Are you a college student looking for a summer job that offers a great work experience, a living wage, AND the opportunity for future full time employment? Consider becoming a seasonal police officer. Dozens of agencies – mostly in coastal resort communities – hire seasonal (sometimes called special) patrol officers for the summer months. These part-time police officers augment the full-time permanent force during times when the local population swells with incoming tourists.
Source: North Wildwood Police Department
Municipalities differ greatly on how much authority seasonal officers are given, the type of equipment they’re issued, and the training required. Some are armed with batons or pepper spray, while others may have firearms. Often special uniforms and badges are issued. Depending on the position classification, most agencies will provide you with the necessary training, while others may require graduation from the state academy or other formal training. In New Jersey, the training you receive for seasonal employment counts toward that required for full time employment, which saves you time and the agency money. Typical responsibilities of special officers can range from monitoring parking violations and traffic to beach/boardwalk patrol. Some agencies use their seasonal officers year-round for special events where additional staff is needed.
If you’re not ready to be an officer but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of a police department, some agencies offer other seasonal positions including code enforcement, records clerks, or communications officers.
Here’s a sampling of agencies that are hiring. If you know of others, leave us a comment and let us know, or better yet tell them to post ‘em to the Discover Policing job board.
North Wildwood Police Department, New Jersey
Hull Police Department, Massachusetts
Avalon Police Department, New Jersey
Middletown Police Department, Delaware
Lewes Police Department, Delaware
Hampton Police Department, New Hampshire
