Police Officer

Police Officer

Perform law enforcement, investigations and crime prevention work; control traffic flow and enforce State and local traffic regulations; perform investigative work and other special assignments and perform a variety of technical and administrative tasks in support of the Police Department.

All applicants for the police officer classification must be not less than twenty years of age, and reaching the age of twenty-one years by the completion of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center within one year from date of hire as required by Nebraska Revised Statute §81-1410. An applicant for a position of any kind under civil service shall be able to read and write the English language as provided in Nebraska Revised Statute §19-1831, as revised.

Essential Functions

Display honest, trustworthy, and ethical behavior when dealing with internal and external customers.

Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Regular attendance that is punctual and dependable is required.

Patrol a designated area of the City to preserve law and order, discover and prevent the commission of crimes, and enforce traffic and other laws and ordinances; check buildings for physical security.

Answer calls and complaints involving a variety of Police Service requests.

Respond to general public service calls including domestic disturbances, civil complaints, property control, and related incidents.

Collect, process, photograph and present evidence using scientific techniques including fingerprints, fibers, blood, and related physical evidence.

Serve as Field Training Officer as assigned; train new officers on departmental policies, procedures and activities.

Enforce traffic laws and ordinances; issue warnings and citations; direct traffic at fire, special events, and other emergency or congested situations.

May conduct a variety of investigations which may involve private property and non-injury, serious injury and fatality traffic accidents; conduct traffic accident analyses and general traffic surveys.

Participate in other investigations involving crimes against persons and property, auto theft, white collar crime, and narcotics; gather evidence and prepare cases for prosecution.

Identify suspects; conduct interviews and interrogations; apprehend and arrest offenders.

Contact and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the apprehension of offenders and the investigation of offenses.

Maintain contact with citizens regarding potential law enforcement problems and preserve good relationships with the general public; take an active role in areas of public education relative to crime and crime prevention.

May assist in the performance of special investigative and crime prevention duties as required.

Prepare reports on arrests made, activities performed and unusual incidents observed.

Make arrests as necessary; interview victims, complainants and witnesses; interrogate suspects; gather and preserve evidence; testify and present evidence in court.

Serve warrants within the department and with outside agencies; remain current on laws and procedures required for processing warrants.

Participate in and assist in conducting special programs; assist with special assignments.

May participate in using the Intoxilyzer to measure blood alcohol levels.

Contact and interview victims and witnesses; preserve and investigate crime scenes.

Conduct covert, undercover investigations as assigned.

Participate in surveillance of suspects; prepare intelligence information for use by the Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.

Assist in inventory and evaluation of investigations, equipment and materials.

Investigate juvenile related crimes including child abuse and juvenile narcotics; coordinate youth services with outside agencies and organizations including local school districts; conduct community presentations and instruct assigned classes.

Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

Traffic laws and regulations.

Basic function of a public safety operation.

Criminal law and criminal procedure with particular reference to the apprehension, arrest and custody of persons committing misdemeanors and felonies, including rules of evidence pertaining to the seizure preservation of evidence in traffic and criminal cases.

Police methods and procedures including patrol, crime prevention, traffic control, investigation and identification techniques.

Offensive and defensive weapons nomenclature and theory.

Self defense tactics and proper use of force.

Interviewing and interrogation techniques.

The operation of standard equipment and facilities required in the performance of assigned tasks.

Specialized methods used in the investigation of crime.

Ability to:

Think and act quickly in emergencies and judge situations and people accurately.

Understand and interpret laws and regulations.

Use standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.

Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.

Analyze situations quickly and objectively, and determine and take emergency action.

Use, care, and qualification with firearms.

Communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing.

Establish residency within forty-five (45) miles of the city limits of the City of Grand Island within six (6) months of employment.

Supplemental Information

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

No experience is required to become a Police Officer. However, experience in a patrol assignment is necessary for an assignment to investigations.

Training:

Completion of twelfth grade or acquisition of a General Equivalency Diploma.

License or Certifications:

Employee must possess a valid driver's license and maintain insurability as determined by the City's insurance carrier. Click here to view our driver eligibility requirements.

Possession of, or ability to obtain, valid certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

Possession of, or ability to obtain, required certification from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center.

Residency: Must reside within 45 miles of the city limits of the City of Grand Island within six month of date of hire. Salary: Position will start at the entry level of the City's salary table. When applicable, placement will take into account additional pay step incentives applied at the time of hire for education, experience and/or certifications. Active or Prior Certification: Certified officers will start at a pay step equal of their years of law enforcement experience at their last law enforcement employer. Applicants with out of state law enforcement certification or whose Nebraska certification is no longer active will be placed into the pay step closest to but not below their last rate of pay at their most recent sworn law enforcement position upon receipt of active Nebraska law enforcement certification if obtained within 6 months from the date of hire. Prior rate of pay shall be the applicant's base hourly rate of pay not including pay enhancements such as uniform allowance, longevity pay, shift differentials, holiday pay, etc. Additional compensation for specialized training may be considered at the time of hiring.

Certified Officer Hiring Incentives:

$5,000 certification credit will be paid upon hire to a Nebraska certified applicant or to an out of state certified applicant upon completion of Nebraska's Reciprocity Certification process through the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center.

50 hours of comp time to be given upon hire of a Nebraska certified applicant or to an out of state certified applicant upon completion of Nebraska's Reciprocity Certification process.

Certified candidates will receive additional preference points to their overall weighted score.

All applicants for the police officer classification must be not less than twenty years of age, and reaching the age of twenty-one years by the completion of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center within one year from date of hire as required by Nebraska Revised Statute §81-1410. Candidates must be a legal citizen of the United States and must be able to speak, read, and write the English language. Candidates are subject to a background check. Testing Information: Tentative testing date will be Saturday, September 12, 2026. Candidates will be notified with testing details at a later date. Must submit with application copies of: birth certificate, high school diploma or GED, DD214 (member 4 or form with separation code and re-enlistment code), if applicable. Candidates that do not submit copies of: birth certificate, high school diploma or GED by the application deadline will not be eligible to test. Please note: College diplomas or transcripts will not be accepted in lieu of high school diploma/transcript or GED. Applicants must submit a copy of their high school diploma or high school transcript or GED.