Employment > Employment Stages

THE CHALLENGE

To meet the challenge of growth, the LVMPD must recruit and select hundreds of the most qualified candidates to fill commissioned and civilian support positions throughout the department. Finding and selecting quality employees involves the entire community. The LVMPD welcomes all citizens and interest groups to assist in this hiring effort.

This page outlines the department's commitment to a quality workforce and a new employment system to hire police and corrections recruits.

COMMITMENT TO A QUALITY WORKFORCE
The mission of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is to protect people, property and rights in our community. Hiring and training qualified individuals is central to the successful achievement of the LVMPD mission. These individuals are asked to accept the fundamental values of accountability, achievement, commitment, compassion, cooperation, innovation, integrity, leadership and tolerance. All current and potential employees are expected to measure their professional and personal actions with those values. The effort to recruit a qualified workforce is the responsibility of every LVMPD employee.
The department is committed to recruiting, selecting, and training a diverse, qualified workforce to serve the Las Vegas Community. The Human Resources Division is tasked with providing equitable recruitment, selection, background, and training systems that encourage the best local and out-of-state applicants to apply for positions with the department.

To be successful as an applicant with the LVMPD, an individual must demonstrate a variety of skills and work characteristics. Cognitive skills such as reasoning, observation, memory and recall are essential to good performance. Language skills, such as reading comprehension, listening, and various aspects of oral and written communication are required as well. An individual's interpersonal and interactive style, willingness to address difficult or challenging work requirements, and the need for conscientious, focused effort are critical to success as an officer. Other attributes include flexibility, cooperation, and teamwork, creating a professional impression, and accurate interpersonal perception. The selection process adopted by the LVMPD evaluates these skills and characteristics through a series of tests. Selection tools accurately select the best qualified candidates to perform the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities valued by the department.

Department Values and Statement of Fundamental Values

The values are the standards that the members of the organization exhibit in behavior. The values of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department are:

Integrity (Exhibits ethical behavior, honesty, maintains trust & confidentiality, keeps commitments, good example..........)
Courage (Stands up for what he/she believes in, does the right thing, supports others, flexible, adaptable to change........)
Accountability (Takes responsibility for actions, "owns" the decision, shows initiative, admits mistakes, self-directed.....)
Respect for others (Builds confidence, utilizes resources, provides recognition, appreciates differences, team player......)
Excellence (Positive & professional attitude, respect for learning, pride in work, high standards, creative, open mind.....)

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
The Personnel Bureau and Training Bureau have designed a systems approach to employment and training. Hiring qualified candidates can only be accomplished if qualified applicants are encouraged to work for the LVMPD. The effort to recruit a qualified workforce is the responsibility of every LVMPD employee. The department also calls upon community leaders, agencies and interest groups to support this employment effort. The Personnel Bureau is preparing pamphlets that will be available to anyone interested in employment with the LVMPD.

THE EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM / 4 Stages
STAGE ONE involves recruiting locally and out-of-state and pre-screening applicants for employment. STAGE TWO consists of a series of tests to evaluate an applicant's employment potential, with activities offered quarterly to encourage applicants to participate in the LVMPD selection process. STAGE THREE includes an investigation of the character and history of each qualified applicant to ensure the applicant meets the department's hiring standards. STAGE FOUR facilitates the selection of the most qualified applicants through a selection committee and the preparation of each candidate for employment.
The following outline summarizes the activities of each Stage.

STAGE ONE: Recruitment and Pre-Screening

Recruiting:
With the assistance of the community, the LVMPD encourages applicants to prepare for a career in law enforcement. Recruitment officers hold symposiums, visit special interest groups, conduct employment seminars, and meet one-on-one with potential applicants. Men and women interested in law enforcement are encouraged to visit with a recruitment officer who will explain their career options and answer questions. Out-of-state recruiting trips will also be scheduled to attract qualified applicants to our community.

An informational brochure will be provided to potential applicants which includes information on the history of the department, career opportunities, and salary and benefits information. Additionally, the brochure outlines the minimum qualification each applicant must have to be considered for employment by the LVMPD.

Self-Screening Study Guide:
Applicants may print out a Self _Screening Study Guide from our website to assist them in preparing for the selection process. This guide will contain a detailed description of the selection process, an overview of the academy, and a description of the Field Training Evaluation Program (FTEP). The study guide contains sample test items, advice and tips for test preparation, effective test strategies, and a reading comprehension evaluation. The Reading Comprehension Test allows the potential applicant to evaluate his/her vocabulary, reading comprehension and reading rate. Remedial information including seminars or classes to improve skills will be made available through the Recruiting Officers.

STAGE TWO: Selection Testing

The selection testing process consists of the written examination, mini-background, physical fitness test and an oral interview. It is imperative that candidates are on time for all stages of the selection process. The LVMPD Late Policy is strictly enforced. Candidates are asked to arrive for their appointments a minimum of fifteen minutes early.

Written Examination:
The written examination (prepared by Darany and Associates) measures areas which have been determined to be important for success as a recruit. The examination evaluates the observation and memory skills, written communication skills, and reading comprehension. A section of the exam also measures the applicant's potential success in law enforcement by evaluating non-cognitive skills. The examination is scored immediately and weighted as a percentage of the applicant's overall test score.

Minimum Qualifications/Background Screening:
Those individuals requesting to participate in the selection process will immediately complete a Minimum Qualifications/Background Screening Questionnaire upon successful completion of the written examination. The questionnaire is carefully reviewed by a background detective and any questions are answered. A law enforcement computer systems review is also completed to determine eligibility for employment based on the LVMPD's employment standards. This questionnaire determines if candidates possess the minimum qualifications to continue the selection process for Police or Corrections Recruit as described in the Civil Service Rules and Class Specification. Truthfulness and timeliness are imperative for all stages of the selection process.

Physical Fitness Test:
The Physical Fitness Test has been re-instituted Effective May 2003. A full description of the physical fitness test will be available on our websites soon. Candidates are also required to successfully pass a second fitness test prior to going into an academy

Oral Board:
The last evaluation is the oral board which is designed to evaluate the applicant's communication skills and potential as a law enforcement officer. The board consists of three supervisory-level commissioned officers who assess each candidate and prepare an immediate final oral board score. The Oral Board is also weighted and is a percentage of the applicant's overall test score.

Eligibility List and Civil Service Board Approval:
Those candidates who successfully complete each of the selection tests are rank ordered by test scores on an eligibility list to be approved by the Civil Service Board. Once the list has been established, background officers begin the comprehensive background process and notify the top candidates that they are potential candidates for employment. Each top candidate receives a conditional offer of employment.

For those candidates living out-of-state, STAGE TWO selection activities will be completed in one visit to the Las Vegas area.

STAGE THREE: Background Investigation

A comprehensive background investigation is completed on each potential candidate to ensure the candidate meets the LVMPD's strict hiring standards. The STAGE THREE background process includes: 1) a background interview, 2) written psychological test, 3) oral psychological interview, 4) polygraph examination and 5) medical examination.

Background Interview:
Each candidate is assigned to a background officer who reviews the candidate's Personal History Questionnaire/Polygraph Booklet that candidates are given at the conclusion of STAGE TWO and explores more in-depth background information. The background officer reviews the information about the candidate, conducts site inspections, and coordinates decisions with the psychologist and polygraph examiner. Candidates who arrive at their background interview without requested documentation or incomplete packets are subject to disqualification from the process. Any discrepancies between documents will be closely scrutinized. The background interview lasts approximately 2-3 hours.

Written Psychological Evaluation:
Administered by a contracted psychological service provider, the applicant completes an extensive written psychological evaluation. The psychological evaluation will not be scored until the applicant receives a conditional offer of employment with the LVMPD. The psychological evaluation consists of 1,170 questions and takes approximately 4-6 hours to complete.

Oral Psychological Interview:
The LVMPD has contracted psychological services to ensure the candidate is prepared to meet the conditions often faced by police and correction officers. The candidate must demonstrate a level of maturity and stability that will allow him/her to be successful and safe on the job.
Polygraph Examination:
Qualified polygraph examiners, who are LVMPD commissioned officers, evaluate the candidate's information to ensure it is truthful. Candidates are expected to provide truthful and consistent information. Failure to do so will disqualify the candidate from the hiring process.

Medical Examination:
The LVMPD has contracted for medical examination services. Each candidate completes the examination before beginning employment. Medical examinations are given to ensure a candidate is able to perform essential functions of the position. As an equal opportunity employer, the LVMPD is committed to the laws and regulations governing employment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Candidates will not be eliminated based on the medical examination unless they can not perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. For those candidates living out-of-state, STAGE THREE background activities will be completed in a single visit to the Las Vegas area.

STAGE FOUR: Final Review and Employment

Selection Committee Meeting :
The selection committee consists of the Human Resources and Patrol Division Commanders, (for police recruits), Detention Services Division Commander (for corrections recruits), and the Bureau Commander of Personnel. During the meeting, the candidate's background history, polygraph, and psychological evaluation are presented and reviewed by the committee. All candidates who successfully meet the LVMPD hiring standards will receive a final offer of employment.

HIRING STANDARDS
The LVMPD maintains strict hiring standards to evaluate potential candidates for employment. These standards apply to anyone working with the LVMPD, and include a candidate's arrest and conviction record, drug and alcohol use, citizenship, age, driver's license validity, education, previous employment record, military service, traffic violations and warrants. Semiannually these standards are reviewed by a hiring standards board to ensure the standards are clear and reflect the interests of the public. Board members include the Human Resources Division and Patrol Division Commanders and the Personnel Bureau Commander. Any changes to the standards are presented to the LVMPD Executive Staff for final approval.

EMPLOYMENT SCHEDULING
To effectively administer the employment system, the Personnel Bureau established a yearly schedule for recruitment, selection and background activities. Table One at the end of this booklet outlines the activities performed each month. The schedule provides continuous recruiting, quarterly testing, and semiannual background activities which will fill the February and August police academies and the January and July corrections academies.

PERSONNEL BUREAU TEAMS AND WORKGROUPS
The Personnel Bureau recently adopted a team and work group structure that considers the individual needs of each bureau and division within the department. Teams are established based on function (i.e., recruiting, selection, background) and employees are assigned to a team based on their classification and expertise. Workgroups are established across teams to improve lines of communication within the Personnel Bureau. These workgroups communicate directly with division or bureau staff serving as a Personnel Bureau liaison.

Work group members work closely with the division or bureau commander to perform such activities as evaluating staffing patterns, developing new classifications, conducting reclassification reviews, developing recruitment strategies, administering selection strategies and performing background investigations. Division nd bureau commanders will know immediately who to call within the Personnel Bureau to meet their personnel needs.

Additionally, a management team and operations team were identified to establish policy, develop operating guidelines and evaluate the employment system. These teams consist of the supervisory classifications within the Personnel Bureau.

As for police and corrections recruit employment activities, a selection committee was created to review the background file of each candidate to determine compatibility with the department's hiring standards. The committee also serves as the Hiring Standards Review Board and will continuously review and update the hiring standards to ensure the department's commitment to quality and the interests of the community are maintained.

PERSONNEL BUREAU: Teams and Workgroups

POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING

The police academy is scheduled twice a year: 19 weeks in the spring and 20 weeks in the fall. Recruits receive 781.5 hours of training and 681.5 hours of instruction.

Topics covered include:

Criminal, constitutional and civil law

• Firearms training
• Criminal investigations
• Report writing
• Patrol procedures
• Traffic enforcement
• Police administration
• Police professionalism and ethics
• Human relations and diversity
• Vehicle operations
• Defensive tactics and physical conditioning

The Police Recruits must maintain a 70 percent average in the following categories:

• Weekly written tests
• Random quizzes
• Mid term and final exams
• Practical problems
• Firearms training
• Defensive tactics
• Fitness training

In the past five years, recruits have averaged an approximate 85 percent success rate. The academy setting has proven to be a challenging and rewarding experience for the police recruits.

POLICE FIELD TRAINING EVALUATION PROGRAM
The goal of this program is to prepare new officers to perform as patrol officers in a competent, safe, and productive manner under the dynamic and sometimes uncontrolled conditions of the street.

This program is a minimum of 18 weeks long and is divided into three phases. The new officers ride and work with up to nine different field training officers while they are being evaluated in the program.

CORRECTIONS ACADEMY TRAINING
The corrections academy consists of 14 weeks of training, followed by an eight-week field training program. The LVMPD has scheduled a spring and fall academy four of the past six years.

During the 560 hours of the corrections academy, recruits receive academic training in the following areas:

• Corrections administration
• Professionalism
• Human behavior
• Health care in the detention setting
• Law for the detention setting
• Detention facility operations including such topics as booking, classification of inmates, crime scene and evidence preservation, direct inmate supervision, fingerprint processing, module operations, hostage/critical incidents and facility security. In addition various selective training such as firearms familiarization, fire safety and MSA training are provided.

During the academic raining, recruits are also trained in the area of defensive tactics.
Recruits are required to maintain a 70 percent grade-point average in the training of first aid, CPR, weekly exams, a searching practical exam, physical training, defensive tactics and report writing.

We look forward to having you as a member of our team and wish you the best of luck in the testing process. For additional questions, recruiters may be contacted at (702) 828-5601.