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Non-emergency 727-893-7780

Employment-Officer

Hiring Process

The application process typically takes three to four months to complete. Any applicant who is discontinued in the selection process will be notified of the timeframe as to when they may reapply. If you have any questions please call 727-892-5555 or email police.recruiter@stpete.org to speak to a recruiter.

Out of state and out of area (60 miles or 2 hours from the department)

  1. Applicants will meet with a background investigator by video conference to review their Personal History Questionnaire.
  2. The applicant will then be required to attend in person the oral board, polygraph examination, Physical Fitness Assessment, and the psychological evaluation, which will be scheduled over a four day period. The Command Staff will review the information obtained during these appointments to determine if the applicant will continue with the process. You will be notified of the outcome within one to two weeks.
  3. If selected to continue in the process, your background investigation will begin.
  4. Upon completion of your background investigation your file will be presented to the Command Staff for review.
  5. If you are Recommended for Hire we will contact you to return to complete the medical examination, ride along, and uniform fitting, which will be scheduled over a three day period.
  6. Once the medical clearance is received, we will call you with an official offer of employment.

Local applicants

All appointments are in person and will be held at the Police Headquarters, Police Training Annex, or medical facility. Applicants will have to successfully complete each step in the process before scheduling the next.

Click on each title to expand.

Apply for the Police Officer position through the City of St. Petersburg’s website. Successful completion of the CJBAT is required prior to applying unless you have an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces or associate degree or higher from an accredited college/university. Out of state Cadet applicants will need to complete the exam during their 1st set of appointments while completing theoral board, physical fitness assessment, polygraph examination, and psychological evaluation. Click here to get more information on registering for the CJBAT.

You will receive an email invitation to complete an online Personal History Questionnaire and submit all required documentation (Click here to get more information on the required documents). Once completed, your Personal History Questionnaire and documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the department's standards.

The interview will be held at the department headquarters and take approximately 2 hours. You will be required to complete a writing sample and a panel interview. The panel will consist of members of the command staff and a community representative. You will be asked various types of questions to include scenario questions, standard job interview questions and questions about yourself. This will be your “job interview” so please prepare and dress appropriately.
Cadet applicants will be required to complete the Coopers Standards of Fitness at the 10% threshold in all categories. EOT/FL Certified applicants will be required to test in all categories, however; are required to meet the 10% threshold in push-ups, sit-ups, and either the 1.5 mile run or 300 meter run. (Click here to get more information about the department Fitness Standards)
The background investigator will review your Personal History Questionnaire and answer any questions you may have. The interview will take approximately 2 hours.
The examination will be held at the department headquarters and take approximately 3-4 hours. The polygraph examiner will review your Personal History Questionnaire and conduct a polygraph examination.
The assessment will be held at the physician's office and take approximately 4-5 hours. This is an assessment of vocational traits needed to perform the duties of a law enforcement officer (e.g., multi-tasking, interpersonal skills, maturity, etc).
The background investigation is conducted to verify information reported during your PHQ interview and polygraph examination. This information includes your credit history, driving record, employment history, education, military records, any contact with law enforcement, drug usage, etc. We will contact your neighbors, references, employers, and any other contacts that can provide verification. The investigation typically takes 4-8 weeks to complete. You will be contacted by your background investigation once the investigation begins. At this point, your background investigator will be your point of contact.
Your file will be presented to the command staff and a hiring decision will be made. Regardless of the outcome you will be notified of the hiring decision.
You will spend a ten hour shift with an experienced patrol officer observing their daily activities. You will be under the direct supervision of the officer and will be prohibited from assisting in any interviews, investigations or other law enforcement duties.
The medical exam is administered to determine if the applicant is capable of performing the necessary functions of the job. The exam and drug test will be conducted at our contracted medical facility.
You will be notified once you have successfully completed all the steps in the application process. At this time, an official offer of employment will be given.

Please ensure that you are honest, truthful and forthcoming with all information. Any applicant who intentionally makes a false statement of a material fact, practiced or attempted to practice any deception or fraud in his/her application, examination or in securing his/her eligibility for appointment will be discontinued from the process. All information obtained during the selection process will be subject to review for truthfulness and integrity during a polygraph examination and a background investigation.

Police Officer

Questions?

Please contact our Recruitment Department with any questions regarding the hiring process. (727)892-5555 Police.recruiter@stpete.org

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