[ARCHIVED THREAD] - DFW Police Officer Questions (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/24/2013 9:33:50 AM EDT
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What type of sit-ups/push-ups do they require for testing (use youtube video example if possible)?
Do you ride with a partner for a certain amount of time once you've completed the academy training? What shift is the worst shift/preferred shift, hours for each shift are? Do they have part-time police officers? Is there a Policy on facial hair? I've looked at all the requirements for both the DFW Police Officers and Texas DPS State Troopers and I can't find anything that would prevent me from becoming a police officer besides possibly failing some test. http://www.fortworthpd.com/Recruiting/ http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/trainingacademy/recruiting/traineelinks.htm I didn't notice any requirements such as an associate's in criminal justice does that mean that there isn't any? Is this eHow pretty much correct? eHow How to become a Fort Worth Police Officer How often do they have OPEN RECRUITMENT in DFW area? |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests.
Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm Is there a certain military job that will help someone out a little more, such as myself being a infantrymen? |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm Is there a certain military job that will help someone out a little more, such as myself being a infantrymen? I don't know, but a job like being an MP might help with the written test. But the military service requirement was put in about 6 years ago to help with recruitment. Dallas PD pays on the low end of the scale in regards to recruits, many started with DPD and then started looking for employment with other departments about 3-6 years later. Many of the larger, and even quite a few of the smaller, now require you go through their academy even if you are already a police officer in another department. Let me ask, hopefully I'll have an answer in a day or two. mm |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm The 12 credit hours of college are not required to be field related are they? I was a math class or two away from two associates degrees but didn't bother to take them, decided not to go into that field.. not sure how many credit hours I have.. but probably over 60! Would the list be based on performance? ie physical and then college degrees move you up or down the list? |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm The 12 credit hours of college are not required to be field related are they? I was a math class or two away from two associates degrees but didn't bother to take them, decided not to go into that field.. not sure how many credit hours I have.. but probably over 60! Would the list be based on performance? ie physical and then college degrees move you up or down the list? The 12 hours are only required by FtW if you have a GED. I've never heard that the classes be of a specific subject....but most that apply have studied Criminal Justice. Placement on the list will consider your interviews, background, physical assessments, written test and whatever else they require. mm |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm The 12 credit hours of college are not required to be field related are they? I was a math class or two away from two associates degrees but didn't bother to take them, decided not to go into that field.. not sure how many credit hours I have.. but probably over 60! Would the list be based on performance? ie physical and then college degrees move you up or down the list? The 12 hours are only required by FtW if you have a GED. I've never heard that the classes be of a specific subject....but most that apply have studied Criminal Justice. Placement on the list will consider your interviews, background, physical assessments, written test and whatever else they require. mm Just checked, as of 1999 I had 51 Credits, took more classes after that.. probably have around 70-90 Credit hours which isn't really useful unless I was going for Texas State Trooper and for just proving that I am trainable/etc.... Seems like Michigan had a requirement that you had an associate's in Criminal Justice... don't know... I wouldn't pursue a degree unless I actually was a police officer... it sounds like the Academy here in Texas is useful in that you get paid to go and you earn credits for it (Credits for Texas only) not sure if this is all true or not... I usually test pretty high (90-95th percentile) but I doubt that I would test that high here because of my age (mid 30's) the physical seems like the most problematic to me.. or perhaps the civil service exam... no idea what's on it.... I'm slim with a very slight gut.. so I'd beat out any overweight people but not the 18 year old slim guys but I'm out-of-shape in that I get winded easier now.... I think no matter what, it's time to get off my ass and start getting back into shape.. roller-blade a few miles or something...then start jogging/running..etc |
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Do not apply anywhere unless you really actually want to be a police officer. I think that goes without saying, but why do you say it? It would be a pay cut for me... and I imagine I would start out on 2nd shift... I would likely use Police Officer as a stepping stone to something else in Law Enforcement, but who knows until you try it... |
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Quoted: What type of sit-ups/push-ups do they require for testing (use youtube video example if possible)? Depends on the Agency Do you ride with a partner for a certain amount of time once you've completed the academy training? Yes all agencies locally have FTO programs after the academy. What shift is the worst shift/preferred shift, hours for each shift are? Depends on the department shifts are generally 8, 10 or 12 hours long Do they have part-time police officers? Some Agency's do but this is generally a rural thing. Is there a Policy on facial hair? Yes most agencies in DFW have pretty strict facial hair policies for uniformed officers. If a goatee is what you want try Waco. I've looked at all the requirements for both the DFW Police Officers and Texas DPS State Troopers and I can't find anything that would prevent me from becoming a police officer besides possibly failing some test. http://www.fortworthpd.com/Recruiting/ http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/trainingacademy/recruiting/traineelinks.htm I didn't notice any requirements such as an associate's in criminal justice does that mean that there isn't any? Is this eHow pretty much correct? eHow How to become a Fort Worth Police Officer How often do they have OPEN RECRUITMENT in DFW area? Try http://www.pacttest.com/ One test six DFW agencies |
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Your answers will vary by department. I recommend specifically researching agencies that interest you. Officer.com has regional sections that can help you with this. If facial hair is a serious consideration for you, I would think long and hard about this profession.
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Ever thought about being a firefighter? Word. |
| Go to college and get your hours to be competitive with other applicants. There are going to be a lot of guys with combat experience leaving the military that will be looking at Law Enforcement as a career. I think the best bet is getting a job with the US Marshalls office or another Federal agency. The Feds are especially good for single people since you can be assigned anywhere in the country. |
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Go to college and get your hours to be competitive with other applicants. There are going to be a lot of guys with combat experience leaving the military that will be looking at Law Enforcement as a career. I think the best bet is getting a job with the US Marshalls office or another Federal agency. The Feds are especially good for single people since you can be assigned anywhere in the country. As of right now with the flood of applicants, if you're not a veteran you won't even make it pass the first stage which is submitting your application through USAJobs. |
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Ever thought about being a firefighter? Yes and it was a quick thought, not my thing. I would rather try to catch bad guys! Never wanted to be a 'chef' or spend odd hours at the fire station... seems like a really boring type of JOB to me, sure if a FIRE happens it's not boring.. and you may go to a lot of non-fire-related calls.. but nah.. just not MY TYPE of thing! I already have a Good Paying JOB, I can retire at age 48....but it's kind of boring, I've thought about becoming a cop numerous times over the years but it seems like a possibility more now than ever as far as ACTUALLY DOING IT! I'm looking into what happens if I "retire" from my current Job now, down the road... next question Do the Police offer something like a "Ride-along" with a cop program where you can actually go with a police officer for a day or a week and see EVERYTHING they do from start of shift to end of shift! |
| A lot of departments have ride along programs. You could also apply as a reserve officer and get a lot more than just riding along to find out if you like the job. If you decide to make the career change it might give you a leg up to have reserve officer status with a police department. |
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Ever thought about being a firefighter? Yes and it was a quick thought, not my thing. I would rather try to catch bad guys! Never wanted to be a 'chef' or spend odd hours at the fire station... seems like a really boring type of JOB to me, sure if a FIRE happens it's not boring.. and you may go to a lot of non-fire-related calls.. but nah.. just not MY TYPE of thing! I already have a Good Paying JOB, I can retire at age 48....but it's kind of boring, I've thought about becoming a cop numerous times over the years but it seems like a possibility more now than ever as far as ACTUALLY DOING IT! I'm looking into what happens if I "retire" from my current Job now, down the road... next question Do the Police offer something like a "Ride-along" with a cop program where you can actually go with a police officer for a day or a week and see EVERYTHING they do from start of shift to end of shift! Ride-a-longs vary from department to department. If you think firefighter work is boring then standby. Not sure how long you have left until 48 but go do the part time academy, get your TCLEOSE and reserve somewhere. You might find that one day a week is enough and if you want to go full time then your reserve time would help you achieve that. |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm Where exactly did you hear this? |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm Where exactly did you hear this? People that have been kicked out of the academy. But, I can see where you're coming from. My sources were probably not the most reliable sources. mm |
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A lot of departments have ride along programs. You could also apply as a reserve officer and get a lot more than just riding along to find out if you like the job. If you decide to make the career change it might give you a leg up to have reserve officer status with a police department. From what I gather the Fort Worth Police Academy pays you to go to it, I have no information about a Part Time Police Academy.. do they pay you to go to it, how is it scheduled. It's more complicated to deal with training for part time work while working a full-time job. By Ride-along I mean simply as a civilian just basically minding my own business to get an inside view of the Job, it's a good first step because I've heard from police officer's themselves that the Job is not what they thought it was going to be... I wouldn't mind doing a part-time 'reserve' police officer but it might be a little harder, it's easier to remember things when you use them more frequently, I imagine there is a lot to remember in order to do your Job as a police officer and do it well, Police Codes/Laws/Paperwork/etc and of course you have more responsibility to play by the 'systems' rules than your own. If I worked as a reserve officer then I would likely have to work Saturday's and I'm not so sure I want to give up my Saturday's to work what would be my off time, not to mention I work saturday's already... would likely be extremely 'reserve'. I don't think I really want to consider moving to far from DFW. I wouldn't mind working 30 minutes away from any county that I could legally own Wolf Hybrids in and I think I would prefer the Fort Worth area over say Dallas... So I would lean towards Fort Worth or Arlington. I could probably get used to no goatee but not sure about no mustache... I can't say I know much about a Marshall or Federal Job except the Federal Jobs seem to always REQUIRE a degree and perhaps a secondary language. I don't really like moving around, unless I could get a JOB in Hawaii but that would require a $100,000+ salary because the Cost of Living is so high over there, not to mention that it's probably already filled up by high demand for it! I tend to watch a lot of Criminal Justice, CSI, CourtTV, Forensic Files, TruTV, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, etc... although I like to argue like a Lawyer as many people say.. I don't want to be one... I tend to think of them as 'bad'... I think Police Detective/Criminal Investigator would be my ideal JOB... but I believe you must be a Police Officer prior.. my friends dad growing up was a police officer and he made detective... Not sure how the Reserve thing would work but it sounds good like you say to get first hand experience to see if I like it or not, much less risky... although I can probably take a leave of absence for one year and try the academy, and what 6 months of the probationary period and decide after about 11 months of it all? I wonder how much importance would be placed on a 'Degree' versus earned credit hours... seems like I had about 70+ credit hours and a 3.85 GPA with various courses... no degree 'technically' though. I do think some people tend to 'lie' about why they get kicked out/fired/dumped..because they are too embarrassed to tell the truth...maybe that is why the trainee's say they are hard on those without degrees.. but at the same time if they have 400 applicants and 20 JOBS then it's makes sense for them to try and get the BEST of the BEST. A friend said that he had like a 94 score for the fire department years ago and they had thousands of applicants and he couldn't get in... sounds to me like you really need to TEST HIGH!!! |
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A lot of departments have ride along programs. You could also apply as a reserve officer and get a lot more than just riding along to find out if you like the job. If you decide to make the career change it might give you a leg up to have reserve officer status with a police department. From what I gather the Fort Worth Police Academy pays you to go to it, I have no information about a Part Time Police Academy.. do they pay you to go to it, how is it scheduled. It's more complicated to deal with training for part time work while working a full-time job. By Ride-along I mean simply as a civilian just basically minding my own business to get an inside view of the Job, it's a good first step because I've heard from police officer's themselves that the Job is not what they thought it was going to be... I wouldn't mind doing a part-time 'reserve' police officer but it might be a little harder, it's easier to remember things when you use them more frequently, I imagine there is a lot to remember in order to do your Job as a police officer and do it well, Police Codes/Laws/Paperwork/etc and of course you have more responsibility to play by the 'systems' rules than your own. If I worked as a reserve officer then I would likely have to work Saturday's and I'm not so sure I want to give up my Saturday's to work what would be my off time, not to mention I work saturday's already... would likely be extremely 'reserve'. I don't think I really want to consider moving to far from DFW. I wouldn't mind working 30 minutes away from any county that I could legally own Wolf Hybrids in and I think I would prefer the Fort Worth area over say Dallas... So I would lean towards Fort Worth or Arlington. I could probably get used to no goatee but not sure about no mustache... I can't say I know much about a Marshall or Federal Job except the Federal Jobs seem to always REQUIRE a degree and perhaps a secondary language. I don't really like moving around, unless I could get a JOB in Hawaii but that would require a $100,000+ salary because the Cost of Living is so high over there, not to mention that it's probably already filled up by high demand for it! I tend to watch a lot of Criminal Justice, CSI, CourtTV, Forensic Files, TruTV, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, etc... although I like to argue like a Lawyer as many people say.. I don't want to be one... I tend to think of them as 'bad'... I think Police Detective/Criminal Investigator would be my ideal JOB... but I believe you must be a Police Officer prior.. my friends dad growing up was a police officer and he made detective... Not sure how the Reserve thing would work but it sounds good like you say to get first hand experience to see if I like it or not, much less risky... although I can probably take a leave of absence for one year and try the academy, and what 6 months of the probationary period and decide after about 11 months of it all? I wonder how much importance would be placed on a 'Degree' versus earned credit hours... seems like I had about 70+ credit hours and a 3.85 GPA with various courses... no degree 'technically' though. I do think some people tend to 'lie' about why they get kicked out/fired/dumped..because they are too embarrassed to tell the truth...maybe that is why the trainee's say they are hard on those without degrees.. but at the same time if they have 400 applicants and 20 JOBS then it's makes sense for them to try and get the BEST of the BEST. A friend said that he had like a 94 score for the fire department years ago and they had thousands of applicants and he couldn't get in... sounds to me like you really need to TEST HIGH!!! If you ramble in an interview anything like you ramble on here, you are toast in an oral board. |
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If you ramble in an interview anything like you ramble on here, you are toast in an oral board. Forums are exactly that, Forums.. I'm just seeking information...yes I tend to 'ramble' but I didn't want to reply 3-4 times and quote each person each time, etc! In Real Life I've had exactly TWO Job Interviews and I was hired BOTH times! 
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.. but at the same time if they have 400 applicants and 20 3 JOBS Corrected mm Well they seem to be FIRING a lot of officer's for DWI's lately... (maybe all the news I've been reading is about the same guy, don't know) DWI 3 Per Year in Fort Worth |
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In Fort Worth, you take the written test first. It's a basic grammar and spelling test. Once your are ranked on the test you are then called in to do the physical assessment (PAT). Currently, the PAT consisted of an obstacle course followed by the Cooper fitness test (1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, pushups and situps). If you pass that you will be given a background packet to fill out and it goes pretty quickly from there. If there are no issues, you take a polygraph, psych test and go to the review board (there's a medical assessment someone in there). FWPD does not require a degree or any college hours. Probably the majority of people in a given recruit class have little to no college. A degree might look good on your application but not having one will not affect your prospects on getting a job. The academy is over 7 months long and it's full time. You do get paid during that time. it's a fairly rigorous academy both academically and physically. We have a good number of folks enter the academy who are well past 30 so age is only a limiting factor if you let it be.
Facial hair at FWPD for male uniformed officers allows for mustaches but no beards. |
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FWPD is currently hiring but I'm not sure when the next test will be given. The plan is to have 3-4 classes this year. Once is in session and another starts next month. Thanks....I'm actually waiting on Jamie at the academy to reply to an email. You gave the answers to the questions I asked him. mm |
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FWPD is currently hiring but I'm not sure when the next test will be given. The plan is to have 3-4 classes this year. Once is in session and another starts next month. Thanks....I'm actually waiting on Jamie at the academy to reply to an email. You gave the answers to the questions I asked him. mm "Waiting on Jamie"...how many times have I heard that?
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In Fort Worth, you take the written test first. It's a basic grammar and spelling test. Once your are ranked on the test you are then called in to do the physical assessment (PAT). Currently, the PAT consisted of an obstacle course followed by the Cooper fitness test (1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, pushups and situps). If you pass that you will be given a background packet to fill out and it goes pretty quickly from there. If there are no issues, you take a polygraph, psych test and go to the review board (there's a medical assessment someone in there). FWPD does not require a degree or any college hours. Probably the majority of people in a given recruit class have little to no college. A degree might look good on your application but not having one will not affect your prospects on getting a job. The academy is over 7 months long and it's full time. You do get paid during that time. it's a fairly rigorous academy both academically and physically. We have a good number of folks enter the academy who are well past 30 so age is only a limiting factor if you let it be. Facial hair at FWPD for male uniformed officers allows for mustaches but no beards. Thanks for the information! I already downloaded a PDF on the Background History information (just to see what's on it) 300 meter run, is this purely for performance ranking? Is the PAT used mostly for ranking? What do they ask on the Polygraph test, or what is the overall purpose? It's the only thing I know nothing about! Once you get into the Academy, and then pass what happens... do you have to be hired/selected to get the one-year probationary period, and then what? Another way to say the question is how do you know when you are in a Full-Time JOB and are not easily fired or simply 'not hired'? How does this relate to the 1 year Leave of Absence Timeline? What are the Academy Hours, I assume you don't live in dorms but you show up to the academy everyday m-f for a certain time...any idea what exactly the time is? |
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In Fort Worth, you take the written test first. It's a basic grammar and spelling test. Once your are ranked on the test you are then called in to do the physical assessment (PAT). Currently, the PAT consisted of an obstacle course followed by the Cooper fitness test (1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, pushups and situps). If you pass that you will be given a background packet to fill out and it goes pretty quickly from there. If there are no issues, you take a polygraph, psych test and go to the review board (there's a medical assessment someone in there). FWPD does not require a degree or any college hours. Probably the majority of people in a given recruit class have little to no college. A degree might look good on your application but not having one will not affect your prospects on getting a job. The academy is over 7 months long and it's full time. You do get paid during that time. it's a fairly rigorous academy both academically and physically. We have a good number of folks enter the academy who are well past 30 so age is only a limiting factor if you let it be. Facial hair at FWPD for male uniformed officers allows for mustaches but no beards. Thanks for the information! I already downloaded a PDF on the Background History information (just to see what's on it) 300 meter run, is this purely for performance ranking? It's part of the standard Cooper fitness test. The tests have to be standardized or they are indefensible in court. The tests are pass/fail. Rankings don't matter as long as you pass. Is the PAT used mostly for ranking? Again, just part of the hiring process...pass/fail. The times on both tests are generous. What do they ask on the Polygraph test, or what is the overall purpose? It's the only thing I know nothing about!I took my poly about 27 years ago so I can only guess they are asking the same things. Basically, going over what was in your background packet...criminal behavior, drug usage, etc. Essentially checking to see if you lied about anything you previously reported. Once you get into the Academy, and then pass what happens... do you have to be hired/selected to get the one-year probationary period, and then what? Another way to say the question is how do you know when you are in a Full-Time JOB and are not easily fired or simply 'not hired'? How does this relate to the 1 year Leave of Absence Timeline? If you are placed in an academy class, you are hired. You are considered an "at will" employee for your first year (to include the duration of the academy). Once past that first year (probationary period) you fall under Civil Service rules and the department/city would have follow Civil Service rules to fire you or discipline you. Basically, If you get into a class and are subsequently fired it's on you. What are the Academy Hours, I assume you don't live in dorms but you show up to the academy everyday m-f for a certain time...any idea what exactly the time is? Again, it's been awhile but I think it goes something like this. Show up at 0630 and PT. You get a 30 break to shower and get dressed, this is considered off the clock. Go back on the clock and start classes for the day. Break for the day around 1600. Don't quote me on that but I think that's close. Of course, some days you come in on nights for particular reasons. i.e. night shoots at the range, officer survival training, etc. To completely answer your question, no dorms. Go home every night. No weekends or at least not many. If you do work a weekend you would get time off during the week to compensate. They basically don't want to pay OT or award comp time to recruits unless it's unavoidable. Sorry, I took so long to answer, the last two days have been busy. I'm partial to my department but I don't think you can do much better in the Metroplex. |
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Fort Worth PD has a minimum of a high school diploma or of a GED, 12 hours of college credit. But with the huge number of applicants with 4-year degrees and even graduate degrees, it is unlikely a person without a degree of an associate's would get past the written test. Ft. Worth uses a physical assessment test which requires you to complete the course in 2 minutes 55 seconds or less. It tests hand strength, physical stamina, and both lower and upper body strength, as well as negotiating obstacles. I believe the physical assessment is done before you can get on the list for the written test. The graduation requirements are higher on the physical tests. Dallas requires 60 hours of college credit, or 3 years of active military service with high school diploma. The initial physical test is Vertical Jump (6.5 inches), Bench Press (56% of your body weight), Illinois Shuttle Run (24.9 seconds), Sit-ups (14 in 1 minute), 300 Meter Run (110 seconds), Push-ups (4 in 1 minute), 1.5 Miles Run (19.09 minutes). I do not know if the standards increase during the academy for graduation. FWIW, they do seem to have a hard-on for kicking people without degrees out of the academy. Be aware that most police departments have a list of well over 100 applicants....Dallas and Plano have about 1000 and Ft. Worth has over 400 at this time. I work with both the Dallas and FtW PD on a nearly continuous basis, out of curiosity I asked some of the same questions you did. Also, my buddy being in charge of academy and dept. physical fitness and Use of Force for one of the PDs gets a lot of questions answered. mm Where exactly did you hear this? People that have been kicked out of the academy. But, I can see where you're coming from. My sources were probably not the most reliable sources. mm They are lying to you and you shouldn't be repeating what you're told as if it is fact. |
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In Fort Worth, you take the written test first. It's a basic grammar and spelling test. Once your are ranked on the test you are then called in to do the physical assessment (PAT). Currently, the PAT consisted of an obstacle course followed by the Cooper fitness test (1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, pushups and situps). If you pass that you will be given a background packet to fill out and it goes pretty quickly from there. If there are no issues, you take a polygraph, psych test and go to the review board (there's a medical assessment someone in there). FWPD does not require a degree or any college hours. Probably the majority of people in a given recruit class have little to no college. A degree might look good on your application but not having one will not affect your prospects on getting a job. The academy is over 7 months long and it's full time. You do get paid during that time. it's a fairly rigorous academy both academically and physically. We have a good number of folks enter the academy who are well past 30 so age is only a limiting factor if you let it be. Facial hair at FWPD for male uniformed officers allows for mustaches but no beards. Thanks for the information! I already downloaded a PDF on the Background History information (just to see what's on it) 300 meter run, is this purely for performance ranking? It's part of the standard Cooper fitness test. The tests have to be standardized or they are indefensible in court. The tests are pass/fail. Rankings don't matter as long as you pass. Is the PAT used mostly for ranking? Again, just part of the hiring process...pass/fail. The times on both tests are generous. What do they ask on the Polygraph test, or what is the overall purpose? It's the only thing I know nothing about!I took my poly about 27 years ago so I can only guess they are asking the same things. Basically, going over what was in your background packet...criminal behavior, drug usage, etc. Essentially checking to see if you lied about anything you previously reported. Once you get into the Academy, and then pass what happens... do you have to be hired/selected to get the one-year probationary period, and then what? Another way to say the question is how do you know when you are in a Full-Time JOB and are not easily fired or simply 'not hired'? How does this relate to the 1 year Leave of Absence Timeline? If you are placed in an academy class, you are hired. You are considered an "at will" employee for your first year (to include the duration of the academy). Once past that first year (probationary period) you fall under Civil Service rules and the department/city would have follow Civil Service rules to fire you or discipline you. Basically, If you get into a class and are subsequently fired it's on you. What are the Academy Hours, I assume you don't live in dorms but you show up to the academy everyday m-f for a certain time...any idea what exactly the time is? Again, it's been awhile but I think it goes something like this. Show up at 0630 and PT. You get a 30 break to shower and get dressed, this is considered off the clock. Go back on the clock and start classes for the day. Break for the day around 1600. Don't quote me on that but I think that's close. Of course, some days you come in on nights for particular reasons. i.e. night shoots at the range, officer survival training, etc. To completely answer your question, no dorms. Go home every night. No weekends or at least not many. If you do work a weekend you would get time off during the week to compensate. They basically don't want to pay OT or award comp time to recruits unless it's unavoidable. Sorry, I took so long to answer, the last two days have been busy. I'm partial to my department but I don't think you can do much better in the Metroplex. Thanks again! What is PT? Physical Training... How do they decide your pay. If you are paid X amount per month is that based on 40 hour work weeks? How then do they decide your pay for overtime? What is On-call as far as pay, and duty to report? I smoked Marijuana approximately 15 years ago does that disqualify me? I acquired a lot of points when I was younger, for various things..speeding/failure to count to 5 at a stop sign at 3am when nobody was around for miles, failure to yield to a school bus after it pulled out in front of me and stopped immediately. Most of my points are from age 18-mid 20's...how does this effect my chances? |
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Thanks again! What is PT? Physical Training... Yes How do they decide your pay. If you are paid X amount per month is that based on 40 hour work weeks? How then do they decide your pay for overtime? It's standard for us, should be listed on the job description. It's full time, but an hourly rate. Cities will often list the pay at a monthly rate, but it is truly an hourly pay structure. So you are scheduled for 40 hours a week. Once you exceed those 40 hours, you are being paid time and a half. What is On-call as far as pay, and duty to report?Not likely something you'll have to worry about any time soon working patrol. I smoked Marijuana approximately 15 years ago does that disqualify me? What was your usage like? I acquired a lot of points when I was younger, for various things..speeding/failure to count to 5 at a stop sign at 3am when nobody was around for miles, failure to yield to a school bus after it pulled out in front of me and stopped immediately. Most of my points are from age 18-mid 20's...how does this effect my chances? How long ago was this? I will say that if you are asked about these violations in an oral board, and you give answers like you do here...you are toast. A big part of maturity is taking ownership of your bad decisions and mistakes. Anything that sounds like a minimization or an excuse (what you typed in here) will count against you. Hope that helps. |
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Thanks again! What is PT? Physical Training... Yes How do they decide your pay. If you are paid X amount per month is that based on 40 hour work weeks? How then do they decide your pay for overtime? It's standard for us, should be listed on the job description. It's full time, but an hourly rate. Cities will often list the pay at a monthly rate, but it is truly an hourly pay structure. So you are scheduled for 40 hours a week. Once you exceed those 40 hours, you are being paid time and a half. What is On-call as far as pay, and duty to report?Not likely something you'll have to worry about any time soon working patrol. I smoked Marijuana approximately 15 years ago does that disqualify me? What was your usage like? I acquired a lot of points when I was younger, for various things..speeding/failure to count to 5 at a stop sign at 3am when nobody was around for miles, failure to yield to a school bus after it pulled out in front of me and stopped immediately. Most of my points are from age 18-mid 20's...how does this effect my chances? How long ago was this? I will say that if you are asked about these violations in an oral board, and you give answers like you do here...you are toast. A big part of maturity is taking ownership of your bad decisions and mistakes. Anything that sounds like a minimization or an excuse (what you typed in here) will count against you. Hope that helps. My marijuana usage was recreational, can't say for sure how many times I smoked but it was never a daily thing. Bus Ticket: (Can't recall when it happened probably 10 years ago) I understand maturity and taking responsibility but would you take responsibility for something that you are not guilty of? Is the PT less or more harsh than say Marine Corp boot camp? Or any military boot camp? |
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Thanks again! What is PT? Physical Training... Yes How do they decide your pay. If you are paid X amount per month is that based on 40 hour work weeks? How then do they decide your pay for overtime? It's standard for us, should be listed on the job description. It's full time, but an hourly rate. Cities will often list the pay at a monthly rate, but it is truly an hourly pay structure. So you are scheduled for 40 hours a week. Once you exceed those 40 hours, you are being paid time and a half. What is On-call as far as pay, and duty to report?Not likely something you'll have to worry about any time soon working patrol. I smoked Marijuana approximately 15 years ago does that disqualify me? What was your usage like? I acquired a lot of points when I was younger, for various things..speeding/failure to count to 5 at a stop sign at 3am when nobody was around for miles, failure to yield to a school bus after it pulled out in front of me and stopped immediately. Most of my points are from age 18-mid 20's...how does this effect my chances? How long ago was this? I will say that if you are asked about these violations in an oral board, and you give answers like you do here...you are toast. A big part of maturity is taking ownership of your bad decisions and mistakes. Anything that sounds like a minimization or an excuse (what you typed in here) will count against you. Hope that helps. My marijuana usage was recreational, can't say for sure how many times I smoked but it was never a daily thing. How many times total would you guess? 1-5? 5-20? 20+? They will ask have you do your best to estimate the usage. Bus Ticket: (Can't recall when it happened probably 10 years ago) I understand maturity and taking responsibility but would you take responsibility for something that you are not guilty of? Did you take these to trial to be found not guilty? A few tickets over the course of a decade of solid driving will not DQ you. I'm just telling you that if you try to rationalize and minimize infractions, you'll send up a red flag. Is the PT less or more harsh than say Marine Corp boot camp? Or any military boot camp? The academy I went to was very relaxed on PT. We worked out for about an hour 1-2 times a week. Others are harsher. |
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This link might answer some of your question and give you a good place to start. FWPD Recruiting
If you really, really want to do it go for it and stop with the questions, it's not like joining the military, IF you are selected you will find out what you need to know as the process continues. The worst that's going to happen is you don't get hired and wasted some vacation time from your current job. They are going to ask how many times you smoked the chronic. They are going to ask what/if you have done other narcotics. They will contact your references They will/can ask you some crazy shit on the polygraph and during the pyschological. In what I've seen, the oral review board is where a lot of people don't make the cut. |
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Do they ask applicants about their Arfcom handle? Guarantee the recruiters/investigators are checking social media - Facebook, Twitter... of any applicant. So dump the pics of the partying/drinking etc.... Required by TCLEOSE now as part of the application packet. |
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FWPD has a very strenuous pt program. It's every day for at least an hour. Running and cross fit type training. It's challenging.
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Thanks again! What is PT? Physical Training... Yes How do they decide your pay. If you are paid X amount per month is that based on 40 hour work weeks? How then do they decide your pay for overtime? It's standard for us, should be listed on the job description. It's full time, but an hourly rate. Cities will often list the pay at a monthly rate, but it is truly an hourly pay structure. So you are scheduled for 40 hours a week. Once you exceed those 40 hours, you are being paid time and a half. What is On-call as far as pay, and duty to report?Not likely something you'll have to worry about any time soon working patrol. I smoked Marijuana approximately 15 years ago does that disqualify me? What was your usage like? I acquired a lot of points when I was younger, for various things..speeding/failure to count to 5 at a stop sign at 3am when nobody was around for miles, failure to yield to a school bus after it pulled out in front of me and stopped immediately. Most of my points are from age 18-mid 20's...how does this effect my chances? How long ago was this? I will say that if you are asked about these violations in an oral board, and you give answers like you do here...you are toast. A big part of maturity is taking ownership of your bad decisions and mistakes. Anything that sounds like a minimization or an excuse (what you typed in here) will count against you. Hope that helps. My marijuana usage was recreational, can't say for sure how many times I smoked but it was never a daily thing. I can't tell you for sure. I don't know the criteria they use for this. I know that recreational marijuana use is acceptable. Bus Ticket: (Can't recall when it happened probably 10 years ago) I understand maturity and taking responsibility but would you take responsibility for something that you are not guilty of? Were you convicted? Did you pay the citation? If you were then I would take ownership of it. If you were exonerated then you can explain that. Is the PT less or more harsh than say Marine Corp boot camp? Or any military boot camp? |
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Do they ask applicants about their Arfcom handle? Guarantee the recruiters/investigators are checking social media - Facebook, Twitter... of any applicant. So dump the pics of the partying/drinking etc.... Required by TCLEOSE now as part of the application packet. Yep, if you have a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, etc. account, I would either shut them down or "sanitize" them before applying. |
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Do they ask applicants about their Arfcom handle? Guarantee the recruiters/investigators are checking social media - Facebook, Twitter... of any applicant. So dump the pics of the partying/drinking etc.... Required by TCLEOSE now as part of the application packet. Yep, if you have a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, etc. account, I would either shut them down or "sanitize" them before applying. I don't drink (I have alcohol in my house but it's old, I will drink on occasion but I haven't had a drink in years) My facebook has no pictures of me drinking, not even sure if Facebook was around the last time I had a drink. I'm a LAME/BORING old man in my mid 30's! The only issue I could see with my Facebook is I have tons of Meme's supporting GUN RIGHTS... I think the first step is seeing if I can even get a 1-year leave of absence from my current employer, because if I cannot then I don't see myself risking it. If you want to be a Reserve Officer do you still take the same process as a Full-Time Police Officer, just wondering if there is a possibility that I could take a one-year leave of absence and get all the training done and then go on reserve status after the 1-year leave of absence expires. This would at the very least ease the transition especially if I could go on reserve for 1-2 years until I get 20 years as it sounds as though it's best to get 20 years vested towards retirement. Not sure if it is possible to do reserve for 12 years and go full-time as a police officer after I retire with 30 years and get my pension! |
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Do they ask applicants about their Arfcom handle? Guarantee the recruiters/investigators are checking social media - Facebook, Twitter... of any applicant. So dump the pics of the partying/drinking etc.... Required by TCLEOSE now as part of the application packet. Yep, if you have a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, etc. account, I would either shut them down or "sanitize" them before applying. I don't drink (I have alcohol in my house but it's old, I will drink on occasion but I haven't had a drink in years) My facebook has no pictures of me drinking, not even sure if Facebook was around the last time I had a drink. I'm a LAME/BORING old man in my mid 30's! The only issue I could see with my Facebook is I have tons of Meme's supporting GUN RIGHTS... I think the first step is seeing if I can even get a 1-year leave of absence from my current employer, because if I cannot then I don't see myself risking it. If you want to be a Reserve Officer do you still take the same process as a Full-Time Police Officer, just wondering if there is a possibility that I could take a one-year leave of absence and get all the training done and then go on reserve status after the 1-year leave of absence expires. This would at the very least ease the transition especially if I could go on reserve for 1-2 years until I get 20 years as it sounds as though it's best to get 20 years vested towards retirement. Not sure if it is possible to do reserve for 12 years and go full-time as a police officer after I retire with 30 years and get my pension! If you're still looking at FWPD we don't currently have an Reserve Program. It's supposed to be reinstated but I'm not sure when it will happen. If you were to go to a Reserve Academy it would most likely be at night and they don't pay you for it. So if you wanted to go reserve you should probably keep your current job. As far as pension goes FWPD has a 25 year retirement or you can qualify for a retirement using the 80 point system (this is usually for folks who come in at an older than normal age) Reserve time won't apply toward any eventual pension you get with the city. Honestly, If you really want to be a cop you need to be all in. If your current employer will give you a leave of absence that's great but if it's something you truly want to do then you should go for it anyway. It sounds like you are maybe questioning whether you want this or not. |
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If you're still looking at FWPD we don't currently have an Reserve Program. It's supposed to be reinstated but I'm not sure when it will happen. If you were to go to a Reserve Academy it would most likely be at night and they don't pay you for it. So if you wanted to go reserve you should probably keep your current job. As far as pension goes FWPD has a 25 year retirement or you can qualify for a retirement using the 80 point system (this is usually for folks who come in at an older than normal age) Reserve time won't apply toward any eventual pension you get with the city. Honestly, If you really want to be a cop you need to be all in. If your current employer will give you a leave of absence that's great but if it's something you truly want to do then you should go for it anyway. It sounds like you are maybe questioning whether you want this or not. This isn't a decision I take lightly. It's about the risk of 18 years out of 30 are invested towards retirement which is paid upon the date that I retire. What are the shift hours for a new recruit? If I was to work two jobs would the FWPD be able to schedule me around my current job (what is the 2nd shift start/end)? You said the academy is 7 months, after that it's what, field officer training? It looks like the only way I can get 12 months leave of absence is for educational reasons...seems to me as though this could all be considered educational. Doesn't FWPD academy training count towards credits in the state of Texas, so I could essentially come out of the academy and take a few courses at the Local community college and get an associate's in criminal justice or something along those lines? |
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What are the shift hours for a new recruit? If I was to work two jobs would the FWPD be able to schedule me around my current job (what is the 2nd shift start/end)? Night shift and no they will not schedule you around your other job. You said the academy is 7 months, after that it's what, field officer training? Yes |