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Fredericksburg Police Department
Fredericksburg Police Department
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   Fredericksburg Police Department


Applicants

Qualifications

  • 21 Years of Age
  • U.S. Citizen
  • Valid VA Drivers License
  • H.S. Diploma or G.E.D.
  • No Prior Felony Convictions

Once hired, an employee must successfully complete the 17 week Policy Academy as well as a field training program. Newly hired officers serve in a probationary status for a period of one year.

Selection Process

Written Exam

This element of the application process is administered jointly by the Police Department and City Human Resources Office; it is designed to measure essential job related skills, and knowledge and abilities identified in the job description for Police Officer, such as the ability to understand and carry out written instructions. The examination relates directly to a variety of police tasks and is based on data gathered from a comprehensive job analysis of law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. The examination is designed to evaluate applicants' job related skills regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, or disability.

Applicants must achieve a score of 70% of higher on the written examination in order to advance to the next phase of the application process. Applicants who pass the written examination will be given a pre-offer of employment questionnaire entitled "Police Officer Candidate Confidential Questionnaire," that must be completed and submitted within the specified time frame to the Commander of the Support Services Division.

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Physical Agility Test

This aspect of the application process is intended to measure stamina and cardiovascular fitness during the completion of various job-related physical activities. Applicants must successfully negotiate thirteen obstacles in succession with a pass/fail time limit of 1 minute and 36 seconds; participants must complete all events in the specified sequence or they fail the course. Participants who fail the course as a result of not completing an event may retake it one time. Participants should wear suitable athletic outerwear and sports shoes (e.g. sneakers, coaching shoes) for the completion of the work performance test. The test will consist of the following exercises, in order:

  1. Participants will begin in a seated position and be given a physical description of a suspect. Participants will then be instructed to "GO."
  2. Run/Sprint 25 yards.
  3. Jump a distance of 3 feet in length. The area through which the participant is to jump will be clearly designated; if a participant touches the first or second mark, the task will be considered incomplete.
  4. Run/Sprint 25 yards.
  5. Climb over a 5-foot high fence.
  6. Run/Sprint 10 yards. At this stage, the participant must crawl through a structure without touching the top of the structure. If the participant violates the aforementioned rule or is unable to crawl the complete distance, the task will be considered incomplete.
  7. Run/Sprint 25 yards. At this stage, the participant must also climb up and down a step following the pattern of up/up, down/down (first foot up, second foot up, first foot down, second foot down). This task requires 12 complete repetitions (a complete repetition is counted when both feet return to the floor). If the participant does not complete this exercise in the prescribed manner, the task is considered incomplete.
  8. Run/Sprint 15 yards.
  9. Crawl through a window opening measuring 36" w x 30" h, 3 feet above the ground. Participants must not touch the top of the window frame, and are prohibited from diving through the opening.
  10. Run/Sprint 10 yards. Identify the suspect mentioned (including the correct number of the suspect figure) at the beginning of the obstacle course.
    11. Run/Sprint 15 yards.
  11. Move a 150-pound dummy 5 yards. The dummy must be lifted under its arms, and the participant must protect its head and neck.
  12. Run/Sprint 20 yards.
  13. Trigger pull exercise. The participant must pick up a safe, ready-to-fire double action firearm from a table using the dominant hand to pull the trigger once while holding the muzzle inside a stationary border 6 inches in diameter at shoulder level, then withdraw weapon from stationary border and transition to non-dominant hand, replace in border and pull trigger one more time. If a participant is unable to pull the trigger or touches the border with the firearm, the task will be considered incomplete. Time is stopped when the firearm is withdrawn from the stationary border after the second trigger pull.

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Review Board

This phase of the application process is aimed at evaluating essential job-related skills, knowledge, and abilities identified in the job description for Police Officer, such as the ability to understand oral instructions and respond to questions and scenarios. All applicants will appear before a review board comprised of supervisory and non-supervisory department personnel who will administer a series of questions to the candidate, one by one, and evaluate the answers on a standardized scale.

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Polygraph

The polygraph is administered in order to determine the nature of any criminal activity, if any, in the candidate's background and to measure the candidate's honesty and integrity as they relate to essential job-related skills. A list of topics from which polygraph questions will be drawn will be provided to the candidate prior to the polygraph examination. Generally, the candidate will be questioned in the following relevant areas:

Candidates who have not been truthful or have engaged in previously undetected criminal activity (e.g., a felony or serious misdemeanor) are unlikely to receive further consideration. It is important to note, however, that the polygraph examination is used only as an investigative aid and is not the single determinant of employment status. An admission during pre-test, test, or post-test interviews, together with other information, may be sufficient to support decisions relevant to employment status.

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Psychological Screening

The psychological evaluation is designed to screen for those applicants who do not meet the job-related psychological requirements for the position of Police Officer, such as an ability to make mature decisions, maintain emotional control under stress, and to establish and maintain effective working relations with others. The psychological evaluation is developed, conducted, scored, and assessed by a licensed psychologist who has been retained by the Police Department.

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Background Investigation

This stage of the application process seeks to verify the candidate's background information. The Police Department will contract with an outside agency that specializes in background checks. All background checks will focus on the applicant's driving record, credit history, any criminal history, and verification of the applicant's personal references. Police Department personnel will also take the candidate's fingerprints and photographs; the fingerprints will be transmitted to the Virginia Criminal Records Exchange to validate the existence (or lack thereof) of a criminal record, and the photographs will be placed in the applicant's file.

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Senior Panel Interview

The Senior Panel Review is intended to assess essential job-related skills, knowledge, and abilities identified in the job description for Police Officer, such as the ability to determine a proper course of action when faced with a dilemma, judgment in law enforcement scenarios, and the candidate's overall assertiveness. The Senior Review Panel will be comprised of the Division Commanders (or their designees), other management professionals, and at least one Field Training Officer. The panel will review the candidate's performance and submit a recommendation to hire or reject directly to the Chief of Police.

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Chief's Interview

This element of the process is designed to allow candidates to discuss their work experience, background information, and understanding of the role of Police Officer with the Chief of Police.

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Medical Exam

The medical examination is designed to certify the general health of each candidate and screen for those applicants who cannot meet the medical standards for the position of Police Officer. All medical examinations will be conducted by a licensed medical service provider who has been retained by the Police Department. The cost of the medical examination will be borne by the Police Department, but the costs of any additional medical testing, statements, or medical records will be the responsibility of the applicant. No candidate will be excluded from employment based solely on a disability. Candidates will be rated on a Pass/Fail basis in accordance with general health guidelines.

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