, making up the 60 total units required for hiring.

Likewise, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department does not require a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, or any major for that matter, but instead offers preferential points for certain degrees.

Deputy Ramon Aragon said that preferential points are valuable to all employees because they can result in a salary increase or other benefits.

“We look more for a squeaky background than an AA or BA,” Aragon said.

Sophomore recreation and leisure studies major David Lee said he was shocked to hear that a bachelor’s degree was not a prerequisite for most law enforcement positions.

“I always assumed that you had to obtain a degree in criminal justice before they would even consider you, let alone hire you,” Lee said.

“Knowing what I know now, I’m really considering a career in law enforcement,” Lee said.

Police security and Sacramento State graduate Ann Marie Funes said that she recommends that anyone interested in a career in law enforcement take criminal justice and other law-related courses, even if they are not required.

“(Sac State) offers a lot of great courses,” Funes said. “I would recommend taking a search and seizure class, interview techniques, investigation and maybe a sex offenders class.”

Also, I would tell anybody who is interested in a career in law enforcement to speak with officers or agents, to ask questions and maybe even participate in a police ride along.”

Barroga said it is also important to note that some law enforcement positions do require a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or social science.

He went on to say that the best way to get more information on prerequisites or duties is to visit the website of the department you’re interested in.

Ashley Evans can be reached at [email protected]