How to Become a Police Officer in Nevada

Henderson, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Sparks, Nevada

Becoming a Police Officer in Henderson, Nevada

The Henderson Police Department supports jobs for 391 police officers and 81 corrections officers, all of whom are trained to provide law enforcement services to the citizens of Henderson, Nevada.

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Becoming a Police Officer in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), the largest law enforcement agency in Nevada and the one of the largest police agencies in the United States, consists of 2,743 police officers and 786 corrections officers. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department serves both Clark County and the City of Las Vegas.

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to become a police officer in Las Vegas:

Meet Minimum Employment Requirements
Apply for Employment
Attend Police Recruit Seminar
Complete the Personal History Questionnaire Screener
Take the Written Examination
Take the Physical Fitness Test
Meet with the Oral Board
Receive Conditional Offer of Employment and Undergo Thorough Background Investigation and Interview
Undergo Remaining Employment Testing
Meet with the Employment Selection Committee for a Final Review
Take the POST Physical Fitness Test
Attend the Police Academy

Step 1. Meet Employment Requirements

Individuals interested in becoming a police officer in Las Vegas should first ensure they meet minimum employment requirements. In particular, the LVMPD requires that candidates for Las Vegas police jobs must:

Possess a high school diploma or GED
Have no felony convictions
Have no more than one DUI
Have no domestic violence convictions
Be a United States citizen
Have no visible tattoos, branding or jewelry on duty
Be at least 21 years of age
Must have 20/20 vision (corrected or uncorrected)

Step 2. Apply for Employment

If you are interested in attaining Las Vegas police jobs, you may contact an LVMPD recruiter (702-828-5787), who can provide you with the information you need to apply for employment. You may also search for open employment periods for police officer recruits through LVMPD’s Job Search page.

The LVMPD holds a number of recruitment and informational events throughout the year for individuals with interest in becoming a police officer in Las Vegas. Therefore, it is always best to check the LVMPD website for upcoming events.

Step 3. Attend Police Recruit Seminar

Upon completion of the pre-screening process by the LVMPD, all candidates for Las Vegas police jobs must attend a police recruitment seminar, which serves to pre-screen candidates. You will be contacted by a Department representative (through email), who will provide you with upcoming police recruit seminars.

The police recruit seminar, which is a full-day event, is designed to simulate a typical day in the police academy. As such, you will be expected to participate in physical training and academic instruction.

Step 4. Complete the Personal History Questionnaire Screener

All qualified candidates, upon completion of the mandatory police recruit seminar, will be scheduled for the personal history questionnaire screener (PHQ), during which you must answer questions about your personal history and life experiences. You will only qualify to continue with the employment process if you pass the PHQ. You will be scored immediately and notified of your pass/fail status upon completion of the PHQ.

Step 5. Take the Written Examination

The written exam is scored immediately and is calculated as a percentage. This percentage will be included in your overall test score.

Step 6. Take the Physical Fitness Test

You will then be required to complete the physical fitness test. You must pass this test to continue on with the employment testing process. You can review the LVMPD’s physical fitness standards by reading the LVMPD Study Guide.

Step 7. Meet with the Oral Board

The Oral Board interview, which is the last phase of the selection process, is designed to evaluate your ability to perform your job as an LVMP police officer. Your oral board interview will be measured, scored, and added to your written test score. You may view an oral board interview video to better understand what to expect during your oral interview.

Upon completion of all oral board interviews, the Civil Service Board will create an eligibility list of potential candidates for Las Vegas police jobs.

Step 8. Receive Conditional Offer of Employment and Undergo Thorough Background Investigation and Interview

Upon completion and approval of the eligibility list, all candidates will be contacted and a thorough background investigation will begin and a background investigation interview will be conducted.

Step 9. Undergo Remaining Employment Testing

While the background investigation is underway, all candidates will be required to complete employment testing, which includes:

Written psychological evaluation
Polygraph examination
Oral psychological interview
Medical examination
Drug screen

Step 10. Meet with the Employment Selection Committee for a Final Review

The final step of the selection process involves meeting with the Employment Selection Committee, at which time you will be presented with the results from your testing and background investigation.

Step 11. Take the POST Physical Fitness Test

All new recruits must take and pass the POST Physical Fitness Test at least 30 days before starting the Police Academy or within 14 days after the start of the Academy. The offer of employment is contingent upon passing the POST Fitness Test.

Step 12. Attend the Police Academy

Police Academy training, which lasts about 24 weeks, is mandatory for all new LVMPD police recruits. Police Academy training is followed by the Field Training Evaluation Program, which is 19 weeks in length.

Becoming a Police Officer in North Las Vegas, Nevada

The North Las Vegas Police Department consists of 411 commissioned police officers who are responsible for patrolling the 100 square miles of North Las Vegas, Nevada, and providing law enforcement services to its 222,000 citizens.

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Becoming a Police Officer in Reno, Nevada

The law enforcement personnel of the Reno Police Department are tasked with providing law enforcement, traffic, and community services to the more than 225,000 citizens of Reno, Nevada, the largest city in Northern Nevada.

Individuals who want to learn how to become a cop by meeting police officer requirements in Reno can use this guide, as it provides step-by-step instructions on the employment process for the Reno Police Department:

Meet Minimum Eligibility Requirements
Submit an Employment Application to the Department
Take the Physical Conditioning Examination
Take the Written Examination
Undergo a Background Investigation
Undergo a Chief’s Oral Interview
Complete Remaining Employment Testing
Receive a Full Offer of Hire
Attend Law Enforcement Academy Training

Step 1: Meet Minimum Eligibility Requirements

The Reno Police Department has a strict set of minimum eligibility requirements in place that applicants must meet as to qualify for Reno police jobs. Candidates interested in becoming a police officer in Reno must:

Be a United States citizen
Be at least 21 years old
Have no convictions involving moral turpitude or the sale, possession or use of a controlled substance
Have no felony convictions
Have no physical violence/domestic violence convictions
Hold a high school diploma or an equivalent education
Undergo a medical examination and cleared by a licensed physician who confirms there are no conditions that would affect their ability to perform a police officer job

Step 2. Submit an Employment Application to the Department

Before submitting an application for employment, you must determine if the Department is currently hiring. The Reno Police Department posts up-to-date information on its Police Recruiting page.

You may also contact Officer Carlos Valles in Recruiting at 775-334-2455 or at vallesc@reno.gov if you would like additional information regarding recruitment.

Step 3. Take the Physical Conditioning Examination

The first step in the employment process is the physical conditioning examination, which must be successfully completed before you can move on with the employment selection process.

This test includes the following components:

Grip test
Agility and speed test
Sit-ups
Push-ups
100-yard sprint
1.5-mile run

You can obtain more information regarding the Department’s physical requirements by reading the Police Recruit Candidate Information booklet.

Step 4. Take the Written Examination

The written exam measures the following areas:

Accuracy of observation
Biographical inventory
Reading with understanding
Written communication skills

The physical conditioning examination and the written examination often occur on the same day, with the physical portion of the exam occurring in the morning and the written portion occurring after lunch.

You can obtain more information regarding the written test by reading the Police Recruit Candidate Information booklet.

Step 5. Undergo a Background Investigation

Candidates who successfully pass the written exam will undergo a background investigation. Before the background investigation begins, you will be asked to complete a lengthy Personal History Questionnaire and provide copies of the following documents:

Birth certificate
Proof of U.S. citizenship (if born abroad)
High school transcripts or GED certificate
College transcripts (if applicable)
Military form DD-214 (if applicable)
Valid driver’s license
Social security card
Selective service registration (for males)
Criminal court documents (if applicable)
Marriage license/divorce decree (if applicable)
Legal name change documents (if applicable)

The Department generally requires that you return the completed Personal History Questionnaire, along with the required documentation, within 10 days of receiving it.

Upon completion of the background investigation process, a Department investigator will provide the Department Hiring Board with a summary of the investigation. The Hiring Board will then extend a conditional offer of employment to all qualified candidates. Only those candidates who are given a conditional offer of employment will be eligible to complete the selection process.

Step 6. Undergo a Chief’s Oral Interview

Candidates are expected to meet with the Chief of Police and/or the Deputy Chiefs and Commanders for an oral interview.

Step 7. Complete Remaining Employment Testing

The last step of the selection process includes undergoing a psychological examination, an oral clinical interview, a medical examination, polygraph examination, and a drug screening. The conditional offer of employment is based on the successful completion of the remaining tests.

Step 8. Receive a Full Offer of Hire

Upon completing all employment testing, the findings are submitted to the Hiring Board for consideration. The Hiring Board will then extend a full offer of hire for select candidates.

Step 9. Attend Law Enforcement Academy Training

All new recruits must attend the Law Enforcement Academy, which is 20 weeks in length.

Becoming a Police Officer in Sparks, Nevada

The Sparks Police Department (775-353-2279) consists of 109 sworn officers employed throughout four divisions:

Administration
Detective
Patrol
Records

Individuals who want to learn how to become a cop by meeting police officer requirements in Sparks can use this guide, which provides step-by-step instructions on the selection process:

Meet Minimum Requirements
Apply for Employment
Take the Written and Physical Abilities Examinations
Complete Remaining Employment Testing
Complete Academy Training

Step 1. Meet Minimum Requirements

Individuals interested in becoming a police officer in Sparks must meet minimum employment requirements. All candidates for Sparks police jobs must:

Be at least 21 years old
Possess a valid driver’s license

Further, the Sparks Police Department requires that all candidates meet ONE of the following requirements:

Possess at least 24 semester units of college-level coursework in one of the following (or a related field):
- Criminal justice
- Public administration
- Business administration
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Political science
- Administration of justice; OR
Possess a high school diploma or the equivalent and a Nevada POST Certificate (or the equivalent) or status as an Officer in the Sparks Police Department Reserve program; OR
Possess a high school diploma or the equivalent and service in the U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Coast Guard, or the National/Air Guard provided the discharge was honorable (Form DD-214)

Step 2: Apply for Employment

Before attempting to submit an application for employment, you must first determine whether the Department is currently hiring for Sparks police jobs. You can only apply for employment when the position for police officer in the Sparks Police Department is found on the City of Sparks Application Process page of the NeoGov website. Once the position is posted, you may apply directly through the NeoGov website.

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