Cardoza is now attending Ventura Community College, where he is majoring in Criminal Justice; he plans on transferring to Cal State Los Angeles to finish his BA degree.“Education is an important thing” Cardoza believes will not only will benefit his career requirements, but also help boost his wallet requirements though the higher salary offered those with degrees. “My long term goal,” he noted, “is to become a full time police officer with the Santa Paula Police Department, hopefully in the next year or two if the openings are available.”SPPD officers noticed Cardoza’s strong record - he was volunteering up to a 100 hours a month as an Explorer - and urged him to attend the Reserve Academy. “I then decided to go for it and put myself through,” at a cost of about $1,500, for training tuition as well as the uniform and equipment required for the course.Cardoza, the first SPPD Explorer to step up to Reserve, said, “I’m really looking forward to serving the SPPD.”Lusk, like several other SPPD officers a former Explorer, said Cardoza demonstrates the “best benefit of the Explorer program... obviously for the youth to become acquainted with the profession of law enforcement and to get a jumpstart on whether or not this is a profession they want to pursue.... For any youth 14 years or older interested in or thinking about a career in law enforcement, this is a great opportunity for them to explore a police career through the Explorers.”Lusk added that the two-week Explorer training academy will be held this summer, and “The sooner those interested contact us, we can get them on board and get them into the academy.” For more information call Detective Lusk or Reserve David Curran at 525-4474.
First ever SPPD Explorer of the Year moves up to Reserves
May 01, 2009
Santa Paula Police Department
The first ever Santa Paula Police Explorer of the Year is now also the first Explorer to move up through the ranks to SPPD Reserve, so it’s no surprise Daniel Cardoza plans on making law enforcement a career.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe first ever Santa Paula Police Explorer of the Year is now also the first Explorer to move up through the ranks to SPPD Reserve, so it’s no surprise Daniel Cardoza plans on making law enforcement a career.Cardoza, 21, of Santa Paula, was “in our first Explorer’s class and one of our first hires as an Explorer,” said SPPD Detective David Lusk, coordinator of the program. “We’re really proud of him... he’s exchanging his Explorer badge for a Santa Paula Police badge.”And, noted Lusk, “our hope is that he will apply as a full-time officer. After he gets experience as a Reserve Officer he will give the SPPD a look at” as the place to be for his career as a police officer.Cardoza was about 16 or so when he first decided to pursue law enforcement as a career. Joining the SPPD Explorer Post #2350 when it was founded in 2006, Cardoza - then 18 - said he used the experience and training “basically as a stepping stone and to see what is required of a police officer. You see a lot of that on TV,” but it’s far from the reality of the job. “The Explorers gave me a chance to get up close and personal and see if this is the career for me.”A 2006 Santa Paula High School graduate, Cardoza attended the approximately five-month long Reserve Academy where he trained for 20 hours each week. His official Reserve hire date was March 19, a little over a year after he was honored as the SPPD Explorer of the Year.
