NEW GUARD
a new program to
connect high-potential
law enforcement candidates
with forward-thinking
law enforcement agencies
open to change and growth
What is the “New Guard”?
The field of law enforcement is in a transitional period. With the COVID pandemic and death of George Floyd, positions such as Police Officer, County Sheriff, and State Trooper are transforming. The “New Guard” program seeks to help connect high-potential law enforcement candidates with forward-thinking U.S. law enforcement agencies that are open to change, growth, and learning.
To participate in the program, both candidates and law enforcement agencies must support diversity, equity, and inclusion in law enforcement and be open to change, growth, and learning.
the most recently enlisted members of an organization, especially those who are seen as representatives or advocates of change.
The Program Director
Background
D.H. Goodall graduated from Cornell University in 2002. He has over 15+ years in strategic planning, project management, community building, team building, training, and technology. D.H. has worked at Cornell University and contracted with organizations such as Lockheed Martin, the Ithaca Police Department (IPD), and others.
During the pandemic in 2020, D.H. helped increase Police Officer applications for the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) by roughly 400% from the previous year. The candidate pool for IPD also saw a substantial growth in diversity of age, gender, and race from years prior to 2019, when D.H. started collaborating with IPD’s Recruitment Team.
Why create this program?
“Many organizations and groups are approaching the current issues surrounding law enforcement from various angles and levels. In addition, much of the focus right now is on existing officers and law enforcement agencies. But what about the individuals who are interested in becoming police officers, county sheriffs, or state troopers? What about the people who still want to make a difference, are open to change, and want to grow but are hesitant to move forward? Hardly anyone is giving them attention.
The New Guard program is a way to focus our attention on potential recruits who want to see a better future for the law enforcement and its reputation. New Guard is an opportunity for a new beginning by starting with the next generation of officers.”
-D.H. Goodall
Who should enroll?
First, you should be enthusiastic about pursuing a career in law enforcement, and plan to apply within the next year. It is important to know that most individuals enter the profession without related work experience and some candidates join with no work experience in any field. If you are hired by a law enforcement agency, you are usually provided with the basic training you need to perform your duties for the position. Positions also have a minimum age of 18 to 21.
Please note that most police officer, country sheriff, and state trooper positions have varying application processes and require you to complete a physical fitness and written assessment. The New Guard program is not intended to replace their application process but to help you and agencies find each other easier.
The New Guard Candidate program looks for the following skills and traits:
Fundamental Skills
- Clear verbal and written communication
- Interpersonal and relationship-building skills
- Problem-solving abilities
- Calmness under pressure or stress
Higher-order Traits
- Be open to change
- Possess a service-oriented mindset
- Exhibit empathy and compassion for people in the community
- Have a thirst for knowledge, learning, and self-improvement
- Be creative, especially when solving problems
- Demonstrate thoughtful but quick decision-making
- Value differences in age, gender, race, ethnicity, and culture
Become a New Guard Candidate
Step 1: Prepare Your Resumé
You will need to create a resumé designed to showcase your skills and experience. If you need help creating a resumé with little to no work experience, please refer to this article from Indeed.com for help. You can keep the resumé simple but neat. The preferred format is Microsoft Word, but we’ll also accept PDFs.
Step 2: Create Your Account
Now that your resumé is ready to go, click the “Create My Candidate Account” button below and then click “Create an account“ under the sign-in fields on the following page. Once you have created your account and signed into the system, make sure the Skills, Education, and Experience sections are up-to-date. We advise that you DO NOT ADD A PHOTO to your Candidate profile at this time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no cost to becoming a New Guard Candidate. The program will be sustained by services provided to the law enforcement agencies.
Absolutely! Many law enforcement officers enter the career path with little to no college education. You’d be surprised by the diversity in education and transferable skills you’d be able to contribute.
First, we aren’t trying to create a job posting site. There are various ways to connect people to career opportunities, and we’re doing something different for law enforcement. Think of us more as a solutions company working on a special program to advance the field of law enforcement.
Second, we’re not associated with any law enforcement organizations. We consult and work with law enforcement agencies and communities as an outside third-party company.
Third, we believe in a holistic approach and will be part of the recruitment process. We have experience in successful recruitment projects and a proven record of attracting talent to police officer positions. We plan to guide both New Guard Candidates and law enforcement agencies on how to connect, develop, and learn together during the recruitment process and into the future.
If you believe that diversity of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and culture should exist in law enforcement and you have many of the skills and qualities listed above, then yes, you absolutely should participate in the program and become a New Guard Candidate.
The New Guard program is probably not the best fit for you.
But if you decide that diversity of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and culture should exist within law enforcement, we welcome you to enroll.
We will start reaching out to law enforcement agencies in the middle of October 2021. It might take a little bit of time to get them onto our recruitment system to be able to review your profile and reach out to you.
If you create a Candidate account and keep it up-to-date, we will keep you informed of our progress.
Current Long-term Roadmap
- Phase 1: Recruit high-potential law enforcement candidates into the New Guard program and work toward connecting them with forward-thinking law enforcement agencies that are open to change.
- Phase 2: Create an easy-to-use learning portal for timely and relevant online live and self-paced courses in areas such as effective community relationship building, cultural and racial awareness, and other topics. You will be able to keep track of your educational progress and achievements.