Patrol Officer

This position is responsible for the enforcement of federal, state, and local laws and the protection of life and property in one of the safest cities in Iowa. An incumbent in this position may patrol the city to detect and deter criminal activity and traffic violations, conduct investigations, prepare reports and other related law enforcement duties.

The Pella Police Department has 18 full-time officers, 2 reserve officers, and 7 civilian employees who provide public safety services to the citizens of Pella.

Successful candidates must meet minimum hiring standards for law enforcement officers as defined in Iowa Administrative Code 501 Chapter 2 https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/chapter/01-12-2022.501.2.pdf, as well as attaining an associate degree from an accredited college or university, 64 college credit hours, or a combination of college and applicable training and experience.

Successful candidates will be scheduled for a written examination (POST Exam), physical fitness testing, and interviews.

The physical fitness assessment requirements are established by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and the Pella Police Department will utilize those guidelines for our candidate testing. The test is gender and age based and includes sit ups, push-ups, and a mile and a half run. These tests will provide department staff an assessment of the candidate's strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. Certified officer candidates will be required to take the physical fitness assessment per departmental guidelines. The Iowa Law Enforcement Physical Testing Standards can be found at https://ilea.iowa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Form-PTStandards.pdf

The National Police Officer Selection Test (called POST) is used as an entry-level written test to gauge mental skills, basic intelligence, and education level in police applicants. The POST is a crucial step in the police officer selection and a score of 70% on each section is required according to Iowa Law Endowment Academy standards. Applicants who are ILEA certified are not required to take the POST and will be awarded 100 points in lieu of taking the exam. A study guide for the POST exam may be found at: https://www.applytoserve.com/Study/