Police Officer Trainee (Entry Level)

Police Officer Trainee

The City of Bell Gardens Police Department is seeking highly motivated and public service-oriented individuals for Police Officer Trainee (Entry Level). The City of Bell Gardens Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of service to the community, while working with the residents and its members, demonstrating professionalism, integrity and accountability. The Bell Gardens Police Department has a variety of exciting assignments including Patrol, K-9, Bicycle Detail, Motor Detail, Special Operations Team, General Investigations Detective, Special Investigations Detective, Field Training Officer.

This recruitment is for entry-level candidates interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Work involves full-time attendance at a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) certified Basic police academy to prepare for the responsibilities of a police officer. Academy attendees will be hired on as Police Officer Trainee and paid $3,617.00 per month. After meeting all department, state-mandated and academy requirements, including graduation from the Police Academy, the Police Trainee will be sworn in as a Police Officer and assume the full duties, starting salary ($7,529 per month) and benefits of that position.

The City is only accepting online applications for this recruitment. As such, you must complete and submit an online application and completely answer all supplemental questions to be considered for this position.

Police Recruit/Trainee – While enrolled in the Police Basic Academy an incumbent must:

• Participate for successful completion in a prescribed law enforcement officer training program for entry level Police Officer.
• Maintain standards of mental and physical fitness throughout the training program
• Maintain acceptable class standing and adhere to professional conduct

Sworn Police Officer – Following graduation from the Academy and upon appointment to the position, essential duties include:

• Patrols in a vehicle or on foot, an assigned area during an assigned shift and looks for indicators of possible criminal activity or threats to life and property; answers calls for police services; enforces City, county and state laws; makes field contacts and completes forms; may conduct both preliminary and follow-up investigations of disturbances, prowlers, burglaries, thefts, robberies, vehicle accidents, suspected homicides, and other criminal incidents.
• Makes arrests as necessary; serves warrants and subpoenas; interviews victims, complaints, and witnesses; interrogates suspects; gathers and preserves evidence; receives, searches and books prisoners; fingerprints and transports prisoners; testifies and presents evidence in court.
• Contacts and cooperates with the other law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the investigation of crimes and the apprehension of offenders.
• Writes reports and field notes; participates in staff development; attends briefings and training sessions; performs routine maintenance on assigned patrol vehicle, firearms, and other equipment.
• Makes traffic stops and issues warnings, citations, or makes arrests as necessary; checks vehicles and observes vehicle occupants; investigates scenes of vehicle accidents; provides emergency medical care as necessary, directs traffic and arranges for clearing of roadway, interviews drivers and witnesses and prepares reports; directs traffic at fire, special events, and other emergency or congested situations.
• Assists the public and answers questions; administers first aid and responds to calls for medical assistance; establishes and maintains good relationships with the general public.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Patrol and Traffic Safety; Investigation; School Resources; Neighborhood Watch Officer. Other functions may be assigned such as acting as a training officer for new Police Officers, serving as field supervisor on individual calls requiring special attention, and conducting background investigations.

Knowledge of: Modern practices and techniques of: law enforcement, patrol, investigation, public relations, report writing, vehicle penal codes, laws of arrest, rules of evidence, legal rights of citizens, and court procedures. Skills to: Prioritize and multi-task; write and perform analysis. Ability to: Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; observe accurately and remember faces, numbers, incidents and places; establish and maintain effective relationships with the community; use and care of firearms and small equipment; think and act quickly in emergencies, and judge situations and people accurately; represent the City in a variety of meetings; learn, understand and interpret laws and regulations; prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports; respond to emergency and problem situations in an effective manner; understand, explain and apply policies and procedures; make clear and concise radio transmissions; understand and follow written directions; deal constructively with conflict and develop effective resolutions; work independently and demonstrate initiative; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; meet Police Officer requirements contained in the California State Government Code; and prepare lesson plans, teach and counsel juveniles.

Minimum requirements include: High School graduation or equivalent. Licenses/Certificates: Must have valid class "C" California Driver's License and a satisfactory driving record. Special Conditions: No felony convictions. Must be a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident alien who is eligible for and has applied for citizenship. Must be 21 years of age at time of appointment. English/Spanish bilingual skills highly desirable.

Selection and Examination Process: Following a review of all applications, the best qualified candidates will be invited for further assessment. The examination components listed below will be used to evaluate the qualifications of those who are invited. Applicants must achieve a passing score on all examination components in order to be placed on the eligible list. Eligible lists are valid for one (1) year, unless extended by the City Manager for an additional six (6) months. The examination components will conducted in the following order:

• Application Review: Qualifying
• Physical Agilities Test: Pass/Fail
• Written Exam: Qualifying
• Oral Appraisal Interview
• Polygraph, Background Investigation
• Psychological Screening & Medical Examination: Medical standard exams, with a vision requirement of 20/100 or better without correction and 20/20 or better with correction - each eye

Successful applicants will be invited, via email to take a written exam. The City of Bell Gardens will accept P.O.S.T. Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) T-Score of 42 or higher taken within 12 months of application filing date. A copy of your PELLETB T-score must be submitted with your application. The purpose of this recruitment is to establish an eligibility list from which current and future vacancies can be filled during the life of the eligibility list. The Police Chief will interview and select the final candidate from the eligibility list. The successful candidate will be enrolled into the academy. Upon graduation from the academy, the Police Officer Trainee is eligible to be sworn in as a Police Officer. The successful candidate will be required to satisfactorily complete a 12-month probationary period before acquiring "regular" status.

Notices: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provisions contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. This position is subject to and dependent on the continued availability of funds and the manpower needs of the City of Bell Gardens. This is an "at-will" position and selected candidate may be released from position at any time without cause. The City of Bell Gardens is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. If you require reasonable accommodation during the examination components due to a qualified disability, you must inform the Human Resources Division at View phone number on click.appcast.io at least 5 days in advance of testing date. Please contact NEOGOV applicant support at View phone number on click.appcast.io for any technical issues when creating an account or submitting an application. Applicant Support Hours: Monday through Friday, 6am – 5pm PST.