Police Officer - EXAM

City of Columbus; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Columbus is seeking Police Officers to protect the community through crime prevention, investigations, and law enforcement activities. Roles involve patrolling, responding to calls, pursuing suspects, and presenting evidence in court.

Candidates must meet age, education, citizenship, and licensing requirements and will undergo a structured examination process. The division emphasizes professional appearance, de-escalation, and ongoing training.

Qualifications

• Possession of a high school diploma or GED.
• At least twenty (20) years of age when applying, and at least twenty-one (21) years of age at sworn time.
• Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license at time of hire.
• A citizen of the United States of America.

Responsibilities

• Patrols assigned areas to prevent crimes and respond to questions, concerns, and complaints.
• Interacts with community to promote public safety and crime prevention.
• Responds to calls for police service and determines appropriate response; drives to the scene.
• Investigates reports by collecting accounts and evidence; maintains integrity of statements.
• Pursues suspects by foot or vehicle to effect an arrest; handles warrants via LEADS.
• Appears in court as a testifying officer and assists in enforcing court orders.
• Explains policies and laws to the public; prepares official forms and reports.
• Responds to disasters as a first responder and supports medical or mental health Transport.

Skills

De-escalation

Integrity

Communication

Active listening

Report writing

Policy knowledge

LEADS access

Diversity awareness

Pursuit skills

Arrest & safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Under general supervision, is responsible for serving and protecting the community by performing crime prevention, criminal investigations, and law enforcement activities; performs related duties as required.

(Any one position may not include all of the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all of the duties that may be performed.)

• Prepares for duty by properly wearing a uniform, ensuring all worn equipment is operational (i.e., body-worn camera, firearm, etc.), and inspecting the vehicle and its equipment to ensure readiness for duty;
• Interacts with members of the community to promote public safety and crime prevention; patrols an assigned area for the prevention of crimes; responds to questions, concerns, and complaints to resolve situations and to provide law enforcement services;
• Responds to calls for police service by assessing the information attained through dispatch, training, and experience to determine the type of situation and response needed; drives at appropriate speeds to safely arrive on scene;
• Appears at scenes of crimes, disputes, and vehicle accidents; visually and audibly evaluates victims, suspects, and scene layout to make an initial determination of safety and threat level; evaluates the needs of victims and bystanders;
• Investigates reports of crimes and complaints by collecting accounts of the incident and physical evidence to ensure the integrity of and to corroborate statements; identifies, collects, and protects evidence used in the commission of crimes or traffic offenses;
• Intervenes in disputes by actively listening to involved parties, maintaining visual contact with disputants, and asking relevant questions to determine the most appropriate strategy to protect the public and mediate disputes;
• Conducts pat-down searches, vehicle searches, and premises searches following proper procedures to ensure officer safety, public safety, and collection of evidence;
• Pursues suspects on foot or via bicycle, motorcycle, or motor vehicle to effect an arrest;
• Apprehends and/or charges persons responsible for criminal or traffic violations; confirms and executes existing warrants through the Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS);
• Determines appropriate violations of law by referring to the Ohio Revised Code or City Code to reflect accurate charges in citations, incident reports, accident reports, and arrest reports; issues initial court dates;
• Appears in court as a testifying officer, serves subpoenas, and assists in the enforcement of court orders;
• Facilitates medical or mental health treatment and social services for individuals and arranges the transportation of individuals to these facilities;
• Explains policies, directives, the Ohio Revised Code, Columbus City Code, or court activities to individuals to foster understanding of what is under an officer’s jurisdiction;
• Prepares official forms and reports and submits to superiors for appropriate actions;
• Responds to disasters as a first responder; manages evacuations, controls traffic in disaster areas, and uses protective equipment where hazardous materials may be present;
• Continuously learns, reviews, and stays up-to-date on current division policies, trainings, and procedures; maintains first aid, firearms, and other required certifications.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of de-escalation and conflict resolution strategies and techniques; ability to act with integrity in words and actions; ability to show respect, empathy, and compassion; ability to communicate verbally and actively listen, including in high duress situations; ability to learn and understand policies, rules, instructions, laws, regulations, first aid, and police related literature; ability to take proper law enforcement actions; ability to write clear and accurate reports; ability to understand and follow oral directions; ability to explain and defend reasoning, conclusions, and actions; ability to operate and provide ordinary care of motor vehicles and firearms; ability to meet current standards established by OPOTC; ability to obtain and maintain LEADS access; ability to accept individuals of diverse cultures; ability to deal effectively and equitably with persons of a different race, cultural background, or gender without racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic attitudes; ability to subdue person(s) resisting arrest; ability to pursue fleeing suspect(s); ability to run while wearing a duty belt and bulletproof vest; ability to drag or pull person(s); ability to climb up and over objects; ability to assess emergency needs; ability to diffuse situations; ability to recognize underlying problems; ability to recognize sounds and understand their significance; ability to visually recognize persons and their activities; ability to remain focused despite distractions; ability to multi-task; ability to maintain a professional demeanor in volatile, highly emotional, and high duress situations.

Qualifications

• Possession of a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalence (GED).
• At least twenty (20) years of age when applying, and at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of being sworn in.
• Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license at time of hire (appointment).
• A citizen of the United States of America.

SPECIAL NOTE

Police Officers must successfully pass the Division’s Basic Peace Officer Training Academy and Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) final exam.

The probationary period shall conclude three hundred sixty-five (365) days after being sworn in unless the City further extends the probationary period beyond the 365 days per Civil Service Rule XI (C).

Tattoo Policy

Applicants are expected to meet the Division's Tattoo policy at the time of hire.

Directive 11.01- Professional Appearance

• Shall have no visible tattoos on the head, neck, or hands.
• Shall have no tattoos (visible or not visible) that depict obscene or gang-related images or extremist or otherwise offensive images that may bring the Division into disrepute.
• No visible body modifications or gauges shall be permitted.
• No visible piercings with jewelry (other than the ears) shall be permitted.

Competitive

The examination phases will consist of:

1. Multiple-choice exam scored as pass or fail, weighted 0%
2. Situational Response Assessment (SRA), passing scores are weighted 100% Earned points may be added to the SRA for second language proficiency.
3. Submission of your Personal History Statement and required documents, weighted 0%

A preparation guide is available at https://new.columbus.gov/Government/Jobs/Police-Jobs/Becoming-a-Police-Officer

Candidates receiving a passing score on each phase of the exam will be placed on a banded eligible list for consideration.

Banded scores are:

• 90 and above are in Band 1,
• 80 to 89 are placed in Band 2, and
• 70 to 79 are placed in Band 3.

The City of Columbus is an Equal Opportunity Employer