Police Officer

• Must be at least 21 years of age on hire date .
• Must possess a high school diploma or GED from an accredited school or training facility.

Full Time Qualifications:

• Qualified applicants MUST meet at least one of the following requirements as outlined in F.S. 943.13:
  • Already hold an ACTIVE Florida Law Enforcement Certification from a Commission approved Basic Law Enforcement Academy, Correctional Officer Cross-Over Training to Florida Law Enforcement Academy or Commission Comparable Compliance Equivalency of Training Program.
  • ENROLLED and ACCEPTED into or currently attending a Florida Commission approved Basic Law Enforcement Academy or Correctional Officer Cross-Over Training to Florida Law Enforcement Academy with an academy start date no later than 60 days from the date of application.
  • Has met the requirements for the Commission Comparable Compliance Equivalency of Training Program or has been ENROLLED and ACCEPTED into or currently attending the Commission Comparable Compliance, Equivalency of Training Program with an academy start date no later than 60 days from the date of application.

Part Time Qualifications:

• Qualified applicants MUST meet the following requirement as outlined in F.S. 943.13:
  • Already hold an ACTIVE Florida Law Enforcement Certification from a Commission approved Basic Law Enforcement Academy, Correctional Officer Cross-Over Training to Florida Law Enforcement Academy or Commission Comparable Compliance Equivalency of Training Program.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to read, write, and speak the English language fluently.
• Must possess a valid state of Florida driver's license or have the ability to obtain one.
• Must maintain a valid telephone number.
• Applicants will be required to pass an extensive background investigation which includes, but is not limited to, a polygraph exam, physical agility test, drug screening examination, physical exam, psychological testing, credit checks, and be of good moral character, etc., prior to being offered employment as a Lakeland Police Officer.

NOTICE: All education and/or experience requirements must be fully met. Consideration for exception will only be given to recruits who display exemplary law enforcement experience or other circumstances. Exceptions made to any qualification requirements must be discussed and approved by the Chief of Police and the Civil Service Director or designee.

• Extensive knowledge of First Responder First Aid.
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state and local laws and ordinances, rules of evidence and laws regarding search and seizure.
• Knowledge of departmental policies, rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of principles, practices and equipment used in police work.
• Knowledge of the city's geography.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, other public agencies, the media, City officials and between bureaus, divisions and units of the Police Department.
• Ability to use a variety of communication skills to interact formally and informally with various community and ethnic groups.
• Ability to use special techniques to establish and maintain professional contact with the public.
• Ability to give talks before school and community groups on topics related to law enforcement.
Requires the ability to maintain a state of awareness and vigilance commensurate with officer safety responsibilities.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires active work that involves walking, running, and/or standing most of the time, exerting up to one hundred fifty (150) pounds of force on an intermittent basis and routine keyboard operations.
• Requires the ability to wear/carry up to 30 lbs. of equipment continuously.
• Requires the ability to hear and comprehend police radio traffic.
• Requires the ability to operate a vehicle in normal and emergency conditions, daytime, night-time and adverse weather.
• Requires dexterity and grip strength to operate law enforcement equipment such as firearms, handcuffs, radios, batons and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Requires the ability to wear and/or operate personal protective equipment as required including, but not limited to, belts, ballistic vests, ballistic shields and ballistic helmets.
• Requires the ability to sit and stand for prolonged periods greater than six (6) hours.
• The job risks exposure to traffic, high levels of stress, electricity, violence, extreme weather conditions, pollens, dusts, pathogens, chemicals, bodily fluids, heights and unknown chemicals.
• The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, sense of smell, depth perception and texture perception.
• Requires the ability to maintain a state of awareness and vigilance commensurate with officer safety responsibilities.

Required Documents:
1. Copy of DD214 – Military Discharge (if applicable).

Applicants for the position of POLICE OFFICER are required to submit a copy of ALL required documents with the employment application. Applicants will not be eligible for employment until ALL required documents have been submitted to CIVIL SERVICE or uploaded with the application.

Elements of the selection process:
Our system allows you to work on your application and save the application without submitting it. This is done to allow you to save your work and come back to finish the application without having to start over. If you submit your application and do not "complete" it before 4 p.m. on the posted close date (listed on the job opportunities page), your application will be rejected from the system and you will have to start the application over. The application WILL NOT be accepted or reviewed until it is "complete".

After submission of the completed application (including ALL required documents) the application will be accepted. Once the application is accepted, your application will be evaluated to determine if you will continue in the process. Applicants with the most desirable applications will move to the next phase of the process. Applicants will be contacted within 60 days of the “accepted” date.

If selected to move forward you will be invited to complete the following: Biographical interview: A biographical interview will be conducted by a member of the G.S.S. staff. The biographical interview will consist of a full comprehensive review of the application submitted to confirm accuracy of the information provided. Applicants that are selected to continue in the process will be given information and instructions for the submission of a Personal History Questionnaire, which will be required to move forward in the process.

• Fingerprints: The G.S.S staff will also take your fingerprints to assist in the background phase of the hiring process.

If selected to move to the next phase, the applicant will attend an interview conducted by a panel. The panel will consist of a minimum of three police department members.

Candidates who have been deemed qualified to continue in the selection process by the interview panel will be scheduled for a Physical Abilities Test (PAT).

A thorough background Investigation will be completed on all candidates prior to employment.

Those applicants that are selected for employment will be given a conditional offer of employment. The job offer is contingent upon the successful completion and approval of a Truth Verification Examination (i.e. polygraph or computer voice stress analysis), psychological fitness examination, medical examination, drug screen testing and completed background investigation.

The applicant will receive written notice either by mail or electronic mail at each phase of the selection process advising them that they were selected to move forward in the process or that they were not selected. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the e-mail address provided on the application is correct and to provide any updated information to Civil Service during the application process.

Once a decision has been reached to offer the applicant employment OR that the applicant will not be offered employment, applicants will be notified within 30 days. The intent of the Lakeland Police Department's General Services Section is that the selection process, from the date of the biographical interview until the applicant is advised of a decision regarding employment, will not extend beyond 180 days.

When an applicant is selected for employment and all elements of the selection process have been passed, the applicant will begin the in house "Mini-Academy". The Mini-Academy is a seven-week long training program that provides recruits with the necessary knowledge and skills to begin the Field Training Program. Once the recruit successfully passes the Mini Academy they will begin the 16-week Field Training Program. The recruit will be on probationary status until their one year probationary period is successfully completed.

Reapplication:
Reapplication, retesting, and re-evaluation of applicants not hired is permitted after six months as long as nothing in the applicant’s history indicates an unfitness for employment. Conditions that qualify as unfitness for employment include revelations of unacceptable drug use, criminal records, or other factors discovered during the selection process.

Background Investigation:
A background investigation of each candidate for all positions is conducted prior to appointment to probationary status. The background investigation may include, but is not limited to:
a. verification of qualifying credentials
b. a review of any criminal record
c. a review of applicants driving record
d. fingerprint check
e. warrants check
f. records check
g. verification of at least three personal references
h. a review of prior employment/military history
i. a review of applicants employment and academy files
j. review of social site/internet information

Physical Ability Test:
This test consists of a standardized obstacle course which was created and recommended by the FDLE Criminal Justice and Standards Training Commission for Police Officers. It simulates activities that may be encountered while working in this position at the Lakeland Police Department.

Applicants should wear proper clothing and shoes for the test. Test is administered on a pass/fail basis.

The course consists of the following tasks (not necessarily in the order you may experience them). The time limit for this test is 6 minutes and 4 seconds:

• Exit from the seated, safety belted driver's position of a parked motor vehicle
• With opposite hands, remove two flags fastened to a belt with Velcro, from your back
• Utilizing the vehicles' keys, retrieve from the car trunk a flashlight to be carried during the following stages:
• 220 yard run (twice)
• Jump over a four (4) foot wall
• Run through a series of cones
• Jump over a series of three (3) hurdles
• A low crawl under three (3) hurdles
• Drag a 150 pound dummy for 100 feet
• Dry fire a service pistol six (6) times with the strong hand and six (6) times with the weak hand
• Return the flashlight to the vehicle trunk
• Return to the safety belted driver's position of the vehicle

Psychological Fitness Examination:
An emotional stability and psychological fitness examination of each candidate for a sworn position is conducted and assessed by a qualified professional prior to appointment to probationary status.

Truth Verification Examination:
A computer voice stress analysis (CVSA) or polygraph examination of all candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment is conducted and assessed by a qualified professional prior to appointment to probationary status. Candidates are provided with a list of areas from which the truth verification examination questions will be drawn prior to the examination. The results of a truth verification examination shall not be used as a single determinant of employment status.

Drug Screen:
A drug screen of all candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment is conducted and assessed by a qualified professional prior to appointment to probationary status. The drug screen tests for recent usage of controlled substances, either illegal or prescribed substances. Prohibited substances are defined by departmental directives and are available to candidates who have questions concerning prohibited drug usage.

F.S. 943.13
Officers’ minimum qualifications for employment or appointment.—On or after October 1, 1984, any person employed or appointed as a full-time, part-time, or auxiliary law enforcement officer or correctional officer; on or after October 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time, part-time, or auxiliary correctional probation officer; and on or after October 1, 1986, any person employed as a full-time, part-time, or auxiliary correctional officer by a private entity under contract to the Department of Corrections, to a county commission, or to the Department of Management Services shall:

(1)Be at least 19 years of age, except that any person employed as a full-time, a part-time, or an auxiliary correctional officer must be at least 18 years of age.

(2)Be a citizen of the United States, notwithstanding any law of the state to the contrary.

(3)Be a high school graduate or its “equivalent” as the commission has defined the term by rule.

(4)Not have been convicted of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement, or have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States. Any person who, after July 1, 1981, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to or is found guilty of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement is not eligible for employment or appointment as an officer, notwithstanding suspension of sentence or withholding of adjudication. Notwithstanding this subsection, any person who has pled nolo contendere to a misdemeanor involving a false statement, prior to December 1, 1985, and has had such record sealed or expunged shall not be deemed ineligible for employment or appointment as an officer.

(5)Have documentation of his or her processed fingerprints on file with the employing agency or, if a private correctional officer, have documentation of his or her processed fingerprints on file with the Department of Corrections or the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. The department shall retain and enter into the statewide automated biometric identification system authorized by s. 943.05 all fingerprints submitted to the department as required by this section. Thereafter, the fingerprints shall be available for all purposes and uses authorized for arrest fingerprints entered in the statewide automated biometric identification system pursuant to s. 943.051. The department shall search all arrest fingerprints received pursuant to s. 943.051 against the fingerprints retained in the statewide automated biometric identification system pursuant to this section and report to the employing agency any arrest records that are identified with the retained employee’s fingerprints. These fingerprints must be forwarded to the department for processing and retention.

(6)Have passed a physical examination by a licensed physician, physician assistant, or licensed advanced practice registered nurse, based on specifications established by the commission. In order to be eligible for the presumption set forth in s. 112.18 while employed with an employing agency, a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer must have successfully passed the physical examination required by this subsection upon entering into service as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer with the employing agency, which examination must have failed to reveal any evidence of tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension. A law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer may not use a physical examination from a former employing agency for purposes of claiming the presumption set forth in s. 112.18 against the current employing agency.

(7)Have a good moral character as determined by a background investigation under procedures established by the commission.

(8)Execute and submit to the employing agency or, if a private correctional officer, submit to the appropriate governmental entity an affidavit-of-applicant form, adopted by the commission, attesting to his or her compliance with subsections (1)-(7). The affidavit shall be executed under oath and constitutes an official statement within the purview of s. 837.06. The affidavit shall include conspicuous language that the intentional false execution of the affidavit constitutes a misdemeanor of the second degree. The affidavit shall be retained by the employing agency.

(9)Complete a commission-approved basic recruit training program for the applicable criminal justice discipline, unless exempt under this subsection. An applicant who has:
(a)Completed a comparable basic recruit training program for the applicable criminal justice discipline in another state or for the Federal Government and served as a full-time sworn officer in another state or for the Federal Government for at least 1 year, provided there is no more than an 8-year break in employment, as measured from the separation date of the most recent qualifying employment to the time a complete application for an exemption under this subsection is submitted; or
(b)Served in the special operations forces for a minimum of 5 years, provided there is no more than a 4-year break from the applicant’s special operations forces experience, as measured from the separation date from the special operations forces to the time a complete application for an exemption under this subsection is submitted,
is exempt in accordance with s. 943.131(2) from completing the commission-approved basic recruit training program.

(10)Achieve an acceptable score on the officer certification examination for the applicable criminal justice discipline.

(11)Comply with the continuing training or education requirements of s. 943.135.