LA POLICE TO RECRUIT AT GAY GAMES

When the competition commences at the Seventh Gay Games in Chicago next July, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department in uniform will be marching with the assembled athletes opening the Games. The sponsorship of the games by the LAPD marks a first for any major metropolitan police force and will help the LAPD continue and increase its commitment to diversity within its ranks.

While in Chicago for the games, members of the LAPD Recruitment Unit will be in attendance to provide participants and visitors an opportunity to meet and discuss the more than 250 career opportunities open to members of the LAPD.

“The LAPD is a great career with opportunities galore right out of the Academy,” said Phyllis Lynes, Assistant General Manager for Public Safety for the City Personnel Department. “Officer’s with a high school diploma or equivalent enjoy a starting annual salary of nearly $52,000, a flexible work schedule is available for patrol and some special assignments. The Department needs men and women from all backgrounds,” Lynes continued, “all races, religions and sexual orientation, enthusiastic people who want to make a difference in their community.”

“This Department is hiring and will be for the foreseeable future,” said Commander Kenneth Garner, Commanding Officer, LAPD Personnel Group. “We want everyone in Chicago and from the surrounding areas to visit with our recruiters while they are at the Gay Games and see what an outstanding and exciting career LAPD has to offer.”

“The LAPD is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to diversity. Our landmark participation in the Gay Games as one of the proud sponsors, demonstrates the Department’s commitment to creating an open and inclusive workplace among its officers. LAPD will continue to aggressively reach out to men and women from all races, economic backgrounds, religions and sexual orientation,” said Officer Michael Jolicoeur, LAPD Recruitment Section, Gay and Lesbian Coordinator.

The Gay Games are open to everyone and require no qualifying events, minimum or maximum requirements or mandatory affiliations. The Games are built on the founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best to promote a supportive environment free from bigotry, where participants achieve success by their own measure. More than a tournament or cultural program, the Gay Games is a gathering of the international sports and arts community that changes lives, attitudes and the very nature of competition.

The Gay Games are truly “Where the World Meets.” And the LAPD will be there to recruit some of the finest to join their ranks.