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Chaska Police celebrate two cadets after eight‑week GTO program; cadets toured multiple city departments
Summary
Officer Martin Godinez presented a recap of the Chaska Police Department’s GTO cadet program on Aug. 18. Cadets Aiden and Griffin completed an eight‑week program that included visits to police, fire, public works, utilities, parks and recreation and other city departments; both were sworn in by Mayor Hubbard and given challenge coins.
GTO graduation: two cadets complete eight‑week program "Good evening, everybody. My name is Officer Martin Godinez. I work for the Chaska Police Department. And we are here for our GTO graduation," Officer Martin Godinez told the council during the visitor presentation on Aug. 18. He introduced cadets Aiden and Griffin and recapped an eight‑week program of city department visits and hands‑on experiences. Godinez described the program as an 8‑week introduction to municipal operations. The cadets were sworn in by Mayor Hubbard and Chief Seibert (absent from the meeting) and visited departments that included city administration, finance, Chaska Police Department operations, fire, communications, water and sewer, parks and recreation, electric and public works. Godinez said the cadets also went to the Chaska Talent Course and Community Center and participated in equipment demonstrations; the presentation included a short video montage of those visits. The council and attendees praised the cadets’ participation. Godinez said staff and department leaders enjoyed hosting the youth and presented each cadet with a challenge coin as "a gesture of honor and respect signifying recognition for one's actions and highlighting the importance of the law enforcement community." He thanked Empower and Inclusion staff (Alex) and the cadets’ families for assistance with the program. Why the program matters The GTO (Goes To Office/Government Training Opportunity) cadet program is a city‑run civic‑engagement initiative designed to introduce young residents to municipal careers and services. The council’s recognition of the cadets underlines the city’s emphasis on experiential engagement and interdepartmental exposure for youth. What council heard Elected officials and staff praised the program for providing hands‑on experiences ranging from Zamboni driving to drone demonstrations and police/fire station tours. The presentation was primarily celebratory; there were no policy actions associated with the item. Closing note The program offers recurring value as a recruitment and outreach tool; staff asked the council to continue to support cross‑departmental participation in future cohorts.
