Police Officer (Lateral)

City of Minneapolis; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dedicated team in a vibrant city as a Police Officer, where your commitment to public service makes a difference. In this full-time role, you will patrol neighborhoods, enforce laws, and protect citizens while navigating various challenges. Engage in a dynamic work environment that values character, judgment, and effective communication. This position offers a unique opportunity to impact the community positively while working alongside experienced professionals. If you are passionate about law enforcement and community service, this is your chance to contribute meaningfully to the safety and well-being of residents and visitors alike.

Qualifications

• Must have a valid driver's license and Minnesota POST license.
• 1 year of previous law enforcement experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Patrol assigned areas to enforce laws and protect life.
• Conduct investigations and prepare reports for criminal prosecution.
• Respond to alarms and emergencies, ensuring public safety.

Skills

Public Service Commitment

Effective Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Judgment

Empathy

Compassion

Education

High School Diploma

Valid Minnesota POST License

Tools

Computer Terminals

Job description

As the largest and most vibrant city in the state, Minneapolis depends on purposeful, dedicated and innovative employees. Minneapolis has a large variety of careers for people of all experiences and backgrounds who come together for a singular purpose—serving the residents, businesses and visitors of Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Police Department is looking for experienced Police Officer candidates - people who have a strong sense and commitment for public service, outstanding character, sound judgment, excellent work ethic, effective oral and written communication skills, interpersonal tact, empathy, and compassion.

This is a full-time position and requires variable work shifts, including weekends and holidays.

Officers hired in this lateral hiring process will participate in a one-month orientation and onboarding process rather than the Minneapolis Police Recruit Officer Academy. After successful completion of orientation, Officers will then participate in a three-month FTO, with the potential of an extension if needed.

Work Location:
This position currently works on-site only.

The City of Minneapolis does not sponsor applicants for work visas.

• Patrol assigned area to enforce laws, detect and prevent crime and protect life and property.
• Apprehend and arrest law violators (including probable cause arrests), prepare written reports of crimes and assist in the prosecution of violators.
• Draft and execute arrest warrants and make probable cause arrests.
• Establish probable cause, draft, prepare and execute search warrants.
• Conduct follow-up investigations for criminal prosecution of criminal and traffic complaints.
• Enforce traffic laws conducting traffic, marking and tagging vehicles, making written reports of accidents and investigating and reconstructing serious or fatal traffic accidents.
• Collect, evaluate, investigate, protect and preserve evidence at crime or accident scenes.
• Conduct surveillance of suspected criminal activity and provide undercover operations to identify and apprehend suspects.
• Interview and/or interrogate witnesses, victims and suspects and draft formal statements for presentation in court, including testifying in court on criminal and civil matters.
• Record and investigate complaints from citizens, including those on the conduct and actions of officers.
• Respond to residential and business alarms for intrusion, robbery or other emergencies.
• Protect the rights and safety of all individuals, including political figures and dignitaries.
• Recover and assume preliminary custody of lost, stolen or abandoned property.
• Conduct follow-up investigations for criminal prosecution on traffic and criminal complaints.
• Function as a Field Training Officer (FTO) supplementing academy instruction through field experience and serving as a final step in the officer selection process. Evaluate recruits on a daily basis and share information with supervisors.
• Operate various computer terminals to enter and retrieve essential information.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Exposure to hazardous conditions and life-threatening situations.

Licenses:

• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Valid Minnesota POST license or the ability to obtain one prior to date of hire.

Experience:

• Previous Law Enforcement Experience (1 year preferred). The department reserves the right to determine the nature and extent of training necessary for a candidate to be considered for the Police Officer position.

State Requirements:

• Must not have a felony conviction.
• Must successfully pass the MPD background investigation. Current Minnesota POST Board Certification.

Medical/Psychological Exams:
Candidates must be deemed medically and psychologically fit and successfully pass a drug and alcohol screening prior to hire.

Physical Requirements:
Police work is physically and mentally demanding. During the Lateral Onboarding process, candidates will participate in and be assessed on MPD Police Officer fitness goals. This position requires standing, walking, sitting, talking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, reach with hands and arms. Must be able to lift up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Requires close distance color, peripheral vision with ability to adjust focus.

Selection Process:
Candidates unable to complete any portion of this process will not be eligible to move forward in the hiring process.

Selection Steps and Tentative Timeline:
Applications will be reviewed as needed. Applications received within each period will be processed through the described selection process as a group. Candidates will be notified by email with instructions or information for each step below:

• Application Review: Review and screen applications approximately as needed.
• Training & Experience: Review training and experience.
• Department Interviews: Department interviews are held virtually via National Testing Network (NTN) while candidates are undergoing their background investigation.
• Backgrounds: Selected candidates will move to the background investigation, completed by MPD. A successful background investigation places candidates on a continuous eligible list of qualified candidates.
• Conditional Job Offers: A final selection and conditional job offer will be made upon passing background investigations and Department Interviews.
• Medical Exams: Pre-employment medical exams, including work simulation tests and psychological exams, are held within one week of conditional job offer.
• Begin Work: Employment begins 3-4 weeks from successfully completing all medical exam components.

Union Representation:
This position is represented by Police Officers Federation: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/hr/laboragreements/labor-agreements_police_index

Eligible List Statement:
The names of applicants who meet minimum qualification and who pass the screening process shall be placed on a continuous eligible list for employment consideration. This list will be certified in groups to the hiring manager who may use the list to fill a vacancy of the same job title on an ongoing basis. A candidate’s eligibility for consideration will expire 6 months after date of certification.

Interview Selection:
The hiring authority reserves the right to determine the maximum number of candidates to interview from the certified list. If the hiring authority decides to interview other than by exam score order, they may select additional people to interview based on a candidate's education or experience related to the field, work history, or skills uniquely related to the operational needs of the position.

• Must maintain Minnesota POST licensing with completion of forty-eight credit hours every three years.
• Knowledge of the laws, ordinances and police procedures as they apply to situations encountered on duty.
• Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment in emergency situations.
• Ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States with no felony convictions.
• Ability to distinguish the colors red, yellow and green and vision correctable to 20/40 in both eyes.
• Possess standard hearing average threshold without correction of any worse than a 40-decibel loss on the average at 500, 1,000 and 3,000 Hertz frequencies in the better ear.
• Must pass medical/psychological examination prior to hire.
• Medical examination will include drug and alcohol screening tests.
• Must maintain physical fitness levels according to standards set by the Minneapolis Police Department as a term and condition of continued employment.
• Must pass thorough background investigation that includes meeting department standards regarding acceptable employment history, honesty, driving and conviction records.

The City of Minneapolis is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.