Police Cadet

City of Gastonia; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

Are you ready to embark on a career dedicated to serving and protecting your community? The City of Gastonia Police Department values integrity, professionalism, and excellence, and we're looking for motivated individuals who share these principles to join our team as Cadets. As Cadets, individuals gain the invaluable knowledge and experience needed to be successful law enforcement officers while also earning a base salary.

The City of Gastonia Police Cadet Program is a trainee position for candidates interested in starting a career in law enforcement but lacking Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). BLET is a 16-week-long academy offered for individuals interested in completing the certification requirements to become a law enforcement officer in the state of North Carolina.

BLET provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for entry-level employment as law enforcement officers with the state, county, or municipal governments. During BLET, 36 topics and methods of instruction are covered, such as criminal, juvenile, civil, traffic, and alcohol beverage laws; investigative, patrol, custody, and court procedures; emergency responses; and ethics and community relations. Upon successful completion of the BLET course and the training program, Cadets will become Police Officers I, II, or III based on their education. While in BLET, individuals must be able to perform or have knowledge of each function satisfactorily and be able to attend classes regularly, as attendance is mandatory.

The following aspects are typical attributes individuals need to successfully pass BLET courses:

• Knowledge of modern law enforcement principles, practices, and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; Ability to read and write at a 12th grade level.
• Ability to meet and speak with members of the community with courtesy and tactfulness; Ability and willingness to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, subordinates, and the general public.
• Ability to use computer and applicable software applications; learn standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.
• Ability to analyze situations accurately and use sound judgment in selecting quick, effective, and responsible courses of action; Ability to act quickly and properly in emergencies.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimally qualified starting pay: $24.5701

• High School Diploma or GED equivalency required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving history.
• Must be 20 years of age.
• Must be a US citizen.
• Must not have been convicted of any felony or:

1. a crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years; or
2. a crime or unlawful act defined as a “Class B misdemeanor” within five years before the date of application for employment unless the individual intends to seek certification through the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission; or
3. four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class B Misdemeanors,” regardless of the date of conviction; or
4. four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class A misdemeanors,” except the trainee may be enrolled if the last conviction occurred more than two years before the date of enrollment; or
5. a combination of four or more “Class A Misdemeanors” or “Class B Misdemeanors,” regardless of the date of conviction, unless the individual intends to seek certification through the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The application and interviewing process will need to be completed entirely in order to qualify for enrollment in one of the following participating colleges with BLET courses for 2024:

Gaston College	July 22 – November 14, 2024
Cleveland Community College	August 15 – December 13, 2024
Catawba Valley Community College	July 24 – December 6, 2024

Drug screening, criminal background, polygraph, psychological, and reference checks are required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The City of Gastonia is committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that is inclusive, equitable, and welcoming to all. We value diversity and promise to honor your experiences, perspective, and unique identity.

The City of Gastonia is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/H).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

The Physical Activity of this position includes:

• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like, using feet, legs and/or hands and arms.
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at the knee to come to rest on the knee or knees.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the leg and spine.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward.
• Pulling: Using the upper extremities to exert force to draw, drag, haul, or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture, by touching the skin, particularly the fingertips.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas using the spoken word.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal spoken word levels with or without correction.
• Repetitive Motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

The physical requirements of this position include:

• Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, /or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

The visual acuity requirements include color, depth perception, and field of vision:

The work requires close visual acuity to perform one or more of the following:

• Preparing and analyzing data and figures.
• Accounting.
• Transcription.
• Computer terminal.

The conditions the worker will be subject to in this position include:

• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: activities occur inside and outside.
• The worker is subject to extreme cold: temperatures below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour.
• The worker is subject to extreme heat: temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour.
• The worker is subject to atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions affect the respiratory system or the skin: Fumes, odors, dust, mists, gases, or poor ventilation.