What are the responsibilities and job description for the POLICE OFFICER RECRUIT position at City of Sierra Vista, AZ?
Salary : $57,324.80 Annually
Location : Sierra Vista, AZ
Job Type : FULL-TIME
Job Number : 01 02 2025 REQ 1436
Department : Police Department
Opening Date : 01 / 02 / 2025
Closing Date : 12 / 31 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Arizona
DRUG FREE WORKPLACE
Applicants for employment and volunteer opportunities should be aware of the City of Sierra Vista's policies concerning the use of drugs and alcohol. These policies have not been altered by the passage of proposition 207. The use of recreational marijuana is a violation of the City's Drug Free Workplace Policy. All positions within the City are required to submit to a pre-employment drug test. A positive result for drugs tested under the policy, including recreational marijuana, may be grounds for withdrawal of an offer of employment or volunteer opportunity. The examination process may vary if determined necessary.
Definition & Essential Functions
TESTING IS SCHEDULED ON A MONTHLY BASIS. PLEASE CHECK BELOW FOR TESTING DATES. ACCOMMODATIONS CAN BE MADE FOR OUT OF STATE APPLICANTS.
- TESTING WILL BE SCHEDULED AFTER YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION.
In addition to your initial application, there are 2 forms that you will need to complete as part of the background packet : the AZPOST Personal History form and the SVPD Background Questionnaire.
To complete the AZPOST Personal History form, register at and register and follow the instructions to complete the form. Once the form is completed, you will need to "share" it with the Sierra Vista Police Department. You will then be provided with a Form ID number. It is imperative that you provide us with that Form ID number by emailing it to lilly.perry@sierravistaaz.gov for us to be able to access your form.
The SVPD Background Questionnaire is attached in fillable format. You can complete it and print a copy to turn to Human Resources at a date to be determined after you have passed the physical and written tests.
It is important that you are thorough and honest when filling out these forms. Explanations should be provided in full detail where necessary.
If you have any questions, you can contact Recruiter Lilly Perry by email at or by calling 520-439-2370.
Under limited supervision, performs general or special duty police work.
FLSA status : Non-exempt.
Essential functions included in the job description may include tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. The list of tasks is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class.
Tasks
Work normally consists of :
Knowledges, Skills & Other Characteristics
Knowledge of :
Skill in :
Other Characteristics :
The City of Sierra Vista compensation details for the position of Police Officer are detailed below.
Candidates hired with no prior law enforcement experience will be hired at the police recruit pay and will remain at that pay until they complete the academy, field training and their probation period of one year; at which time, they will be placed at the police officer pay, step 1
Police Recruit Starting Hourly Pay
27.56
Military Joint Service transcripts are accepted. Accepted credits must be indicated as L-lower, U-upper or G-graduate. Vocational credits are not accepted.
Miltary joint service Official transcripts can be requested via the following links below :
Military One Source - JST information
Select -City of Sierra Vista as institution when ordering official transcripts.
American Council for Education - Military Guide
Additional Info :
Per Police Department policy, "Sworn Police Officers who live beyond thirty (30) miles of the corporate city limits will not be allowed to take home a city vehicle. Sworn Police Officers who reside within thirty (30) miles of the corporate city limits will be required to take a city vehicle home to meet department response requirement, unless otherwise approved by the Chief of Police."
Qualifications
1. Police officer candidates must be a minimum of 21 years old at the time of graduation from the police academy.
2. Any candidate must be a United States citizen.
3. Candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency certification.
4. Candidates must possess a valid Arizona driver's license at time of employment.
5. C andidates must demonstrate :
A. Visual acuity of :
1) 20 / 20 or better, uncorrected; or
2) 20 / 80 or better, corrected to 20 / 20 by spectacles or hard contact lenses; or
3) 20 / 200 or better, corrected to 20 / 20 by soft contact lenses.
B. Vision capable of distinguishing basic color groups against a favorable background; and
C. Peripheral vision :
1) that does not reveal scotoma or quadrantonopia; or
2) in which vision perimeter testing is intact at one-hundred and seventy degrees.
6. Candidates must possess uncorrected hearing with no loss greater than 25db in the 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 hertz frequencies as measured by an audiometer.
7. Candidates must not have been convicted of a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in Arizona.
8. Candidates must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor criminal offense involving moral turpitude in Arizona or in any state or federal jurisdiction where the commission of such a criminal offense would be a misdemeanor as defined by the Arizona Revised Statutes.
9. Candidates must not have been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
10. Candidates must be able to meet the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (AZ POST) certification requirements
11. Candidates must not have been previously denied certified status, had a certification revoked, or have current certified status under suspension pursuant to AZ POST Section R13-4-109.
12. Candidates must not have :
A. used marijuana within the past two (2) years; however, applicants who have not used marijuana within the last six months (6) but do not meet the 2 year requirement may still be eligible for an AZPOST waiver and will be considered on case by case basis
B. used marijuana while employed or appointed as a peace officer.
13. Candidates must not have illegally :
A. used dangerous drugs or narcotics other than marijuana within the
B. used dangerous drugs or narcotics other than for experimentation (The use
C. sold, produced, cultivated, or transported for sale any dangerous
drugs or narcotics; or
D. used dangerous drugs or narcotics while employed or appointed as a
peace officer.
14. Candidates must not have a pattern of abuse of prescription drugs.
15. Candidates must not have been convicted of a violation of or adjudged to have violated traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles with such
a frequency so as to indicate disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highway within the past three (3) years.
16. Police officer candidates must possess an associate degree or equivalent number of units (60) from an accredited college or meet the requirements for the AZ POST and AAS in Administration of Justice through Cochise College. If applicants do not have a minimum of an associate degree or 60 college credits but have a minimum of 30 college credits or 30 joint Service Military Credits
Applicants will be required to meet both conditions listed above, attend the academy of the department's choosing and will be required to pay any applicable fees for the college credits as a condition of employment. College credit hours and / or Degree must be from an institution accredited as recognized by the U.S Department of Education as indicated in the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.
In addition to the minimum requirements (1-16), the successful candidate must meet
the established requirements of each phase in the testing process in order to
proceed to the next phase :
Written Examination
Physical Fitness Test
Oral Board Interview
Background Investigation
Psychological Examination
Polygraph Examination
Drug Screening
Eye / Hearing / Medical Examination
Please note this process could take three to six months to complete.
AZ POST certified applicants do not have to take the SVPD written exam but are
required to take a general vocabulary and reading comprehension exam and must
meet the established requirements of each phase in the testing process in order
to proceed to the next phase :
Physical Fitness Test
Oral Board Interview
Background Investigation
Psychological Examination
Polygraph Examination
Drug Screening
Eye / Hearing / Medical Examination
phase of the selection process, they cannot re-apply for one year from the date
of disqualification. Candidates for police officer must demonstrate that they
are physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of executing the position
requirements. Police officers are expected to be well-groomed, possess
high moral standards, work well in a team effort setting, possess functional
verbal and written communication skills, and work on a rotating shift schedule.
The City of Sierra Vista offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes but is not limited to :
Medical Insurance City pays 100% of the health plan premium for employees.
Dental Insurance City pays 100% of the dental plan premium for employees.
Short-Term Disability City pays 100% of the short-term disability plan premium for employees.
Life Insurance City provides $50,000 in term life insurance with up to $250,000 in additional insurance available for purchase by the employee.
Other Benefits City offers vision insurance, AFLAC, Legal Shield, education assistance, and health club membership discount.
Retirement City of Sierra Vista participates in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS); a defined benefit plan. Mandatory employee contribution rate is currently 12.41%.
Police and Fire personnel participate in the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS). Mandatory employee contribution rate range is currently 7.65% - 11.65% depending on eligible tier with PSPRS.
All employees are eligible to participate in a voluntary deferred compensation plan.
Vacation Employees earn twelve vacation days per year, available for use after six months, with increases to accrual rates in five-year service increments.
Additional Time Off / Sick Leave Employees earn twelve paid sick days per year for use after one month.
Holidays Employees are provided twelve paid holidays per year.
Do you have a High School Diploma OR G.E.D.?
Do you possess a valid Peace Officer Certification?
Do you possess a valid Peace Officer Certification from another state?
Which State do you possess a valid Peace Officer Certification from?
How many years of Certified Police officer experience do you possess?
Which best describes your level of education?
How many College credits do you have?
How many joint service Military credits do you have?
Applicants that do not have an associate degree or 60 college credits must have a minimum of 30 college credits before beginning the academy in order to reach 60 credits or obtain their Associates upon graduation from the academy.Candidates will start at recruit pay until they are AZPOST certified and completed the SVPD field training program.
Applicants that do not have a minimum of 30 college credits but have a minimum of 27 college credits will be allowed to enter the testing process on the following terms : -Applicant must enroll in a minimum 3 credit course prior to a scheduled oral board.-Enrollment paperwork will need to be submitted for background review prior to a scheduled oral board.-Successful completion of the course and a minimum of 30 college credits is required upon hire in order to reach 60 credits or obtain their Associates during the academy.
Police) Have you ever received a criminal or traffic citation, excluding parking citations?
Police) If yes, please describe below including the dates, location, charge and penalty for each incident.
Police) Have you ever been convicted or found guilty of any crime by any civilian or military court?
Police) If you have been convicted or found guilty, please explain including the date, location, charge and penalty for each incident.
Police) Are you now or have you ever been a member of, or associated with, attending, or participated in, any organization, association, movement, group or combination of persons which advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government, or which as adopted the policy of advocating or approving the commission of acts of force or violence to deny other persons their rights under the Constitution of the United States or which seeks to alter the form of government of the United States by unconstitutional means?
Police) Do you meet the minimum qualifications of the position of which you are applying as outlined in the job announcement?
Police) Have you previously applied for the position of Police Officer with the Sierra Vista Police Department?
Police) If yes, when?
Police) Police Officer candidates must be a minimum of 21 years old before graduating from the academy, per Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.Are you 21 or older or will you turn 21 while attending the Arizona Peace Officer's Training Academy?
Per Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board any candidate who applies must be a United States citizen. Are you a United States citizen?
Have you used marijuana within the past two (2) years? All forms of marijuana, including THC extracts, cannabis, hashish, marijuana extracts, marijuana edibles, and all forms of use will be treated the same.
If you answered "yes" to using marijuana in the last two years, when was the last time you used marijuana? Please indicate a month and year.
Have you sold, produced, cultivated, or transported any drug (other than Marijuana), for sale?
Have you used drugs (other than prescribed medication) other than marijuana within the past seven (7) years?
Have you used drugs other than marijuana for experimentation in excess of five (5) times total?
Have you used marijuana in excess of five (5) times since the age of 21 years?
Have you used drugs (other than prescribed medication), other than marijuana, in excess of one (1) time since the age of 21 years)?
I understand and agree, Per the Police Department policy, "Sworn Police Officers who live beyond thirty (30) miles of the corporate city limits will not be allowed to take home a city vehicle or hold specialty positions requiring on-call status. Sworn Police Officers who reside within thirty (30) miles of the corporate city limits will be required to take a city vehicle home to meet department response requirement, unless otherwise approved by the Chief of Police."
I understand that I must posses a valid Arizona driver license at time of employment.
SIERRA VISTA POLICE DEPARTMENT MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR POLICE OFFICER1. Police officer candidates must be a minimum of 21 years old at the time of graduation from the police academy. 2. Any candidate must be a United States citizen. 3. Candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency certification. 4. Candidates must possess a valid Arizona driver's license at time of employment. 5. Candidates must demonstrate : A. Visual acuity of : 1) 20 / 20 or better, uncorrected; or 2) 20 / 80 or better, corrected to 20 / 20 by spectacles or hard contact lenses; or 3) 20 / 200 or better, corrected to 20 / 20 by soft contact lenses. The candidate must demonstrate satisfactory adaptation to the contacts; B. Vision capable of distinguishing basic color groups against a favorable background; and C. Peripheral vision : 1) that does not reveal scotoma or quadrantonopia; or 2) in which vision perimeter testing is intact at one-hundred and seventy degrees. 6. Candidates must possess uncorrected hearing with no loss greater than 25db in the 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 hertz frequencies as measured by an audiometer. 7. Candidates must not have been convicted of a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in Arizona. 8. Candidates must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor criminal offense involving moral turpitude in Arizona or in any state or federal jurisdiction where the commission of such a criminal offense would be a misdemeanor as defined by the Arizona Revised Statutes. 9. Candidates must not have been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.10. Candidates must be able to meet the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (AZ POST) certification requirements 11. Candidates must not have been previously denied certified status, had a certification revoked, or have current certified status under suspension pursuant to AZ POST Section R13-4-109. 12. Candidates must not have : A. used marijuana within the past two (2) years; B. used marijuana while employed or appointed as a peace officer. 13. Candidates must not have illegally : A. used dangerous drugs or narcotics other than marijuana within the past seven years; B. used dangerous drugs or narcotics other than for experimentation (The use of dangerous drugs or narcotics is presumed to be greater than experimentation if the use exceeds five (5) times total, or exceeds one time since the age of 21 years); C. sold, produced, cultivated, or transported for sale any dangerous drugs or narcotics; or D. used dangerous drugs or narcotics while employed or appointed as a peace officer. 14. Candidates must not have a pattern of abuse of prescription drugs. 15. Candidates must not have been convicted of a violation of or adjudged to have violated traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles with such a frequency so as to indicate disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highway within the past three (3) years.16. Police officer candidates must possess an associate degree or equivalent number of units (60) from an accredited college or meet the requirements for the AZ POST and AAS in Administration of Justice through Cochise College. If applicants do not have a minimum of an associate degree or 60 college credits but have a minimum of 30 college credits or 30 joint Service Military Credits
The City of Sierra Vista supports a drug and alcohol free workplace. Conditional offers of employment will be given for positions that require pre-employment drug and controlled substance tests. This includes but is not limited to : Amphetamines, Cocaine, Opiates, PCP, all form of marijuana including THC extracts, cannabis, hashish, marijuana extracts and marijuana edibles, and all forms of use will be treated the same. Employment is contingent upon negative test results.
In addition, employment is contingent upon passing a background investigation including fingerprint records check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Falsifying or omitting information during any stage of the selection process will make you ineligible for City employment at this time and in the future.
The City of Sierra Vista's primary means of communication with applicants is via email. Please add the domain sierravistaaz.gov to your email filter and monitor your spam mail to ensure prompt awareness of correspondences from the City of Sierra Vista.
Required Question
Salary : $57,325