How to Become a Police Officer in Arizona

Chandler, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Becoming a Police Officer in Chandler, Arizona

The crime rate in Chandler dropped 20% in the year 2012—a laudable statistic for the Chandler Police Department. Review this step-by-step guide on how to become a police officer in Chandler if you’ve got what it takes to meet the department’s stringent requirements:

Meet the Basic Qualifications
Submit Your Application
Written Examination
Physical Fitness Test
Interviews
Background Check and Polygraph Examination
Psychological Examination
Interview with Chief of Police
Medical Examination
Attend Police Academy for Training

Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications for Chandler Police Officer Candidacy

There are certain requirements that you must meet to be considered for jobs as police officers in Chandler:

You must not be colorblind.
You must be a U.S. citizen.
You must have graduated from high school or have a GED certificate.
You must be at least 21 years old.
You must have been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces
You must not have certified status that has been revoked, denied, or is currently suspended.
You must not have done any of these illegal things with marijuana:
- Produced, sold, cultivated, or transported it for sale
- Used for anything besides experimentation
  - Over five times since you turned 21
  - 20 times in your life
- Used within the previous three years
For other illegal drugs, you must not have
- Produced, sold, cultivated, or transported it for sale
- Used except for experimentation
- Used while appointed or employed as a police officer

Step 2. Submit Your Application

Your application must be submitted on-line through the Chandler Human Resources site.

Step 3. Written Examination

You will need to bring photographic identification to the exam to be able to take it. Do not bring unnecessary items like purses, briefcases, or backpacks in with you. If you are a veteran, you will need to bring a copy of your DD-214 to receive your veteran’s points. You must pass all three portions of the exam. These involve:

Grammar
Report writing
Video

Step 4. Physical Fitness Test

After you have successfully completed your written examination and your preliminary backgrounds screen, you will be given a test of your physical agility to evaluate your overall physical condition. This will involve:

Doing 31 sit-ups within a minute
Doing 31 push-ups (no limit on time)
Running 1.5 miles in 14:29

Step 5. Interviews

Once you have passed all the steps of your physical fitness test, you will undergo a series of interviews. You will have to pass each of them to proceed with the next. First, you will be interviewed by a panel of department members. Once you have passed that, you will be interviewed about your background. After that, you will be interviewed by a member of the Command.

Step 6. Background Check and Polygraph Examination

After you have passed all your interviews, your background will be investigated by the department. You will be contacted by a background investigator. This person will examine your:

Employment history
Financial history
References
Educational background
Driving history

Step 7. Psychological Examination

Once you have been cleared by your background investigator, you will be examined by a psychologist to determine whether your mental health is good enough to become a police officer in Chandler.

Step 8. Interview with Chief of Police

After your psychological exam has been successful, you will be interviewed by the Chief of Police.

Step 9. Medical Examination

Once the Chief of Police has ascertained that you are a good candidate to become a police officer in Chandler, you will be examined by a doctor. Part of this exam will involve getting a tuberculosis test.

Step 10. Attend Police Academy for Training

After your medical exam has found your health to be good enough to become a law enforcement officer, you will be trained at a police academy in Arizona that has AZ POST certification. This type of training involves:

Academic coursework in law and police procedures
Driving training
- Pursuit
- Operating emergency vehicles
- Firearms training
- Physical training

Once you have graduated from your academy, you will be trained in items specific to the Chandler Police Department, including:

Report writing
Use of firearms and searching buildings
Certification for using a TASER
Use of force

Becoming a Police Officer in Glendale, Arizona

The Glendale Police Department in Arizona has implemented a strategic approach to reducing crime. The analysis available from 2010 revealed that the rate of violent crime in the city was reduced 16% that year. This was the fourth straight year the city saw declines in the rate of violent crimes.

If you’d like to fight crime in Arizona and contribute to the incarceration rate of violent criminals in Glendale, follow this step-by-step guide on how to become a cop in Glendale by meeting specific police officer requirements.

Meet the Basic Qualifications
Submit Your Application
Written Examination
Physical Assessment Examination
Interview and Written Essay
Background Check and Polygraph Examination
Physical Assessment Update
Executive Interview
Psychological and Medical Examinations
Attend Police Academy for Training

Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications for Glendale Police Officer Candidacy

There are certain requirements that you must meet to be considered for jobs as police officers in Glendale:

You must be at least 20.5 years old by the day of your written exam.
You must be 21 years of age by the date that you graduate from the academy.
You must be a U.S. citizen.
Your vision must be no worse than 20/200 and correctable to 20/20 if you wear soft contacts.
Your vision must be at least 20/80 and corrected to 20/20 if you wear hard contacts or glasses.
You must not have been involved in any activity that would be a felony in Arizona.
You must have a high school diploma or GED.
You must have a Class D Arizona operator’s license by the time you are appointed.

Step 2. Submit Your Application

You must fill out both an application for employment from the City of Glendale and a preliminary applicant questionnaire to be considered as a police officer in Glendale. The department prefers that you submit your application by e-mail.

Step 3. Written Examination

Non-lateral applicants who meet the qualifications will be notified by mail, e-mail, and/or phone that they are invited to take the written examination. You will be given 3.25 hours to take the 168 question exam. You will need a score of 70% to pass. You can prepare for the exam with a study guide.

Step 4. Physical Assessment Examination

Once you have successfully passed the written examination, you will be invited to take the physical assessment exam. This will involve three steps. You will have to pass each of the following:

Run 1.5 miles in 14:59
At least 28 sit-ups in 1 min
At least 19 push-ups (not timed)

The department has a preparation guide that it recommends for the physical assessment. If you are applying as a lateral officer, you are exempt from taking the initial physical exam.

Step 5. Interview and Written Essay

After you have passed your physical examination, you will be interviewed by an oral board. This portion of the process will also involve writing an essay.

Step 6. Background Check and Polygraph Examination

Once you have been found to be one of the most qualified applicants, you will be contacted by a background investigator from the department. You will be scheduled for an interview about your background. This will be the start of a background investigation that will proceed throughout your entire hiring process. You will also be given a lie detector test by a trained professional to confirm the information that you provided in your background packet.

Step 7. Physical Assessment Update

At this point, you will be tested again on your physical ability. You will be given the same test as before, but you will be expected to score better on it.

Step 8. Executive Interview

Once you have passed your second physical fitness test, you will be interviewed by a member of the Command Staff of the Glendale Police Department.

Step 9. Psychological and Medical Examinations

After you have been chosen from your interview, you will undergo a psychological evaluation to make sure that you are in good enough mental health to become a police officer in Glendale. You will be also be examined by a physician certified by AZPOST to ensure that you do not have any health issues that could prevent you from becoming a law enforcement officer.

Step 10. Attend Police Academy for Training

Once you have successfully completed the whole process of employment, you will receive an offer of employment from the Chief of Police. Then, you will receive over 650 hours of training at a law enforcement training academy that is certified by AZPOST. You will receive training in police procedures and criminal and traffic law. You will receive practical training in driving and using firearms. You should also expect rigorous physical training, and your chances of success will be greater if you prepare ahead of time to be in shape for the academy

Becoming a Police Officer in Mesa, Arizona

The Mesa Police Department handled nearly 16,000 crimes in 2012, making it one of the busiest and most effective law enforcement agencies in the Southwest.

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Becoming a Police Officer in Scottsdale, Arizona

According to UCR statistics from the Scottsdale Police Department, the rate of both personal and property crimes committed in Scottsdale decreased by more than16% in 2012 alone. If you’ve got the dedication to help keep Scottsdale a safe place to live and work, follow this step-by-step guide on how to become a police officer in Scottsdale.

Meet the Basic Qualifications
Written Examination
Physical Fitness Test
Interview
Background Check and Polygraph Examination
Psychological and Medical Examinations
Attend Police Academy for Training

Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications for Scottsdale Police Officer Candidacy

There are certain requirements that you must meet to be considered for police officer jobs with the Scottsdale Police Department:

You must be at least 20 years and 8 months old when you apply.
You must be a U.S. citizen.
You must have a high school education:
- Diploma
- GED
You must not have been convicted of any of the following:
- A crime that would be a felony in Arizona
- Domestic violence
You must have an honorable discharge from the U.S.military (as applicable).
If you have been employed as a law enforcement officer, you must not have violated any laws relating to criminal activity during or after your tenure.
You cannot have done any of the following with marijuana:
- Used it within the previous 3 years
- Used it more than 20 times in your life
- Used it more than 5 times since you have turned 21
You cannot have used illegal drugs (including non-prescription steroids since 1-1-94):
- In the past 7 years
- More than 5 times in your life
- More than once since you have turned 21
You cannot have a pattern of abuse of prescription medication.
You cannot have tattoos:
- That are sexual, obscene, racial, or that would discriminate on the basis of religion
- On your neck, face, hands, or above your collarbone
- On any exposed body part in excess of 1/3 of the body part
You cannot have visible holes in your earlobes from wearing ear gauges.
You cannot have body parts pierced if they are visible.
You must have good vision:
- If you wear soft contacts, your uncorrected vision must be at least 20/200 and correctable to at least 20/20.
- If you wear glasses or hard contacts, your uncorrected vision must be at least 20/80 and correctable to at least 20/20.
- You must be able to distinguish basic color groups.
- You must have good peripheral vision.
You must have good hearing.

Step 2. Written Examinations

Once you have been found to be one of the most highly qualified candidates, you will be invited to take a test to assess your skills. This approximately six hour test has both a written and physical component.

The written portion of the test has several components. The first is a Standardized Police Officer test. You will be given an information packet to read in 25 minutes. You will then be given a 100-question test to complete in 1 hr and 45 min. You can purchase a study guide for the test you will be taking, which is the PO-EL 202-NC (TIP) examination. This test will measure:

Following directions
Learning and applying police information
Remembering details
Using judgment and logic
Verbal abilities

The next part of the test involves spelling 25 basic words that would be involved in law enforcement. This is not pass or fail; your results will be evaluated by a team.

The third part of the test will measure your ability to write reports. You will be presented with a scenario to view or read about that you can take written notes on. You will then have 30 minutes in which to write a report. You will receive a letter grade from A to D, based on your ability to:

Communicate in writing
Document information clearly and concisely
Listen
Spell
Use grammar
Write neatly

Step 3 Physical Fitness Test

The physical portion of the test involves doing the following:

At least 25 push-ups within a minute
29 sit-ups within a minute
Running 1.5 miles in less than 14:30 without walking or stopping

The department provides helpful tips for you to use in preparing to take the physical exam.

Step 4. Interview

After you have passed your initial testing, you will be invited to an interview by a panel of members of the department.

Step 5. Background Check and Polygraph Examination

Once you have passed your interview, you will be notified that you need to complete your background information packet. You will have to return this within 7 to 10 days.

After your packet has been reviewed and you have been found to not have any disqualifiers, you will be scheduled for an interview about your background. You will have to take a polygraph examination about the information you provided. Items that you will be asked about include:

Criminal activity
Dishonorable discharge from the military
Drug use or trafficking
Falsifying any of the information that you provided
Honesty

Step 6. Psychological and Medical Examinations

Once you have passed your background check and been favorably reviewed by the department, you will receive a conditional offer to become a police officer in Scottsdale. This offer is contingent on passed a psychological evaluation and a medical examination to determine that you are in excellent health both mentally and physically. This process will involve a screen for drugs and alcohol in your system.

Step 7. Attend Police Academy for Training

After you have passed your psychological and medical evaluations, you will be given an offer of a job and trained for 2-3 weeks before you attend a police academy. You will undergo training at one of three academies: ALEA, MESA, or MCSO. You will receive 700 to 800 hours of training over 18 to 20 weeks. Your training will involve:

Lectures in the classroom
Training in physical fitness
Practical exercises such as
- Driving
  - Pursuit
  - Operating emergency vehicles
- Using weapons
  - Firearms
  - Batons

You will also receive a substantial amount of field training after the academy, including 4 weeks of post-academy training and then 13 weeks in the field.

Becoming a Police Officer in Tucson, Arizona

As measured in 2011, the crime rate in Tucson had decreased substantially from 2004 going from a rate of 23,256 crimes per 100,000 people to a rate of 15,366 in 2011, due in large part to the efforts of the Tucson Police Department.

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