CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As the city continues to grow and more officers retire from the police force, the Corpus Christi Police Department is looking to fill those vacancies as they arise.
Wednesday, members of the community were invited to take part in a practice physical assessment test.
The test is a taste of the physical requirements applicants go through to get into the next police academy.
While Wednesday's assessment focuses on the physical aspect, there is much more to becoming an officer.
Officers are trained to think through every given type of situation they might face.
Arianna Cruz took part in the test.
"Sometimes I was discouraged, how could I be a police officer? Before this, I was just food industry. I called Imelda the training officer here. She said no, there's nothing to worry about here, you are the same height and weight as me so why don't you come down and do it," she said.
Some of the requirements include a bench press as well as a mile and a half run. Those who showed up to the event were hopeful to get into the next police academy -- which begins in September.
Alexis Torres has been a dispatcher with CCPD for the past 3 years. She said that she has always wanted to see how the other half lived.
"Being able to see how much the officers do behind the scenes makes me want to be out there in the field, so I want to be the one dispatched this time," she said.
Torres understands the expectations to serve and protect especially when it comes to any possible mental health call.
"Makes me aware of what is going on in our city, so in the future when I'm in the academy ill be able to handle it," she said.
CCPD Senior Recruiter Imelda Rjasko said the academy continues to adapt to prepare future officers for anything they might face.
"It's changed in a lot of ways, we're transparent, we communicate well, and our presence alone makes a big difference," she said.
Rjasko said its easier to recruit for Corpus Christi versus other Texas cities because of the backing of city leaders and that history of a strong community relationship.
28 people signed up for this practice test including a number of women like Cruz and Torres.
"A lot of women officers are super strong can always count on them to handle any call we have," she said.
Rjasko told 3NEWS that while much of the nation sees 12-13 percent of women officers, here in Corpus Christi, that percentage is much higher at 18-19 percent.
While Wednesday was practice, those who passed and do plan on applying for the academy will only have to worry about the written exam.
The department holds physical fitness testing every two weeks on Saturday morning at police headquarters downtown.
If residents are interested, they can call 361-826-2978.
CORPUS CHRISTI POLICE DEPARTMENT MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Age
Applicants for Police Officer shall be at least 20 years of age. Provided however, no applicant shall be admitted to a police academy unless they will be at least 21 years of age on the projected academy graduation date. Applicants must not have reached 45 years of age prior to a conditional offer of employment.
Education
Police Officer applicants shall have graduated from high school or received a certificate of equivalency for successful completion of the General Educational Development Test. Documentation must indicate high school graduating level and be accompanied with 12 successfully completed college hours from an accredited college/ university or an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least 24 months of active duty service.
Citizenship
The City of Corpus Christi requires that a Police Officer candidate be a United States citizen.
You can complete the eligibility questionnaire by visiting the recruiting website, which is careers.ccpolice.com
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