All information on
becoming a officer with the Columbus, Ohio Division of Police is contained at
http://www.columbuspolice.org/default.htm. If you would like to be
placed on a mailing list to receive an application, please contact the Civil
Service Commission at (614) 645-0235 or the Minority Recruiting Unit at
jobs@columbuspolice.org.
The first step in the testing process is to
file an application with the Columbus Civil Service Commission for the
position of Police Officer. The requirements for filing an application are
as follows:
You must be 20 years of age at the time of
application and 21 years at the time of appointment
You must possess a valid driver's license
and
You must have a high school diploma, or
GED equivalent.
You must be a US Citizen.
- Step Two -
If your application is approved, the Civil
Service Commission will notify you of the time and place to report for the
three-phase examination. The phases of the examination are:
I. Multiple Choice
Examination (Pass/Fail)
II. Writing Sample (Pass/Fail)
III. Oral Exercise (B-Pad)
IV. Physical Capability
The phases of the examination are numbered
according to the order in which the exam will be graded. The phases will
not be administered in the order they are listed above. Phases I, II, and
IV of the examination are administered as "hurdles". Candidates who fail to
pass a phase will not receive a score for subsequent phases. A candidate
must receive a passing score on all phases to be considered eligible.
Passing scores from Phase III will determine the candidate's ranking on the
eligible list.
In summary the standards for the Physical Capability will
measure the following:
EVENTS
STANDARD
agility run - consists of sprinting and
dodging around one-foot obstacles over a 60-yard course
21.0 second maximum time
1 bench press repetition
70% of candidate's body weight
vertical jump
*to be determined
300 meter run
**70 seconds
push-ups
23 repetitions
sit-ups
31 repetitions
1.5 mile run
**17 minutes, 53 seconds
* Will be assessed as part of the police officer
exam, however, until a standard is determined for this event, all candidates
who take this event will be given a passing grade on this event **May not be tested as part of the police officer exams administered
in 2002
- Step Three -
Candidates who score high enough on the
Civil Service examination(s) to begin the selection process will be mailed a
personal history questionnaire. A successful candidate will then be required
to report to Police Headquarters for a pre-interview with a background
investigator. Pictures, fingerprints, and waivers will be completed to
assist in an extensive background investigation. A polygraph examination
and oral interview will be scheduled at this time.
- Step Four -
The candidate will be given a polygraph
examination to verify all the information provided to the Background
Investigator.
- Step Five -
The Civil Service Commission will review
your entire package to made sure there are no violations of the background
removal standards for Civil Service employment with the Division of Police
- Step Six -
A thorough investigation will be conducted
by the background investigator including a visit to the candidate's
residence.
- Step Seven -
All of the information compiled by the
investigator is sent to the ORAL Review Board for review. The candidate
will be required to interview with this Board and questions will be asked in
regard to the background investigation.
- Step Eight -
Oral review board recommendations and
background investigations will be reviewed by the Police Administrative
Subdivision chain of command. Summaries of each candidate will be forwarded
to the City of Columbus Safety Director for consideration of a Conditional
Letter of appointment.
- Step Nine -
This step will include a physical
examination to include a cardiovascular stress test and a psychological
evaluation to evaluate a candidate's overall fitness. NOTE: Vision
requirements state that you must be correctable to 20/20 and no more
than 20/125 BINOCULAR uncorrected, each eye. The Physical and
Psychological must be passed before a final Offer of Employment is given.
- Step Ten -
Candidates will be notified by letter of an
appointment date for the Police Academy.
NOTE: The duration of the entire process ranges
from four to twelve months. A candidate is eligible to retest every twelve
months. A City of Columbus employee is eligible to retest every six months.
Residency Requirements -You must reside in Franklin County
or a county that adjoins Franklin County once you begin your 28
week course of training at the Academy.
The Columbus Division of Police
offers an attractive wage and benefit package that is competitive with private
business and other major police departments.
Pay Steps
Seniority
12/9/01
A-Step
hire date ~
12 months
$
16.64/hr
$34,611.20 /yr.
B-Step
12 ~ 24 months
$17.46 /hr
$36,316.80 /yr.
C-Step
24 ~ 36 months
$18.34 /hr
$38,147.20 /yr.
D-Step
36 ~ 48 months
$21.90 /hr
$45,552.00 /yr.
E-Step
over 48 months
$25.47 /hr
$52,977.60 /yr.
Shift Differential Pay
If the majority of work hours are between the
hours of 2:00pm and 7:00am, shift differential is paid:
Sept 16, 2001 - $.80 per hour
Sept 15, 2002 - $.85 per hour
Health Insurance
The health insurance plan covers the officer
and family and is provided at a cost of $10 per month.
Life Insurance
Will pay to officer's estate one hundred
thousand dollars ($100,000)
Paid Holidays
Eleven paid holidays per year, including the
officer's birthday.
Paid Sick Leave
15 days per year. Officers using 8 or less
sick hours per calendar year, will receive an additional 16 vacation hours.
Paid Vacation Leave
15 days per year. Officers using 8 or less
sick hours per calendar year, will receive 16 additional vacation hours.
Clothing and Equipment Allowance
Uniforms and equipment at no cost to the
officer plus a uniform maintenance of $850 per year for uniformed officers and
$1200 per year for non-uniformed.
Prescription Drugs
The deductible is $4 per prescription with the
remainder at 100%.
Dental Plan
After 1 year of service
Personal Liability Insurance
Fully furnished by the City of Columbus
Retirement
After 25 years of service and age 48
College Tuition Reimbursement
After 1 year of service
Annual Service Credit
Paid yearly starting with your 6th year of
service
Vacation Time
2.4 weeks each year for the first 3 years. It
then advances in stages up to 6.3 weeks after 20 years.
Other Benefits Include:
Family Leave
After 1 year of service
Military Leave
When called to service in armed forces of the
United States
Deferred Compensation Program
Defer up to $11,000 yearly for additional
retirement benefits.
Credit Union
After 90 days employment
Promotions
Eligible to take Sergeant's Exam after 3
years. Pay differential is 18% between ranks.
The Civil Service Commission is not
currently accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. It is
expected that they will resume accepting applications sometime in 2004. To
receive more specific information from the Civil Service Commission about
obtaining an application, you may call (614) 645-0235 or go to their website at
Columbus Civil Service
Commission. Testing dates (when
announced) and an online application are available at:
http://www.csc.cmhmetro.net/Pages/police_entry.htm.
The Civil Service Commission is not
currently accepting applications for the position of police officer. They
anticipate that testing will again commence sometime in 2004. General testing
information follows:
The phases of the examination are: PHASE I - Multiple Choice:
PHASE II - Writing Sample: PHASE II - Oral
Exercise: PHASE IV - Physical Capability Phases I, II & IV are on a
pass/fail basis. Phase III will be scored and passing scores will determine
placement on an eligibility list. You must pass all four phases of the Civil
Service examination. Tutorials will be offered for each phase and we strongly
urge you to attend these classes.
Tutorials
The Civil Service Commission will
conduct tutorials prior to the testing date. You will receive the date, time and
locations during the application process.
Vision Standards
The vision requirements are that
your vision must be correctable to 20/20 and no more than 20/125 BINOCULAR
uncorrected, each eye.
Getting In Shape
It is never too early to begin training your body
for the academy. The academy class is a 28-week course of training. It is
scheduled during the day, Monday - Friday, with weekends off. It is a
quasi-military environment.
Physical exercise is a daily requirement. From
the first day of class, recruits participate in such activities as running,
pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, etc. Recruits will also be expected to complete
physical tasks such as scaling 6-foot and 8-foot walls, fully participate with
other class members in 'Defensive Tactics' training such as boxing and wrestling
matches, and various other physically demanding activities.
Compliance With Standards
It is important to remember that
becoming a Police Officer is a sacrifice. You may have to distance yourself from
activities that may have a negative impact on your quest to become a Columbus
Police Officer.
Here are some areas that are looked
at during the background investigation:
Honesty
Traffic
Record History
Gambling
Criminal
Activity
Substance
Abuse History
Family
History
Employment
History
Military
History
Ride - Along Program
You are encouraged to schedule a
Ride-along with a veteran officer to give you a taste of what may be ahead of
you as a Columbus Police Officer. Contact us with a date, shift, and possible
precinct where you would like to ride. If you would like to take advantage of
this opportunity, Call the Minority Recruiting Unit, 645-7582, to schedule a
ride-along.
Address & Phone Number Changes
Any changes in address or phone
number must be made in writing and mailed to the Civil Service Commission 50
West Gay Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, or fax it to 645-8334. You may call the
Minority Recruiting Unit at 645-4642 or 1-800-837-4642 to verify the reception
of your letter.
Residency Requirements
You must reside in Franklin County
or a county that adjoins Franklin County upon your employment by the Division of
Police.
Questions?
Any concerns or questions regarding
the testing and selection process may be answered by
contacting the Minority Recruiting Unit.
If we cannot find the answer for you, we will direct you to someone who can.
Honesty
