Police Employment

Employees of a police department are continually subjected to a range of physical and mental stress under hazardous conditions. Each candidate will be thoroughly evaluated to determine if their abilities are compatible with the duties and responsibilities of being a police officer. To be considered for employment, you must meet the minimum qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Must qualify for Police Officer appointment under Department of Criminal Justice System (DCJS) guidelines:
• Be a citizen of the United States
• Must successfully pass a background investigation including fingerprint-based criminal history records inquiries to both the Central Criminal Records Exchange and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Have a high school education or have passed a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education
• Possess a valid driver's license if required by the duties of office to operate a motor vehicle
• Undergo a physical examination, subsequent to a conditional offer of employment, conducted under the supervision of a licensed physician
• Undergo a psychological examination, subsequent to a conditional offer of employment, conducted under the supervision of a licensed psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist
• Be at least 21 years of age after graduation of the basic police academy
• Not have been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Not have produced a positive result on a pre-employment drug screening, where the positive result cannot be explained to the satisfaction of the law-enforcement agency and is otherwise legally permissible
• Shall not have been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to:
  • Any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, including but not limited to petit larceny under § 18.2-96, or any offense involving moral turpitude that would be a misdemeanor if committed in the Commonwealth
  • Any misdemeanor sex offense in the Commonwealth, another state, or the United States, including but not limited to sexual battery under § 18.2-67.4 or consensual sexual intercourse with a minor 15 years of age or older under clause (ii) of § 18.2-371
  • Domestic assault under § 18.2-57.2 or any offense that would be domestic assault under the laws of another state or the United States
• Be of good character and reputation
• Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively orally and in writing in English
• Demonstrated stable work history

Candidate Disqualifiers

There are some past and present behavior(s) which make some applicants not desirable for employment because they do not meet the standards of the Department. Applicants who have past or current behavior(s) as listed below may not be considered for employment.

• Driving Record: Applicants with six or more demerits in the past six months and/or two or more license suspensions or revocations.
• Criminal Activity: Must have never committed, been involved in or been convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor (as defined under Virginia Code § 15.2-1705 Minimum qualifications).
• Discrepancies: Applicants must not misrepresent, misinform, mislead, or provide inaccurate, untruthful, or distorted information in the job application, background questionnaire, or during any part of the selection process.
• Brady List: Applicants who have been placed on the Brady List in any jurisdiction.

Other behavior(s) which do not necessarily reach the level of severity of the disqualifiers listed above but may still be a basis for non-selection after consideration of each case on its individual merits are taken into consideration. The outcome of these criteria will be determined by: when an incident occurred, how often/frequency, cause of violation, reason for action taken against you, seriousness of conduct, or circumstances surrounding conduct.