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Belvidere Police Department

615 N. Main Street

Belvidere, IL 61008

Phone: 815-544-9626 

Fax: 815-544-9603    

E-mail: policechief@ci.belvidere.il.us  
Website: www.ci.belvidere.il.us

Salary: $46,473 - $70,597

Population: 25,000 

Sworn Officers: 39 

Application Deadline: 10/20/11

BELVIDERE POLICE DEPARTMENT

615 North Main Street

Belvidere, IL 61008

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  WILL YOU ANSWER THE CALL?

Position:

Police Officer  (Full Time)

$46,473.00

November 5, 2011

October  20, 2011

The Belvidere Police Department currently has 39 sworn officers and serves a community of 25,000 citizens within the City of Belvidere.  We are a progressive agency with highly motivated officers that work with the community to provide a safe living, learning and working environment to all citizens and visitors.

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the City of Belvidere will be conducting competitive examinations for the position of Police Officer for the City of Belvidere on Saturday, November 5, 2011.  This will be held at:

Belvidere High School

1500 East Avenue

Belvidere, IL

Registration will take place from 8:00 – 9:00 am.  You will need to bring a photo ID with you. 

A mandatory orientation session will begin at 9:00 am.  The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, along with Belvidere Police Department Administration, will give a presentation and answer any questions from the applicants.  Family members and/or significant others are encouraged to attend this orientation.  Applicants must attend this orientation. 

The POWER Test will begin at 10:00 am.   Applicants who submit their Power Test Certification card from NIPSTA (issued between the dates of August 5, 2011 and November 1, 2011), will not have to take the POWER test on November 5, 2011.  Applicants are encouraged to obtain the NIPSTA POWER Test Cards (go to www.nipsta.org for test information).

The written exam will begin at 1:00 pm.

If you have any questions prior to the test date,

you may contact the Belvidere Police Department at:

815-544-9626

The following documents must be

returned with your application:

Copy of your birth certificate

Copy of your driver’s license

NIPSTA certified POWER Test card (if applicable)

To:

“Police Application”

c/o Belvidere City Clerk

401 Whitney Boulevard, Suite 100

Belvidere, IL 61008

Applications must be postmarked no later than 5:00 pm on October 20, 2011.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 21 years of age or older;  age 20 if you have  successfully completed two years of study at an accredited college or university; under age 35 unless you are a certified police officer in the State of Illinois; veterans shall be allowed to exceed the maximum age provision of this section by the number of years served on active military duty, but by no more than 10 years of active military duty

• High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent

• Valid Illinois driver’s license

• Vision correctable to 20/20 in each eye

• No felony convictions or serious misdemeanors convictions (set by Illinois Statutes)

TESTING PROCESS:

• Orientation Session: 

  This is a mandatory orientation for all applicants.  Family members and spouses/significant others are also encouraged to attend.

• Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report – POWER Test:

  A POWER test will be administered on the test date.  Successful completion of the POWER Test is required to be eligible to take the written examination.  Applicants who submit valid NIPSTA POWER Test identification cards will not have to take the POWER Test on testing date.  Applicants who are hired, however, will have to successfully complete the POWER Test as part of Academy requirements for Basic Law Enforcement Training.

• Written Examination:

  Applicants who successfully pass the written examination will have their scores placed on the eligibility list.

• Military Experience:

  Military preference points will be applied to the applicant’s score as prescribed by Illinois State Statutes.

HIRING PROCESS:

As applicants are needed to fill openings in the Belvidere Police Department, they will be contacted and continue through the following process. 

• Background Investigation:

  An extensive background investigation will be conducted on each applicant.  This information is used as an advisory to the Board of Fire and Police Commission.  Deception or lying during the background investigation will disqualify an applicant from the process.

• Oral Interview:

  An oral interview will be conducted by the Board of Fire and Police Commission.

• Psychological Examination:

  The applicant will undergo a psychological evaluation with the results sent to the Board of Fire and Police Commission.

• Polygraph Examination:

  The applicant will undergo a polygraph examination with the results sent to the Board of Fire and Police Commission.

• Medical Examination:

  The applicant will undergo a medical examination to include testing for drug use and communicable diseases.

After successfully completing all of the above tests, an applicant may be offered employment with the Belvidere Police Department.  The applicant will then, if applicable, be assigned to attend the 12-week in-house Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. 

As a condition of the applicant’s continued employment with the Belvidere Police Department, they must successfully complete the Basic Law Enforcement Training program.  As part of their curriculum, the academy will administer the POWER Test on the first day the applicant reports to the academy.  Failure to pass any section of the POWER Test will result in the applicant’s removal from the academy and cause the City of Belvidere to terminate the applicant’s employment.

BELVIDERE POLICE DEPARTMENT

FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM:

When an officer returns from the academy, they have been employed by the Belvidere Police Department for three months.  They will remain on probationary status for the next nine months and can be terminated at any time and for any reason.  Failure to apply the lessons learned in the academy to the “real world” is one cause of termination of a probationary officer.

The probationary officer (PO) will be assigned to Field Training Officers (FTO) for the next four months.  A different FTO will be assigned to the PO each month in what is called the “Step Process”.  There are five steps in the Field Training process.  Each step should last approximately one month; each step is designed to give the PO more responsibility.

Step  PO's Responsibility

1     25%

2     50%

3     75%

4     100%

5     Solo Patrol

While on solo patrol, the PO is evaluated by the shift supervisor each month.  One year after the initial hiring date, the PO becomes an officer and is removed from probationary status.

Officers must reside within a 20-mile radius of the Belvidere/Boone County Public Safety Building, 615 N. Main Street, within one year following the successful completion of their one-year probationary period.

BENEFITS:

• Salary:

  Starting salary for a Belvidere Police Officer as of May 1, 2011 is $46,473.00.  Salary increases, as years of service are obtained, through a seven-step salary plan.  Laterally hired police officers who have completed their State certification and are in good standing with the Illinois Police Training Board will receive up to four years of service credit for wage schedule placement after completing their probationary period.

• Uniform Allowance:

  As of May 1, 2011 officers are paid a yearly uniform allowance of $1,080.58.  Body armor is provided for each officer by the Belvidere Police Department.

• Holiday and Vacation Time:

  The Belvidere Police Department provides employees with significant paid vacation and holidays.

• Health Insurance:

  The Belvidere Police Department provides an excellent health and dental plan with employee participation based on the current bargaining unit contract.

• Pension:

  The City offers a competitive pension program pursuant to state law.

• In-House Training Program:

  The Belvidere Police Department currently maintains a training program which offers all officers the opportunity to attend training within the police specialty fields each year.

• Representation:

  The officers of the Belvidere Police Department are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council (FOP).  The FOP is responsible for the collective bargaining process for the police officers and represents the officers on issues of wages, benefits and discipline.

WORK SCHEDULES:

Officers work a 12-hour day; therefore, working 14 days each month.  Every other weekend is a 3-day weekend off shift.  The work days for each 2-week period are as follows:

Week One:

Monday & Tuesday

On Shift

Wednesday & Thursday

Off

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

On Shift

Week Two:

Monday & Tuesday

Off

Wednesday & Thursday

On Shift

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Off

The schedule then repeats itself.  Officers bid for their desired shift (days or nights) each January and are assigned based on seniority.

DIVISIONS:

The Belvidere Police Department is a young and energetic department comprised of a Patrol Division and a Detective Section.  The Patrol Division consists of four Patrol Sergeants and twenty Patrol Officers.  The Detective Division consists of one Detective Sergeant, four Felony Detectives, three Narcotic Detectives and one Auto Theft Inspector.  Officers can also test for or request to be assigned to:

• Gang Intervention Unit

• Tactical Response Team

• K-9 Unit

• School Resource Officer

• Northern Illinois Auto Theft Task Force

• DEA

Applications for the City of Belvidere Police Officer

are available on line at:

www.ci.belvidere.il.us

OR

By contacting the City Clerk's Office at:

815-544-2612

Applications must be returned to:

"Police Application"

c/o Belvidere City Clerk

401 Whitney Boulevard, Suite 100

Belvidere, IL 61008

Applications must be returned to the Office of the City Clerk no later than 5:00 pm on October  20, 2011.

NIPSTA POWER Test cards (if applicable), copy of birth certificate and driver’s license must be submitted with application.

THE CITY OF BELVIDERE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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