How to Become a Police Officer in Minnesota

Bloomington, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota

Becoming a Police Officer in Bloomington, Minnesota

A wide variety of Bloomington police jobs are available to aspiring police officers in Minnesota: patrol, investigations with three internal divisions not including state and federal task forces, SWAT Team, hostage negotiations, bomb squad, and more – all from their new state-of-the-art facility.

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Becoming a Police Officer in Duluth, Minnesota

Established in 1870, the Duluth Police Department is nationally recognized for its innovative policing programs. Duluth police jobs are available to qualified candidates who successfully navigate the application process.

Learning how to become a police officer in Duluth will make you a more organized and competitive candidate. Becoming a police officer in Duluth proceeds along the following steps:

Meet the basic requirements
Apply
Tests
Interview
Background investigation
Medical exam and psychological evaluation
Training academy
POST certification

Step 1. Meeting Police Officer Requirements in Duluth

The first step in becoming a police officer in Duluth is to meet the basic requirements for the job:

Ability to gain Minnesota Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification by either:

- 2-4 year college degree in a POST-approved law enforcement education program or
- Previous military experience or
- Previous law enforcement experience in other states or at the federal level or
- Designated by the Duluth PD as being qualified to receive POST-certification after hire

Valid driver’s license
Normal vision and hearing
Be in good physical shape
No convictions for felony, domestic violence, or sexual crimes
At least 21 years old
U.S. citizen

Step 2. Apply for the Job

Once you confirm you meet the basic requirements you may fill out an application. These are only made available to the public when police officer jobs in Duluth become available, and to monitor this you may subscribe to the Duluth police jobs availability email service or check the local listings. When you do fill out an application make sure to do so completely and legibly.

Step 3. Take the Required Tests

After your application has been approved you will be contacted about taking a basic written and physical test. The written test will check your reading and writing abilities, while the physical test will check your basic strength. You will be required to complete a short run, sit-ups, and push-ups. You must demonstrate a basic level of fitness and education to proceed with the application process.

Step 4. Submit to an Interview

Your interview will be conducted by a panel of police department officials who are looking for the right candidate who can successfully complete all the job requirements. These include:

Your potential patrol strengths
Ability to apprehend, identify, and help prosecute law breakers
Your ability to respond to crisis, emergency, and non-emergency situations

Questions may be asked about your previous employment or examples from other areas of your life that demonstrate possession of these qualities.

Step 5. Submit to a Background Investigation

All Duluth police jobs require a background investigation. This will be performed by a police department background investigator who will in the least verify your minimum credentials. This includes checking your criminal records, driving history, education history, and previous employment history. Your background investigator may additionally conduct interviews with the following people:

Previous neighbors
Previous supervisors or colleagues
Friends and family members
Character references
Fellow religious congregants

Step 6. Submit to Medical Exam and Psychological Evaluation

After your background investigation determines you are of good moral character and trustworthy, you will be scheduled for a medical examination. This will check your overall health and includes:

EKG test
Cardiovascular analysis
Checks for any dizziness, migraine headaches, or blackouts
Drug and alcohol test
Vital signs evaluation
Medical physical
Hearing and vision test

Your psychological exam will evaluate your ability to handle a high amount of stress. Your overall mental history will be taken into consideration and you will be assessed on your general mental stability and health.

Step 7. Attend the Training Academy

Depending on your previous experience and academy availability, you may be required to attend a police academy. This is a program that lasts several months and includes specialized training and coursework in the following areas:

CPR and first aid
Driving techniques and maneuvers
Arrest procedures
Legal procedures
Crime scene investigation
Criminal justice system
Field sobriety test administration
Patrol techniques
Firearms training
Domestic violence and family issues
Self-defense and survival

Step 8. Get Your Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training
(POST) Certification

Your final step will be to obtain Minnesota POST certification. This is accomplished by passing a licensing exam which is offered in the following formats and based on your previous experience:

Peace Officer Licensing Exam: This is for new recruits who have completed a 2-4 year POST-recognized law enforcement college program.
Reciprocity Licensing Exam: This is for those with previous military service or law enforcement experience from other states or at the federal level. You must meet the eligibility requirements to take this exam.
License Restoration Exam and Reinstatement of Licensing Eligibility Exam: These are for people with expired certifications or eligibility, who would like to renew their certification or eligibility.

Becoming a Police Officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis police officers responded to over 23.5 thousand violent crimes in 2012. To face the threat of crime, Minneapolis police jobs are available to the most qualified and capable individuals.

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Becoming a Police Officer in Rochester, Minnesota

The Rochester Police Department currently supports jobs for 191 personnel, including more than 132 sworn officers. Rochester police jobs are competitive and only offered to the top qualifiers. Learn how to become a cop in Rochester by meeting police officer requirements. The application process follows these steps:

Basic requirements
Application and written test
Initial screening interview
In-depth interview and tests
Background investigation, medical, psychological evaluations
Training academy
Minnesota POST certification

Step 1. Meeting Police Officer Requirements in Rochester

Becoming a police officer in Rochester involves first checking to see if you can meet the minimum requirements:

At least 21 years old
Ability to become Minnesota POST certified: college, military, or law enforcement experience
U.S. citizen
Mostly clean criminal record, with no domestic violence, sexual crimes, or felony convictions
Driver’s license with a mostly clean driving history, especially in the past two years

Step 2. Application and Written Test

Applications can only be completed when there is a job opening for a Rochester Police Department cop position. You can fill out a job interest card to be notified when this occurs. After you submit an application you will take a pre-interview written exam. This is a basic test of your intellectual abilities, and measures your reading comprehension and writing skills. Based on these events you will receive a score that allows the Rochester Police Department to rank you with other qualified applicants.

Step 3. Initial Screening Interview

As a general rule, the Rochester Police Department conducts initial screening interviews with four times the number of candidates as there are positions to fill. These interviews are conducted by police department supervisors and will be scored on a points system. These initial interviews may be conducted over the phone if you are outside of the commuting area, and if you are a veteran you will receive points weighted in your favor.

Step 4. In-Depth Interview and Tests

After receiving a relatively high number of points from your initial screening you will be invited to an in-depth oral interview. This will be administered by a panel of evaluators who will give you an overall raw score based on your performance.

You will also be required to complete an in-depth writing assignment which will be scored by a panel of evaluators as appointed by the police chief. In addition to the writing assignment, you will be required to complete a physical assessment involving a 1.5 mile run, sit-ups, and push-ups. This will be scored as pass/fail.

Your scores for the oral interview and tests will be combined, and weighted advantageously for those with military experience. Based on your score you may be invited to proceed to the next step in the process of becoming a police officer in Rochester.

Step 5. Background Investigation, Medical Examination, Psychological Evaluation

The Rochester police department will assign an investigator to check the qualifications you listed on your application. The investigator may also conduct interviews with people who know or have observed you, check your traffic record, criminal history, employment history, and credit report.

You will then be scheduled to have a medical examination which will extensively evaluate your medical health. This includes:

Drug and alcohol test
EKG test
Cardiovascular evaluation
Respiratory functioning
Vital organ strength
Lab tests
Medical physical

Finally you will be evaluated by a psychologist who will determine your mental health is compatible with a job as a Rochester cop. This will include a stress test.

Step 6. Training Academy

You will be required to complete a police academy which lasts several months in duration. During this time you will learn all the basic skills you will need in your new Rochester police department job. Skills covered include:

CPR and first aid
Defensive driving maneuvers
Community policing
Use of force procedures
Domestic violence and family issues
Firearms training
Patrol techniques
Field sobriety testing

Step 7. Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Certification

Depending on the department’s demand, this may be one of the first requirements of becoming a police officer in Rochester, or they may require you to complete this at the end of your basic training. Obtaining POST certification is accomplished by passing a certification examination, which is offered in three basic formats:

Peace Officer Licensing Exam: For those who have completed a two to four year POST-approved college law enforcement course.
Reciprocity Licensing Exam: For those who have had previous law enforcement experience in other states or in federal positions, or those with previous military experience. Completion of this exam requires you to first qualify.
License Restoration Exam and Reinstatement of License Eligibility Exam: These exams are for those who have previously held certification or eligibility for such.

Upon successful completion you may begin your new Rochester police officer job. You will be on probation which will be lifted after a successful year of service.

Becoming a Police Officer in St. Paul, Minnesota

The St. Paul, Minnesota Police Department employs around 600 sworn officers, who in a recent year responded to over 203,000 calls for service. Learn how to become a cop in St. Paul by meeting the established police officer requirements as detailed in the steps that follow:

Meet the basic requirements
Pre-employment tests and application
Interview, orientation, and background check
Medical and psychological evaluation
Training academy
Minnesota POST certification

Step 1. Meeting Police Officer Requirements in St. Paul

Before being eligible for St. Paul police jobs you must first meet the basic requirements as detailed here:

At least 21 years old
U.S. citizen
Valid driver’s license with no revocations or suspensions within the last two years
Mostly clean criminal record, with no felonies, gross misdemeanors, or assaults
Be in good physical shape
Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification: at least a two-year education program, military experience, or previous law enforcement experience

Step 2. Pre-Employment Tests and Apply

Throughout your career as a St. Paul police officer you will be expected to maintain a high degree of physical health. You may be screened before you are interviewed, being judged based on your performance of a written test that measures you reading and writing abilities, as well as a physical fitness test, that measures your capabilities in sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5 mile-run, sprinting, and flexibility.

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