The Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) announced earlier this month the addition of a new cadet, Nely Guerra-Rivera, to its ranks. Guerra-Rivera joins the force, bringing a breadth of experience from previous community service work with the City of South St. Paul, where she served for three years. According to a recent bulletin from the City of Eden Prairie, cadets like Guerra-Rivera are instrumental in the department, tasked with a variety of community-driven duties ranging from animal control to assisting police officers with service-related tasks.
Guerra-Rivera is not a stranger to law enforcement; she's a Prior Lake High School graduate who is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in law enforcement at Normandale Community College. A cadet's journey in the EPPD includes mentorship and various learning opportunities with an eye towards becoming a full-fledged police officer upon completion of their cadet assignment. The EPPD is invested in the education of their cadets, offering to pay the tuition for those seeking a two-year degree in law enforcement or the latter two years of a four-year degree in the same field, as per the City of Eden Prairie.
The tenure of a cadet with the EPPD lasts between 2 to 4 years, contingent upon the length of the education each cadet opts to pursue. During their assignment, cadets are expected to gain hands-on experience that will prepare them for potential promotion to police officer positions. "Cadets receive learning opportunities and interdepartmental mentorship with the goal of being promoted to police officer at the conclusion of their cadet assignment," as reported by the City of Eden Prairie.
