Lateral Hire Program
All candidates for the position of Police Officer wanting to attend the Lateral Program must meet the following minimum qualifications in order to apply:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be at least 21 years of age at commission
- be in excellent physical condition
- no felony convictions
- may not have a DWI within the past three years
- may not have three moving violations from separate incidents or be at fault in more than two accidents in the past 18 months
- meet vision and hearing standards
- no objectionable tattoos and no visible tattoos in a short sleeve uniform shirt
- may not have used a controlled substance illegally within the last three years
- currently certified as a law enforcement officer in the state of Missouri with a Missouri P.O.S.T. Class A Peace Officer License (A license may be obtained through testing. Check here for more information about a Missouri P.O.S.T. license or call 573-751-4905.)
- have at least two years full-time sworn police experience in any state. Primary duties must include responding to calls for service, conducting preliminary and/or follow-up investigations of crimes, responding to traffic accidents, and apprehending, detaining and arresting suspects.
The testing and selection procedure includes the following elements: a physical agility test, written exam, an oral interview, background investigation, polygraph examination, pre-employment drug testing, post-offer medical examination and psychological evaluation.
Physical agility testing shall include but not be limited to the following events:
- 25 push-ups (no time limit)
- 35 sit-ups in one minute
- Minimum vertical jump of 14 inches
- 300 meter run in a maximum time of 69 seconds
- 1½ mile run in a maximum time of 14:43
- Bench press 73% of your body weight
Physical agility events and standards are reviewed periodically and may be modified as deemed appropriate and without prior notice. Application screening of each candidate will be done prior to physical agility testing to determine eligibility into the Lateral Hire Program.
Applicants must pass every phase of the testing and selection process in order to be considered eligible for appointment to the Lateral Hire Program. If a candidate fails to meet the physical agility standards for the Lateral Hire Program but all of his/her scores meet the regular academy standards, the candidate may opt to be considered for the regular police academy. If a candidate opts to be considered for the regular police academy, he/she is not eligible for placement on the pay scale higher than a step one, which is entry level pay and he/she will be required to attend the normal six month academy training.
You will be placed on a pay scale according to prior full-time law enforcement experience to be determined by the Human Resources Department through the screening process:
| At least 2 years experience | $34,195.20 (step 2) |
| At least 3 years experience | $35,942.20 (step 3) |
| At least 4 years experience | $37,398.40 (step 4) |
| At least 5 years experience | $38,500.80 (step 5) |
| At least 6 years experience | $40,185.60 (step 6) |
| At least 7 years experience | $41,974.40 (step 7) |
| At least 8 years experience or more | $44,075.20 (step 8) |
Exact dates for testing and selection are determined each year. Testing schedules are reviewed periodically and may be modified as deemed appropriate and without prior notice.
| Testing Schedule | |
| Testing Option 1 | |
| Informational Seminar-South District Station | 08/31/09 at 8 p.m. |
| Accepting Applications for this Testing | 07/24/09-09/18/09 |
| Application Deadline for Testing Purposes | 09/18/09 at 5 p.m. |
| Schedule Testing | 09/21/09-10/02/09 |
| Physical Agility and Written Exams | 10/04/09 |
| Written Exam Scores to Candidates | 10/04/09 |
| Schedule Interviews | 10/04/09 |
| Oral Boards/Backgrounds Returned | 10/05/09-10/16/09 |
| Interview Scores to Candidates | Week of 10/19/09 |
| Background Investigations | 10/19/09-12/21/09 |
| Employment Offers | Pending Date |
| Post-Offer Exams | Pending Date |
| Final Notices | Pending Date |
| First Day of the Academy | Pending Date |
| Graduation | Pending Date |
If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position and are interested in participating in the next selection process, please contact the City of Springfield Human Resources Department at 417-864-1607 for an application, print an application and complete it, or you may complete an application online. All applications must be received by the application deadline. Please read and retain this information for your use.
If you have any questions regarding the testing and selection process for Police Officer, please contact the Recruiting Officer at 417-864-1796 or by e-mail at ResourceManagement@springfieldmo.gov.
We appreciate your interest in serving the citizens of Springfield.
