Police Officer Hiring Guide
Visit jobs.cmich.edu to apply for current openings.
The Central Michigan University Police Department is committed to providing quality police services to the campus community. We accomplish this through traditional policing methods with a heavy emphasis on interacting with our students, faculty, and staff. We are looking for highly motivated candidates who:
- Interact positively with others CMU Police Department
- Are able to complete quality investigations
- Realize the importance of training and being prepared
- Value the trust and respect of the community they serve
- Enjoy working in a dynamic environment
- Recognize and follow the chain of command in a police agency
Are emotionally and physically fit
The Central Michigan University Police Department has many opportunities available to its members including a variety of multi-agency teams (e.g. Emergency Services, Narcotics Enforcement, Youth Services), Community Policing positions, evidence technicians, field training officers, and many in-house instructor assignments. Instructor areas include defensive tactics/ground fighting, firearms, speed measurement, first aid/CPR, emergency driving, and others.
The department also has numerous opportunities for officers to be involved with educating our students, faculty, and staff. Thousands of students receive instruction from our staff each year on topics involving personal safety and security, crime prevention, and other topics as requested.
CMU police officers are certified under Act No.120 P.A. 1990 by the CMU Board of Trustees, and as Sheriff's Deputies of Isabella County. We maintain highly trained personnel available to respond to situations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If the person selected for the vacant position(s) is not currently Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certified, the individual will be scheduled to attend a MCOLES academy with tuition and applicable expenses paid by the department.
Job details
Employment Status: Full time
Weekly Work Schedule: 12 Hour Shifts (84-hour two-week pay period)
- $26.04- less than two years of relevant experience.
- $28.13 - two to four years of relevant experience.
- $30.21 - four years or more of relevant experience.
Associates degree is equivalent to 2 years experience.
Bachelors degree is equivalent to 4 years experience.
Relevant experience includes prior experience as a certified police officer plus credit for the highest college degree completed prior to hire as a CMU police officer.
Retention Pay Range:
- $31.25 - 5+ YRS. RETENTION RATE - for five to ten years of continuous CMU service.
- $31.77 - 11+ YRS. RETENTION RATE - for 11 or more years of continuous CMU service.
Required qualifications
- Associates degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Must achieve Michigan MCOLES certification within 12 months of the date of hire.
- Possession of a valid driver's license.
- Possession of the physical capabilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
- Ability to successfully complete training to become a certified LEIN computer system operator.
- Demonstrated positive interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and project a positive image
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Preferred qualifications
- Bachelor's degree.
- Current MCOLES certification or certifiable pending academy graduation.
- One year of increasingly responsible work experience in public safety.
- Experience working in a higher education environment.
- Demonstrated ability to accurately complete written reports.
- Must possess maturity of judgement and ability to act with tact and restraint while utilizing resolutions techniques.
Duties and responsibilities
Communication Activities: Interacts and communicates with the public, co-workers, staff, students, and other police departments; Reports complaints, unusual and/or hazardous conditions, broken/damaged equipment and other emergency information; Enters, transcribes, records, stores, or maintains information in either written form or by electronic/magnetic recording; Completes daily logs/work records; Dispatches personnel to calls for service; May testify in court.
Decision-Making Activities: Reviews facts, literature, law books, etc., to draw conclusions regarding if laws have been broken or to determine if an arrest is warranted; Observes and analyzes situations to determine appropriate responses; Uses evidence collected at accident and emergency scenes to draw valid conclusions; Reviews policy and procedural guidelines, manuals, and department records to determine appropriateness and conformance with rules and regulations; Makes decisions on whether to terminate a vehicle pursuit.
Staff Assistance Activities: Provides backup for other officers; Provides general assistance to other police officers, supervisors and other agencies; Assists new officers in adapting to the department and instructs them in policing techniques; Assists others in specialized areas of professional police work.
Investigation and Interrogation Activities: Investigates crimes and motor vehicle accidents; Reviews criminal and non-criminal reports; Collects evidence at accident and crime scenes by photographing, recording information, drawing diagrams and lifting fingerprints; Administers blood alcohol, chemical and/or urine tests; Fingerprints people; Seizes and/or transports vehicles, evidence and/or property; Applies for and verifies warrants; Follows up on pending case investigations; May coordinate investigation process; Interviews victims and witnesses; Interrogates criminal suspects and prisoners.
Planning and Organizing Activities: Develops plans to accomplish work; Organizes time to meet assignment deadlines.
Patrolling Activities: Patrols campus; Locates emergency scenes; Cites for traffic and other law violations; Completes accident reports; Assists motorists with car problems; Directs and controls traffic; Controls parking at special events; Cleans and fuels patrol car; Provides security during transportation of large sums of cash and/or other valuables; Maintains key control and/or access to secure and restricted locations; Provides 24-hour escort service to students, faculty, staff, and guests of the university.
Controlling Situations/Activities: Protects property from unnecessary damage; Calms distraught persons at emergency scenes; Responds to violence and crime scenes; Responds to disturbance calls; Enforces laws and coverage of special events such as sporting events and concerts; Restrains suspects and makes arrests when appropriate; Provides medical assistance to the injured or sick; Establishes barricades around event parameters; Performs crowd control activities; Participates in building checks.
Equipment Use: Telecommunication equipment (e.g., phone, radio); Radar gun; Handcuffs; Video/audio recording equipment (e.g., copier, facsimile, computer); Emergency/first aid equipment (e.g., defibrillator, fire extinguisher); Gun; Baton; Chemical substance (e.g., pepper spray); Security checking devices.
In addition to the above activities, patrol officers are required: To follow department rules and regulations; Keeping appointments with interdepartmental meetings, court dates, pre-trial conferences, and training sessions; Maintaining standards of appearance such as uniform, well groomed hair and hygiene and physical fitness; Completing legal forms and documents; Obeying state laws and department regulations under normal and emergency situations; Participating in training; Provides security and protection services to the community by patrolling assigned areas or buildings to enforce policies and procedures, which may include security of individual building/stationary locations; Responds to emergencies by assessing the situation, employing tact, diplomacy, and individual judgment to remedy and/or maintain control; May require incumbent to provide on-site lead supervision over student service officers who may be present; Deters, restrains and/or arrests individuals attempting to inflict physical harm on themselves or others or to commit criminal acts; Completes necessary administrative form/reports related to incidents and/or arrests, to include gathering pertinent information from participants and/or witnesses and organizing it in a logical written form; Assists security director and/or lieutenant to conduct investigations or special projects as requested; Maintains regular communication with student service officers to obtain information about unusual and/or suspicious situations; Appears in court regarding incidents that occur in the university community when necessary; Provides traffic control during scheduled activities or during emergency situations as necessary; Enforces parking rules and regulations; Provides emergency first aid and/or CPR to injured persons, or assists in the transportation of ill or injured persons when necessary; Attends internal and/or external training courses, classes and seminars to further develop protection service skills and knowledge; Provides basic information and directions to students, faculty, staff and/or the general public; Provides superiors with daily activity reports/summaries related to the overall training and performance of student service officers; Maintains positive relations with external law enforcement agencies to obtain or exchange relevant protection service information; Provides programs and presentations which promote safety and security to students, faculty and staff.