ST. LOUIS, MO – September 11, 2026 (STL.News) — The St. Louis County Police Department is joining regional law enforcement, business and community partners for a public safety career fair designed to connect students, job seekers and people considering a career change with opportunities in policing and other public safety professions.
The Regional Public Safety Workforce Convening & Job Fair is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, 5600 Oakland Ave. in St. Louis.
The St. Louis County Police Department is promoting the event in partnership with the Regional Business Council, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, STL.works, and other community partners. The event is intended to introduce potential applicants to both traditional law enforcement careers and the growing number of civilian and technology-related jobs supporting modern public safety operations.
More Than Police Officer Positions
While becoming a commissioned police officer will be one of the career paths highlighted at the event, organizers are emphasizing that public safety agencies need employees with a much broader range of skills.
Attendees can learn about sworn and civilian public safety careers, explore cadet programs operated by the St. Louis County and St. Louis Metropolitan police departments, and connect directly with participating agencies and organizations.
The event will also highlight emerging public safety opportunities involving drones, artificial intelligence, and other technologies increasingly used in law enforcement and emergency response operations.
Select positions will offer on-site interviews, according to information released by the St. Louis County Police Department. Attendees can also obtain information about compensation, employee benefits, retirement programs, educational incentives, and opportunities for advancement.
Together, these offerings make the event potentially useful not only for people who have already decided to pursue law enforcement but also for students and workers who may not have previously considered public safety as a career.
St. Louis County Police Hiring
The career fair comes as the St. Louis County Police Department continues recruiting for several positions.
According to the department’s current employment information, full-time police officer positions pay $63,003 to $92,352 annually. Police recruits undergoing training are listed at $19.31 per hour, while police officers and new academy graduates start at $63,003.
The department also lists full-time public safety dispatcher positions starting at $23.46 or more per hour and police security officer positions starting at $21.70 or more per hour.
Report, records, and warrant clerk positions start at $19.38 or more per hour.
The department accepts applications year-round for several positions and states that it has no residency requirement for commissioned officers or professional staff.
That means applicants do not necessarily have to live in St. Louis County to pursue a career with the department.
Education Can Increase Police Compensation
College education can also increase compensation for St. Louis County police officers.
The department currently lists annual education incentives of $1,200 for an associate degree, $2,400 for a bachelor’s degree, $4,800 for a master’s degree, and $7,200 for a doctorate.
Applicants seeking to become police officers must meet one of several education or employment pathways.
Candidates can qualify with at least 32 semester credit hours from an accredited college or university and the required academic standing. Other qualifying paths include certain combinations of a high school diploma or GED with previous police or military experience.
Applicants may also qualify through five years of successful work experience meeting department requirements.
Police officer applicants generally must be at least 21 years old by the time they complete academy training, possess a valid driver’s license at the time of appointment, and satisfy the department’s background, physical, medical, and psychological requirements.
The competitive selection process can include an application review, written testing, a physical condition assessment, records checks, a background investigation, interviews, and final review before an applicant receives a conditional employment offer.
Public Safety Careers Beyond the Badge
Civilian employees are an important part of police operations, making the career fair potentially relevant to people who have no interest in becoming commissioned officers.
The St. Louis County Police Department continuously hires for certain professional staff positions, including public safety dispatchers, police records clerks, police report clerks, and its Cadet Program. The department posts specialized professional positions as openings become available.
Dispatchers, for example, process emergency and non-emergency telephone and radio communications, dispatch officers and other emergency resources, and maintain information concerning the location and status of police units.
St. Louis County’s Bureau of Communications operates around the clock and provides communications services for the police department, authorized agencies and dozens of municipalities contracting for 911 and communications services.
That illustrates the range of employees needed to run a large regional law enforcement agency. Police departments depend on dispatchers, records personnel, communications specialists and other professional employees in addition to commissioned officers.
Cadet Program Provides Another Entry Point
Younger people interested in law enforcement may be particularly interested in the department’s Cadet Program.
The St. Louis County Police Department describes the program as an apprenticeship-style opportunity providing paid exposure to different areas of policing.
Cadets rotate through various divisions and can receive exposure to patrol operations and specialized units, including communications, the police academy, personnel services, and fingerprint operations.
Applicants do not need previous law enforcement experience but are expected to be interested in a law enforcement career.
The program generally targets people between 18 and 21 and includes education requirements outlined by the department.
For students attending the Sept. 15 career fair, cadet programs could provide a pathway into public safety before they are old enough or otherwise prepared to become commissioned police officers.
Technology Changing Public Safety Careers
The inclusion of drones and artificial intelligence at the career fair further shows how public safety employment is changing.
Law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on sophisticated communications networks, digital information systems and other technology to support officers and emergency personnel.
St. Louis County’s communications infrastructure, for example, includes an advanced regional radio system designed to improve interoperability among public safety agencies across the St. Louis area.
The Sept. 15 event could therefore appeal to applicants whose skills are in technology rather than traditional policing.
As agencies expand their use of drones, artificial intelligence and other digital tools, public safety organizations may increasingly compete with private employers for workers with specialized technical skills.
Regional Approach to Public Safety Recruitment
Bringing multiple agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and community organizations together also gives the event a regional workforce-development component.
St. Louis Community College-Forest Park offers a variety of career and technical education programs and is located at 5600 Oakland Ave. in St. Louis, near Forest Park and the Saint Louis Science Center.
Hosting the career fair on a college campus could help participating agencies reach students who have not yet settled on a career path while also providing access to adults considering a transition into public service.
For the St. Louis County Police Department and other participating organizations, the event provides an opportunity to explain what modern public safety employment actually involves.
A career in public safety can mean becoming a police officer, but it can also involve answering 911 calls, maintaining critical records, working with communications systems, supporting investigations, participating in cadet programs, or developing expertise in emerging technology.
The Regional Public Safety Workforce Convening & Job Fair will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, Missouri.
Additional information about employment with the St. Louis County Police Department is available through the department’s recruitment resources.
