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NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR POLICE OFFICER (CERTIFIED & UNCERTIFIED)

Interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement? Looking for meaningful work, a chance to make a real difference in your community, and the opportunity to forge lifelong friendships? The Nicholasville Police Department is looking for YOU! 

 

 

 

 

 

The City of Nicholasville is now accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. 

If you are currently a certified police officer in the state of Kentucky, please contact the Nicholasville Police Department to learn about the modified hiring process for lateral transfers.

Apply Now

Click the button bellow to download a PDF version of the application for the Police Officer Recruit position.

The Hiring Process

Overview

A successful candidate will complete and submit a complete employment application to the Nicholasville Police Department during an open hiring period. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in basic examinations, evaluations, and interviews. If a conditional offer is extended to a candidate, they will be required to complete an extensive 20 week training program which includes 2 weeks of online training and 18 weeks of in person training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) in Richmond, KY. After graduating from DOCJT,  the candidate will complete a 16 week Field Training Program with a certified field training officer (FTO) back at NPD. Once successfully completing the field training process, the candidate will have completed the basic training program and be an official certified police officer in the City of Nicholasville at the Nicholasville Police Department.

Detailed Explanation of the Hiring Process

1. Submit a completed employment application. Applications for employment are available at the link above or in person at the Nicholasville Police Department, 717 N. Main Street, Nicholasville, KY 40356. 2. Invitation for Testing Once an application is reviewed and minimum qualifications are met, notification will be sent to the email address provided in the prospective candidate’s employment application with further instructions for testing. 3. Basic Skills and Reading Exam All prospective candidates are required to take a basic skills and reading examination. Subjects on the exam include mathematics, grammar, and reading. Each person has one attempt to successfully pass the written exam. If the prospective candidate fails, they must reapply. 4. Physical Fitness and Agility Test All prospective candidates are required to complete the physical fitness and agility test. The test standards are: 18 Sit-ups (within 1 minute), 300-meter run in 65 seconds, 21 Push-Ups, 1.5-mile run in 17.12 minutes. 5. Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ) & Suitability Screener Prior to beginning the background investigation, candidates must complete an in-depth background questionnaire called the "PHQ." Every aspect of the candidate’s previous history is to be recorded on this document. The PHQ form is included with the Police Recruit Application. Because it is so comprehensive, candidates are given the questionnaire and instructed to take it home, conduct the necessary research to complete it, and then return it to the Nicholasville Police Department. It is critical that this questionnaire be completed truthfully and in its entirety. Any falsehoods are grounds for immediate rejection. Further, candidates will be required to complete a Suitability Screener which is used for psychological screening. 6. Background Investigation & Investigator Interview We seek candidates with the highest moral and ethical standards for our agency. The background investigation must indicate that you have the necessary morality, honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity to join our department. During the investigation stage, a background investigator will initiate contact with individuals listed in the PHQ; employers, family, friends, associates, and neighbors. In addition to contacting these principles, investigators will review your work history, speak to coworkers, teachers, and anyone else who can offer insights into your character and fitness for police work. If a candidate is found to have met the expectations of the department, the assigned investigator will then invite the candidate for an in-person interview. Our efforts are designed to gain an understanding of the kind of person you are and to exclude candidates who have demonstrated character traits that are inconsistent with the highest values of the profession. 7. Polygraph Examination The required polygraph examination is administered by an outside agency that consists of known certified polygraphists and interrogation experts. The test consists of questions designed to verify the truthfulness of the candidate and the information that he/she places in their Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ). This test is at least two hours long and will be monitored by your assigned background investigator. 8. Oral Board Interview All prospective candidates for the Nicholasville Police Officer Recruit position will be required to complete an oral board interview with the Chief of Police and a panel of other command officers and city officials. All applicant personnel files are sent through the chain of command for final approval or rejection. Applicants who are offered employment are hired with a tentative police academy class date through the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT). Applicants who are not offered employment are allowed to reapply. 9. Medical Evaluation & Drug Screen The medical evaluation consists of a complete physical examination. Candidates will provide a medical history and complete an examination consistent with a thorough physical examination. A drug screening test will also be required during this examination. The physical examination is given to all candidates as part of their pre-employment screening requirements. 10. Police Academy Training Program (DOCJT) If you have satisfactorily completed the process and are offered employment to attend the Department of Criminal Justice Training police academy in Richmond, KY, you will undergo twenty (20) weeks of intensive training designed to produce the best police officers in the country. The police training academy is a "live-in" academy, recruits will be released each Friday afternoon and expected to report back to campus on Sunday evening. 11. On-The-Job Probation & Field Training Program Upon graduation from the Department of Criminal Justice & Training program, probationary officers are assigned to the patrol division and will be required to complete sixteen (16) weeks of FTO training. The date of academy graduation marks the beginning of a one-year probationary evaluation period. During this period, the conduct of probationary officers will be under close scrutiny. The Field Training Program consists of three phases and a "shadow" period. A probationary officer will be paired with a Field Training Officer during the FTO course and will undergo further training and daily assessments. At the conclusion of FTO training period, probationary officers will be released as solo officers to serve the City of Nicholasville.

Nicholasville Police Logo

Nicholasville Police Department

717 N. Main St., Nicholasville, KY 40356

Business Hours Of Operation

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m

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