Pocatello Police Entry Level Hiring Process

The City of Pocatello Police Department follows the Police Officer selection requirements established by the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council. The selection process is very thorough and, as a result, can be time consuming. The following provides the minimum qualifications and a general description of various components of our selection process.

Minimum Qualifications

  • United States citizen
  • 21 years of age or older
  • High school education (or equivalent)
  • Minimum of two (2) years of responsible experience following high school
  • Valid driver’s license
  • Computer experience

Police Entry Level Exam

To be considered for employment as a police officer with Pocatello Police Department, you must meet the minimum qualifications and pass the entry level exam with a minimum passing score of 70%. Come prepared! The exam, held annually, establishes an eligible register in rank order of exam scores. The eligible register is then used to hire new police officers for a period of one year (unless the list is exhausted prior to that date).

Veteran’s Preference, POST, and Education

You may qualify for additional points on the entry level exam if you are eligible for veteran’s preference. You may also qualify for additional points if you are Idaho POST certified, or certifiable, or if you possess an associate’s degree or greater. Points are added to the passing entry level exam score.

Application

If you are interested in taking the entry level exam, you must submit an application by opening the City of Pocatello Employment Opportunities page and clicking the Apply button under Police Officer Recruit. If the application is not open, it is because we are currently in the process of an entry level exam. The position will reopen after the test window closes. You may either wait until the position is posted again, or you can be notified about the next test date by filling out the Police Entry Level Exam Notification Form.

Screening Process

Interview

Police officer recruit applicants will participate in an oral interview conducted by a panel made up of a cross section of the Pocatello Police Department. The interview may be used to eliminate candidates from the established hiring list.

Disqualifiers

The Pocatello Police Department has set hiring standards for its police officers. During the hiring process, information may be revealed that would disqualify an individual from being hired as a police officer such as:

  • Felony criminal record
  • Certain misdemeanors
  • Driver’s license suspension within five (5) years of application
  • DUI conviction within five (5) years of application
  • More than one (1) DUI conviction in a lifetime
  • More than five (5) moving traffic convictions within three (3) years of application
  • Drug or alcohol dependency
  • Illegal use or sale of controlled substances 

For more information about police officer hiring standards, you may contact the Police Department Recruitment Office at 208-234-6129.

Decision and Offer Process

Senior Staff Review

Information acquired from the background investigation, is reviewed by the senior staff of the Pocatello Police Department.

Conditional Job Offer

If at this stage of the selection process, you have met the requirements and a job vacancy exists, you will receive a job offer, conditional on meeting the following requirements:

  • Truth Verification Test
  • Medical, vision, and hearing examinations
  • Psychological Suitability Assessment
  • Physical Fitness Test
    You must successfully pass the physical fitness test approved by P.O.S.T. The exam consists of the following:
    • Vertical Jump: minimum of 14 inches
    • Sit-ups: minimum of 15 repetitions in one minute
    • Maximum Push-ups: minimum of 21 repetitions
    • 300-meter Run: maximum time of 77 seconds
    • 1.5-mile Run: maximum of 17 minutes and 17 seconds

Onboarding Process

POST Academy

If selected as a police officer and you are not POST certified or certifiable, you will be required to attend and pass the 10-week POST Academy in Boise, Idaho. You can learn more about the Idaho POST Academy at their web site at post.idaho.gov. Alternatively, the Pocatello Police Department may choose to send qualified candidates through the 15-week Idaho State University Law Enforcement Program in Pocatello, Idaho. The Idaho State University program is an Idaho POST-approved training academy.

Field Training

All new police officers must successfully complete a 16-week field training program conducted by the Pocatello Police Department. The training can be shortened or lengthened, depending on need.

Probationary Period

All new police officers must successfully complete a one-year probationary period. A condition of probation is that the employee must again pass the P.O.S.T physical fitness test at the end of their probationary period.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
VETERAN'S PREFERENCE