Police Officer - Out of State Lateral Program

City of Lynchburg; Lynchburg (VA); On-site; USD 51,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Virginia Retirement System (VRS)

Life insurance

Paid Time Off

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

City of Lynchburg Police Department seeks out-of-state certified police officers for a lateral transfer program. Eligible candidates will attend an abbreviated DCJS Option 5 academy, with lodging and meals provided if outside Lynchburg, and begin at Recruit/PO with a starting salary of $50,502.40.

Applicants must have 3+ years of continuous law enforcement experience, be under 24 months since last employment, and meet Virginia code requirements.

Qualifications

• Must have 3+ years of continuous law enforcement experience.
• Must be out of law enforcement employment for less than 24 months.
• Must meet all Virginia code requirements for police officers.

Responsibilities

• Operate a patrol vehicle to observe violations and disturbances.
• Respond to dispatched calls and enforce laws.
• Conduct traffic stops, investigations, and report writing.
• Serve warrants, make arrests, and testify in court.
• Participate in training and field training of junior officers.
• Assist at special events and provide public services.

Skills

Lateral transfer eligibility

Law enforcement experience

Driver's license

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associates degree preferred

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

Out of State Certified Law Enforcement Officers Only*

The Lynchburg Police Department is currently offering a lateral transfer program for out of state Certified Police Officers. Out of State Certified Police Officers will complete this application, attend a testing event (physical agility test & oral board interview), polygraph examination, psychological examination, background investigation, medical examination and psychological examination prior to employment. Upon hire Officers will attend an abbreviated DCJS approved Option 5 (8-week) academy. Lodging, transportation and meals will be provided by the department during this time if the Option 5 academy is out outside of Lynchburg region.

Out of State Certified Police Officer candidates must meet the following criteria to be considered:

• Must have at least 3 years/36 months of continuous law enforcement experience commensurate with those of a Lynchburg Police Department law enforcement officer (i.e. respond to calls for service, take reports of crime, conduct traffic stops, issue summons, make arrests).
• Be out of law enforcement employment for less than 24 months.
• Must be in good standing with former employers.
• Must meet all requirements of 15.2-1705 Code of Virginia - https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter17/section15.2-1705/

Out of State Certified Police Officer candidates may be eligible for the following benefits:

• $5,000 sign-on bonus after VA DCJS Law Enforcement Academy completion
• 40 hours of vacation time and 40 hours of sick time upon hire
• 100% of Law Enforcement Officer credit will be used to determine salary and rank. (Jail officers, courtroom security officers, sworn security officers, and any other sworn officer that has not conducted policing similar to the responsibilities of a Lynchburg Police Officer are not eligible.)

Out-of-state lateral hires will be employed at the rank of Recruit/PO (Starting Salary $50,502.40) and will remain in this rank until they complete a DCJS approved Option 5 police academy and FTO. Upon release from FTO, out of state lateral hires will be placed into the rank/level based on their out-of-state certified years of experience (see years of service information below).

Years of service an out-of-state Certified Officer must have before obtaining rank is:

• A minimum of 2 years to obtain POII ($53,006.80 - $55,723.20)
• A minimum of 4 years to obtain POIII ($57,512.00 - $79,185.60)

Essential Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Other duties to provide direct or indirect service to the citizens may be assigned.

• On assigned shift, operates a patrol vehicle to observe violations of traffic laws, suspicious activities or persons and disturbances of law and order;
• Responds to dispatched calls such as domestic situations, alarm, advice calls, etc.;
• Enforces local and state laws and issue summonses for parking and traffic violations;
• Works radar and conducts traffic checks;
• Interviews suspects, witnesses and victims regarding crime reported and completes detailed incident reports;
• Obtains and serves warrants, make arrests and testifies in court;
• Maintains various types of records and files such as personal court appearances;
• Conducts crime scene searches, collects and preserves evidence, and submits lab reports;
• Investigates and reports traffic accidents and directs traffic when necessary;
• Assists with criminal investigations, conducts stakeouts, presents evidence, interviews victims and witnesses, performs property and evidence duties;
• Reports unsafe conditions existing in street or other public facilities;
• Prepares detailed reports;
• Responds to animal control calls when animal warden is unavailable;
• Assists at special events such as crowd control at parades, VIP security, etc.;
• Provides public services such as unlocking vehicles and escorts;
• May serve as field training officer and instruct junior officers in proper police procedures, practices and techniques, use of equipment and departmental policy;
• Assists in the establishment of work schedules, assignment and supervision of work of subordinate officers; conducts roll call;
• Participates in the tactical response to special threat situations such as terrorism, hostage taking, and natural and man-made disasters or accidents; may be called upon to be a tactical training officer.

Additional Duties

• Other duties to provide direct or indirect service to the citizens may be assigned.
• When unusual situations occur and/or the City Manager declares a State of Emergency, all City employees may be required to accept special assignments and perform as needed to ensure appropriate service delivery.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Education And Experience Required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

High school diploma or GED required. Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree or higher education preferred.

Additional Requirements

Possession of valid Driver's License issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia and acceptable driving record according to City criteria. Must have at least three years of continuous valid licensing, no DUI convictions within the last three years, and an overall pattern of safe vehicle operation and driving habits.

Must successfully complete IS100 and IS700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 90 days of employment. May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.

The City offers an array of benefits combined with direct salary/wages in order to establish a total compensation package that supports the City's goals of attracting, rewarding, and retaining employees who are both representatives of the community and are also able to deliver exceptional services.

• Employees in full-time positions are eligible for the following benefits:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Retirement through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS); the City’s contribution is based on a rate determined bi-annually by the VRS Board and employees pay 5% of base pay (pre-tax) towards their VRS benefit
  • Life insurance at no cost to the employee
  • Optional benefits such as 457 deferred compensation, Roth IRA, flexible spending accounts, etc.
  • Eligibility for parental leave and tuition assistance
  • Paid Time Off
• Employees in hourly and part-time positions may be eligible for benefits depending on the position

Employees of the City of Lynchburg may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for federal student loans

Additional information about City benefits

can be found on our website and in the Employment Policies & Procedures