New Britain - Entry Level Police Officer

NATURE OF WORK IN THIS CLASS: Under the immediate supervision of a Police Sergeant or other superior officer, performs basic law enforcement duties in the protection and safeguarding of life and property, the prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals and the preservation of peace in compliance with governing federal, state and local laws. Performs related work as required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND TASKS:  Arrest and detain persons.  Protect crime scene and collect evidence and information. Enforce DUI Traffic Laws and investigate traffic accidents.  Investigate and perform tasks and duties as required by law and departmental policies.  Operate patrol vehicle safely and within established guidelines. Execute motor vehicle stops. Conduct search and seizure. Use physical force/exertion.  Write accurate and factual police reports.  Use deadly force, as legally warranted. Conduct initial investigation of various crimes and events. Crisis intervention and conflict resolution. Perform general and directed patrol duties. Patrol a specified beat or district on foot, on motorcycle, on bicycle or in a police cruiser. Check doors and windows on business establishments. Escort prisoners to court.  Provide testimony in court. Directs traffic. Give information concerning the location of streets, routes and buildings. Controls crowds at fires, accidents and other scenes attracting a large group. Instruct in police training school when assigned. Communicate effectively verbally and in writing.  Identify and solve problems.  Interact with and assist residents and other community members in maintaining an orderly and safe community. Serve as a positive role model for children and youth.   Perform all functions in compliance with United States and Connecticut Constitution and applicable laws.  Be truthful at all times.  Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITY: Generally acquired with a high school or vocational school education or equivalent.   

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Applicant must be a United States Citizen
• Applicant must be 21 years of age
• Applicant must be a high school graduate (or have GED.)
• Possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license.
• Physical Agility – obtain a C.H.I.P card prior to taking Wonscore exam

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Character requirement: Candidates must meet the highest legal and ethical standards. No applicant will be accepted with any drug related conviction, felony conviction, conviction for any Class A or Class B misdemeanor or any conviction for domestic violence. Candidates will undergo a rigorous background investigation which includes at least one polygraph exam. A candidate's previous disqualification or elimination due to an unsatisfactory background investigation will be strongly analyzed and considered before application to this examination. Applicants may also be disqualified for poor employment history, recent use of illegal drugs, or previously undetected criminal activity or felonious behavior. Any omission, falsification, fabrication, lie or misleading statement shall automatically result in disqualification from further consideration.
2. Applicant must have reached his or her 20^th birthday at time of application, and 21st birthday at time of appointment.
3. Applicant must possess a valid Driver’s License at time of application. Applicant must possess and retain a current State of Connecticut Motor Vehicle Operator's License within six months of appointment. The City of New Britain Police Department must also deem an applicant's driving record satisfactory.
4. Applicant must successfully qualify on a thorough medical examination including, but not limited to vision, weight in proportion to height and other minimum acceptable standards as determined by physician(s) selected by the City. This phase is the post-offer, pre-employment physical examination.
5. Applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America at time of application.
6. Applicant must reside within an approved list of towns after completing probation.
7. Applicant must have sufficient strength, stamina, and ability as required by the duties of the position as measured by the successful completion of the physical ability tests, (the City's and the Police Officer Standards and Training council (POST).
8. "Physical Ability Assessment." Failure to successfully complete any physical ability test by the City's specified deadline will result in the candidate receiving no further consideration in the testing process. The City and/or the State reserve the right to modify these standards and requirements.
9. Applicant must receive an approved rating on the post-offer pre-employment psychological screening, which is given by the City's authorized representative.
10. Applicant must submit a "No-Smoking affidavit" (attached) at time of application and, if hired, at time of appointment. Police officers are required to maintain no-smoking status as a condition of continued employment.
11. Veteran's points: An applicant applying for Veteran's points must submit a copy of the DD214 to Human Resources stating honorable discharge prior to taking Wonscore exam. Veteran's points only pertain to specific periods of conflict.

THIS OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION WILL BE COMPOSED OF:

COMPONENT                                     WEIGHTS

Examination                                        100%

Candidates must also pass the Physical Ability test and must successfully complete an interview with the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners.  The interviews are Pass/Fail.

General Information: After application is made, candidates who have met the minimum qualifications will be invited to take a computerized/timed exam by the New Britain Human Resources Officer as detailed below. It is the candidate's responsibility to adhere to the City's testing schedule. Unless otherwise stated, there will be no make-up examinations or alternate examination dates. Also, the Civil Service Commission reserves the right to determine the number of individuals who will proceed in each phase of the examination process. Candidates must pass each phase or component to proceed to the next; however, qualifying on one phase may not automatically qualify a candidate to proceed to the next.

THE WONSCORE COMPUTRIZED EXAM WILL BE SCHEDULED BY HUMAN RESOURCES ON A DATE AND TIME. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE COMPUTERIZED EXAM UNLESS THEY HAVE A VALID C.H.I.P. CARD. APPLICANTS MUST MAKE THEIR OWN SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE THE C.H.I.P.  PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST BUT THE NECESSARY FORMS ARE available by accessing WWW.POLICEAPP.com.

Test Fee: A fee of $25.00 for the administration of the test will be charged for New Britain city residents.  A fee of $75.00 for the administration of the test will be charged for non-residents, all fees are payable on the day of testing prior to beginning the test. Certified bank checks, money orders or cash only. Payable to "City of New Britain" (no personal checks). (Do not send payment by mail.)

Reasonable Accommodations in the Testing Process: All requests for reasonable accommodations in the testing process must be made in writing, no later than two (2) weeks after an application is filed.  Documentation of the disability for which the accommodation is being requested must be received no later than two (2) weeks after the application is filed. A candidate's failure to submit this documentation will result in no further consideration being given for a reasonable accommodation in the testing process.

Passing Grades: Although the minimum passing grade in each test component is 70%, it is to each candidate's advantage to do the best he or she can, as the Civil Service Commission reserves the right to limit the number of candidates who proceed from one phase to the next. The passing point is 70% as determined by the City under Civil Service guidelines.

Open ended Competitive Examination for Entry Level Police Officer:  Means an examination for entry level police officer which is ongoing as long as a vacancy exists and there is an open seat in an academy.

The open ended competitive process shall mean that applicants for entry level police officer need not wait for an announcement that the City of New Britain is accepting applications for entry level police officer by a specific deadline but rather can apply at any time by completing an application on PoliceApp.com.  Once an application is received on Policeapp.com, that application will be reviewed by the Human Resources Director to determine if the applicant meets the minimum qualifications for entry level police officer as set forth in Section 7-294e-16 of the Connecticut General Statutes.  The Applicant must possess a Connecticut CHIP card at the time of application. 

If the applicant has a Connecticut CHIP card, is determined by the Human Resources Director to meet the minimum qualifications and at the time of application there is a vacancy in police officer and an available seat in a police academy, then the applicant will be contacted by the Human Resources Department to schedule a date and time to take the Wonderlic examination which is a computer based examination.  If there is not a vacancy in police officer and/or there is not an available seat in a police academy the application will be held for a period not to exceed one year should a vacancy and/or an available police academy seat become available.  If a vacancy and/or an available police academy seat does not become available, the applicant will be required to reapply.

If the applicant passes the Wonderlic Examination, the applicant shall be eligible for appointment for a period not to exceed one year.  The Human Resources Director shall report to the Civil Service Commission at the next regularly scheduled meeting the names of those applicants who pass the Wonderlic Examination however the Commission will not be required to certify the employment list. 

The candidate’s application will be forwarded to the police department for a prescreening.  If the candidate passes the prescreening, a background check will commence which includes a polygraph examination.  If the candidate passes the background and polygraph, a psychological examination will be scheduled.  If the candidate passes the psychological examination, the candidate will be scheduled for a post offer medical examination.  If the candidate passes the post offer examination, the candidate will be interviewed by the Chief.  If the candidate passes the interview with the Chief, an interview will be scheduled with the Police Commission.  If the Police Commission finds the candidate to be acceptable, a recommendation for hire will be made to the Mayor.  

If an applicant/candidate fails any portion of the above process, he/she must wait one year before reapplying. 

Probationary Period: The probationary period fix this position shall be twelve (12) months after achieving certification as a police officer, as defined in the city's agreement with Local 1165.

Application:  All applications must be filed only at www.policeapp.com.   The City of New Britain is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Equal Access Employer.  

New Britain’s Human Resources Department is located at Room 409, City Hall, 27 West Main St, New Britain, CT 06051.  860-826-3404