The Zionsville Police Department is hiring for the position of Patrolman. ZPD is accepting applications from all individuals meeting the minimum qualifications, including both non-certified and laterally-transferring applicants. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31. Lateral testing and interviews will begin on Sept. 10. Non-certified applicant testing will begin on Sept. 22.
“We are anticipating filling 5 positions,” said Lt. Drake Sterling of ZPD.
To be eligible for the program, previous employment may include any local, county, state, and/or school police that enforces state law and has arrest powers. Applicants must not be removed from the previous law enforcement position for more than one year, and those applying are required to have current certification through Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, or be eligible for a waiver from the certification.
Duties for hired officers will include community involvement, patrol presence, school security, monitoring traffic and more.
“We provide 24 hour coverage for the town. First and foremost, we want to have a presence in the community for community trust, as well as a patrol presence to keep criminals out,” Sterling said. “When we have a good relationship with the community, they tend to give us more information on how we can help them.”
Currently, the School Resource Officer positions for Zionsville Community Schools that were announced earlier this summer have already been filled, but Sterling says that those positions are not always permanent and ZPD is open to applicants whose desired career path is to become an SRO. He said it is also not uncommon for additional ZPD officers to be at the schools making sure the campus as a whole is safe.
“Our day shift officers have to be very well-rounded,” Sterling said. “If we were to hire somebody (interested in becoming an SRO), they would be trained so that we could utilize them on the road first and then they would be offered a school position at a later time.”
ZPD has the option to reward lateral transfers at the discretion of the Chief of Police, depending on applicants’ experience. Rewards could include pay increase, accelerated Field Training Program, shortened recruiting process, quicker entry to position, a take-home vehicle, and other potential benefits.
Once hired, officers will receive benefits including paid vacation, health, dental and vision insurance, and more.
Successful candidates will be required to participate and pass a background investigation, physical agility tests, polygraph examination, physical and psychological examination, and be accepted in the 1977 Public Employee Retirement Fund. Upon hire, candidates will be required to adhere to Zionsville Police Department residency requirements.
Aspiring officers must be a high school graduate, possess an Indiana Driver’s License and be a U.S. Citizen, be at least 21 years of age, and not have reached age 36 by date of hire. Additional requirements are listed on the application form. If offered a position, candidates must obtain residence in Boone County or a bordering county.
Applications can be found at http://www.zionsville-in.gov/416/zpd-recruiting. Questions can be directed to Lt. Drake Sterling at [email protected].
