The Columbus Police Department (CPD) is continually seeking qualified applicants for the position of police officer. CPD offers a challenging and rewarding career and opportunities to serve the community in a variety of ways. The Department has a tradition of strict hiring standards, extensive training, state of the art equipment and technology, and professionalism. CPD is highly regarded in the law enforcement community and one of the most sought after departments for those seeking a career in policing.

Our hiring process is a competitive process and is generally conducted twice per year. Applicants compete against each other in terms of qualifications and performance in the various phases of the hiring process. While not required, a college education, law enforcement experience, and/or military service will improve an applicant’s standing. Those applicants who pass all phases of the hiring process are placed on an eligibility list for future openings. CPD’s hiring process is described below. The entire process may take a few months or over a year depending on where an applicant falls on the hiring list and when an opening becomes available.

Applicants will complete the below to be hired with CPD. The steps of the hiring process are generally in the order presented below. However, the order of steps after the written aptitude test and interview may be changed in some circumstances.

The written aptitude test is generally administered at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday by a contracted company. The testing date will be advertised with the hiring process. It will include a two-hour study period and an allotted one and a half hours of exam. All questions in the examination will be drawn directly from materials provided during the morning study session. You must learn the study materials presented during the morning to do well on the examination. Note this important instruction: You will not be allowed to take the exam if you did not attend and register for the morning study session.

To help prepare for the test:

  • Get a good night’s rest before the test.
  • Arrange for reliable transportation to and from the test site.
  • Listen carefully to the instructions.
  • Be certain you really understand the material in the study guide.
  • Take your time – there should be plenty of time in both the study session and testing period.

After the testing is complete, it will be graded on-site. Applicants will then be informed if they passed and are continuing in the process.

Interviews are generally conducted the same Saturday as the written aptitude test. Applicants will be given an interview time and location before leaving the testing site. A board conducts the interview, which usually includes three to five current CPD officers. It could be anyone from our newest officer to the chief of police on the interview boards.

Each applicant is provided a copy of the questions at the beginning of the interview. The questions are the same for every applicant in that hiring process. Based on the interviews, the board will create a list, ranking the applicants they deem qualified. Applicants can usually expect to be informed if they made the list within two weeks after the interview.

Applicants who have passed the written aptitude test and the interviews will then be offered a time to schedule their physical agility test conducted by CPD instructors at a different date. The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) is updating their fitness standards. The new standard will be tested in an obstacle course style including running, going under and over obstacles, traversing stairs, dragging a dummy, and dry-firing all while wearing a weighted vest.

For complete instructions and standards refer to the ILEA’s fitness standards page.

Applicants that have passed the written aptitude test, physical agility test, and interview, will be extended a conditional offer of employment. The offer is conditional on the applicant passing the remaining phases of the hiring process.

The next step in the process is a background investigation. A detective or officer from CPD will be assigned to complete the investigation. It will be very thorough and include a criminal history check, pre-employment questionnaire, multiple interviews with the applicant, interviews with references, past employers, family members, and friends, as well as a polygraph examination.

The investigators findings are then turned over the the police department’s administration to determine if the applicant will continue in the hiring process.

A medical evaluation will generally be conducted on the same day as the psychological evaluation. It will include an in-depth physical evaluation by medical professionals to determine if the applicant is medically fit to be a police officer.

Applicants that have passed all of the steps above will be sent for a psychological evaluations to ensure they are fit to be a police officer. The evaluation is conducted by a separate company and a recommendation is given to the police department.

The Columbus Police Department is a member of the 1977 Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement Fund. Applications of those who have passed all of the above steps will be sent to a local pension board and then state pension board for final approval and acceptance into the fund.

When an applicant successfully completes all the steps of the hiring process and is hired as a police officer, they will be in probationary status for the first year of employment dependent on the successful completion of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and the field training program.

Police

Dispatch
(812) 379-1689

Front Desk
(812) 376-2600

Records Division
123 Washington Street
Columbus, IN 47201
(812) 376-2653
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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