Law Enforcement Hiring Processes

Police/Deputy Hiring Process

There are many reasons why cities or counties are hiring law enforcement officers. Whether it is because of staffing levels or raised budget allowances, the process of hiring new officers in most places is very intense. There is of course the interview process like any job hiring but after that, there can be an agility course, polygraph testing, drug testing, or many other courses or testing that a particular agency requires. These processes are meant to weed out the weaker candidates in order to find the ideal law enforcement officer to work for them.

The recruiting trend of hiring law enforcement officers has gotten more involved and there are many more requirements now compared to years ago. Take for example the application one must fill out to even be considered for police employment. I researched applications for Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Winter Haven Police Department, and Clermont Police Department, and the applications were from 5 to 15 pages. In the applications, besides the basic information about the applicant, there are questions that will range from about criminal offenses to listing all of their relatives. Gathering all of this information is important for the agency because it will also be used for the background investigation that will be conducted on the applicants. Some departments such as the Clermont Police Department will hold off on doing the background investigation until after they have passed the other requirements for their process. Background checks are very important because it allows the employer to check criminal records, if any and to see if there is anything else that comes up that applicant neglected to include in their application. It should be noted that felony convictions, no matter how insignificant, can preclude the applicant from applying for a law enforcement job. It is state law in some states that felons are never allowed to work in any area of law...