After making a journey of more than 900 miles, two sworn Minneapolis police officers stood behind a table at the Event Center at Alabama A&M University, wearing their uniforms, badges, utility belts and big smiles.
Sgt. Keia Boyd and Officer Krystal Scott arrived at the campus of the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Huntsville for its annual Career Fair. While the Minneapolis Police Department frequently visits colleges in its recruiting efforts, it was the first visit by the department to Alabama A&M.
“We were met with surprise that Minneapolis is traveling this far,” said Sgt. Keia Boyd, an MPD veteran who oversees hiring and recruiting; she is particularly focused on bringing in more women and people of color.
She had a personal message for the college students she talked to.
“I love my department. I’ve been there 17 years and I can honestly say I have had a flourishing career. I know they can have the same thing,” she said.
The Minneapolis Police were among some 227 employers registered to meet Alabama A&M students and alumni in the Career Fair, joining employers representing the private sector, federal, state and local government, education and the military.
Standing alongside Sgt. Boyd and Officer Scott in meeting and greeting the students was Jayla Hall, who currently attends Alabama A&M. Hall recently returned to Huntsville for her senior year after completing an internship with the department in Minneapolis. She was the MPD’s first HBCU intern. Hall invited the officers she’d come to know to visit her college to recruit. She used her personal work to communicate to her fellow students about the positives she experienced from her welcoming women police mentors in Minneapolis.
“They not only supported me when I was there, but they are supporting me in my real life, at my school. That’s the way they show up,” Hall explained.
Hall is a criminal justice major. Alabama A&M is known for the excellence of its law enforcement programs. A&M student Dillon Hampton, who is a criminal justice major, expressed interest in what he learned from visiting with the team from the MPD.
“What I heard intrigues me,” Hampton said. “I was able to get a lot of information, to find out about a lot of things I wanted to hear. It made me feel really excited. If it’s possible I could get a job up there I would take it.”
The Minneapolis recruiters stressed that candidates do not need to have a degree in criminal justice. The department is seeking people with two or four year degrees, regardless of their field of study. There are also openings within the force for people with a high school diploma or GED.
The Minneapolis Police Department is currently understaffed and is hiring employees in many capacities. The MPD is restructuring after the murder of George Floyd, with internal efforts for improvement as well as adding initiatives outlined in a U.S. Department of Justice overhaul plan and an agreement with Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Sgt. Boyd stressed the many options available to people considering working for the department.
“The beauty is you can map out your own career,” she said. “It’s endless opportunities.”
The MPD is actively seeking applicants for jobs with the force. For more information about applying for a position with the Minneapolis Police Department go here.