EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT STAGES
RECRUIT
Employment > Employment Stages > Recruit
OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR (4) EMPLOYMENT STAGES for PO/CO Recruits
- STAGE ONE: Recruiting locally and out-of-state, along with pre-screening applicants for employment.
- STAGE TWO: Evaluating each applicant's qualifications and suitability for employment through the selection process, which includes application screening and Police Recruits' attendance at a mandatory seminar.
- STAGE THREE: Investigating each candidate's character, history, and overall suitability to ensure they meet the LVMPD's hiring standards.
- STAGE FOUR: Reviewing candidates' entire package, selecting the most qualified, and preparing each for employment.
The following further explains the activities of each stage.
STAGE ONE: Recruitment and Pre-Screening
See "Recruiting Section" above.
STAGE TWO: Selection Process
The selection process consists of: Application screening, mandatory seminar for Police Recruits, the mini personal history questionnaire screener, the written examination, the physical fitness test and the oral board interview. It is imperative that candidates are on time for all stages of the selection process; otherwise, they may be disqualified. The LVMPD Late Policy is strictly enforced. Candidates are asked to arrive for their appointments a minimum of thirty minutes early. Truthfulness and timeliness are imperative for all stages of the selection process. The following testing processes may vary, depending on the position.
Application Screening:
Submitted applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not each applicant meets the minimum qualifications. Applicants will be notified by e-mail of their status. Those applicants who qualify to continue in the selection process will be given information on the next process.
Mandatory Seminar:
Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications for Police Recruit will be contacted via email, as their applications are received and screened, to be scheduled for their mandatory seminar. The mandatory seminar is designed to simulate one day in the Police Recruit Academy. Candidates will participate in physical fitness training, academic instruction, and overall Academy environment. These seminars will be approximately seven (7) hours in length including a meal break. Candidates must complete the entire seminar to be eligible to continue in the remainder of the selection process.
Mini Personal History Questionnaire Screener (PHQ):
Those individuals that pass the mandatory seminar will be scheduled for the Mini PHQ Screener. This Screener asks questions about each candidate's personal history and life experiences. It preliminarily determines whether or not candidates meet the minimum hiring standards to continue in the selection process for Police or Corrections Recruit. The Screener is scored immediately after all candidates have completed it, and is a pass/fail exam.
Written Examination:
The Written Examination measures areas which have been determined to be important for success as a Recruit and Officer. It is weighted as a percentage of the candidate's overall test score and, helps determine a candidate's overall ranking for the position.
Physical Fitness Test:
The Physical Fitness Exam is comprised of several exercises and those standards are available at www.protectthecity.com. Candidates will also be required to successfully pass a second fitness test prior to going into an academy and to maintain and exceed those standards once in the academy.
Oral Board Interview:
The last part of the selection process is the oral board interview which is designed to evaluate areas critical to the success of a Recruit and Officer, such as verbal communication skills. The board consists of three LVMPD employees who assess each candidate based upon their responses to each question asked of them. The oral board interview is also weighted and is a percentage of each candidate's overall test score. A video of a sample oral board interview can be viewed at www.protectthecity.com.
Eligibility List and Civil Service Board Approval:
Those candidates who successfully complete each of the above-listed tests are rank ordered by test scores on an eligibility list to be approved by the Civil Service Board.
For those candidates living out-of-state, the STAGE TWO selection process will be completed in as few visits to the Las Vegas area as possible.
STAGE THREE: Investigation
Once the Civil Service eligibility list has been established, investigators begin the comprehensive investigative process and notify the top candidates that they are potential candidates for employment. Each top candidate receives a conditional offer of employment. Candidates are expected to provide truthful, comprehensive, and consistent information throughout the investigative process.
A thorough background investigation is completed on each candidate to ensure the candidate meets the LVMPD's strict hiring standards. The STAGE THREE investigation includes: 1) an interview and investigation, 2) a written psychological evaluation, 3) an oral psychological interview, 4) a polygraph examination and 5) a medical examination.
Interview:
Each candidate is assigned to an investigator. Their function is to review each candidate's Personal History Questionnaire/Polygraph Booklet that the candidates are given at the conclusion of STAGE TWO and explore more in-depth life history information. The investigator reviews the information about the candidate, conducts site inspections, and coordinates decisions with the psychologist and polygraph examiner. Candidates who arrive at their interview without requested documentation or incomplete packets are subject to disqualification from the process. Any discrepancies between documents will be closely scrutinized. The interview lasts approximately 2-3 hours.
Written and Oral Psychological Evaluation:
The LVMPD has contracted psychological services to ensure the candidate is prepared to meet the conditions often faced by police and correction officers. The candidate must demonstrate a level of maturity and stability that will allow him/her to be successful and safe on the job. Each candidate completes an extensive written psychological evaluation that is administered by the contracted psychological service provider. The psychological evaluation is not scored until the candidate receives a conditional offer of employment with the LVMPD. The psychological evaluation consists of 1,170 questions and takes approximately 4-6 hours to complete. The candidate also meets individually with the contracted psychological service provider for an oral interview/psychological evaluation.
Polygraph Examination:
Qualified polygraph examiners evaluate each candidate's information to ensure it is truthful. Once again, candidates are expected to provide truthful and consistent information. Failure to do so will disqualify the candidate from the hiring process.
Medical Examination:
The LVMPD has contracted for medical examination services and drug testing. Each candidate completes the examination and must pass the drug test before beginning employment. Medical examinations are given to ensure a candidate is able to perform the essential functions of the position. As an equal opportunity employer, the LVMPD is committed to the laws and regulations governing employment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Candidates will not be eliminated based on the medical examination unless they cannot perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
For those candidates living out-of-state, the STAGE THREE investigative process will be completed in a single visit to the Las Vegas area, except for the medical exam which is done closer to hiring.
STAGE FOUR: Final Review and Employment
Selection Committee Meeting:
The Selection Committee consists of the Patrol Division Commanders (for police recruits), the Detention Services Division Commander (for corrections recruits), the Internal Affairs Bureau Commander and the Professional Standards Deputy Chief. During the meeting, the candidate's life history, polygraph, and psychological evaluation are presented and reviewed by the committee.
POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING
The Police Academy is scheduled as needed and lasts approximately 24 weeks. Recruits receive 960 hours of training and instruction. There are a total of 16 units and of those, a total of 13 are instructional units.
Topics covered include:
- Criminal, constitutional and civil law
- Firearms training
- Criminal investigations
- Report writing
- Patrol procedures
- Traffic enforcement
- Police administration
- Police professionalism and ethics
- Human relations and diversity
- Vehicle operations
- Defensive tactics
- Physical conditioning
The Police Recruits must pass all tests including:
- Written tests for each instructional unit
- Practical problems for each instructional unit
- Firearms training
- Defensive tactics
- Fitness training
- Emergency Vehicle Operators Course (EVOC)
The Academy setting has proven to be a challenging and a rewarding experience for the police recruits.
POLICE FIELD TRAINING EVALUATION PROGRAM
Once the Recruits have successfully completed the Academy, they graduate and receive their commission and the title of "Police Officer I." They then enter the Field Training Evaluation Program (FTEP). The goal of this program is to prepare new officers to perform as patrol officers in a competent, safe, and productive manner under the dynamic and sometimes, uncontrolled conditions of the street.
This program is approximately 19 weeks in length. The new officers ride and work with up to nine different field training officers while they are being trained and evaluated in the program.
CORRECTIONS ACADEMY TRAINING
The Corrections Academy consists of approximately 16 weeks of training and a total of 640 hours of training and instruction. The Corrections Academy is followed by a field training program that lasts approximately 8 weeks.
Recruits receive academic training in the following areas:
- Officer Professionalism
- Behavioral Studies
- Health and Fitness
- Facility Operations
- Legal Issues
- Law Enforcement Applications
- Investigative Procedures
- Officer Safety
- Communications for Law Enforcement
The Corrections Recruits must pass all tests including:
- Weekly written tests
- Mid-term and final exams
- Room Search Practical
- Firearms Proficiency
- Defensive tactics
- Physical Conditioning
- Report Writing
If you wish to take on a challenging yet rewarding career, the LVMPD looks forward to having you as a member of its team. For additional questions, recruiters may be contacted at (702) 828-5601.
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