trainee
The Police Officer Trainee is a training level classification for individuals who have been pre-qualified to attend a California P.O.S.T.-certified program for the purpose of learning the statutory duties of a law enforcement officer in the State of California. The Police Officer Trainee is a non-sworn position. Trainees attend a P.O.S.T.-approved academy and upon successful graduation are appointed to the position of a sworn Probationary Police Officer.
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BENEFITS
Generous paid leave, medical coverage, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance and an employee assistance program (EAP). Access to non-sworn CalPERS retirement during the academy (2.7% at 55 for classic members; 2% at 62 for new members) and retiree medical benefits as well as access to IRS Section 125 flexible benefits for pretax child care, health spending accounts and tuition reimbursement.
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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of: Goals and objectives of the Mountain View Police Department; organization and structure of Police Department and general functions of a City government; English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation; basic principles of business writing and basic report writing; principles and practices of good customer service; techniques and principles of effective interpersonal communication and principles and practices of safety management.
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EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING
Graduation from high school or possession of a GED. Completion of 40 semester units or 60 quarter units from an accredited college. College units must be completed by time of application. Vision and hearing capabilities consistent with guidelines by P.O.S.T. and/or City of Mountain View. You will need a POST certificate verifying successful completion of the POST Entry Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) with a T-score of 50 or higher. No working experience is required. Specialized training or college-level coursework in law enforcement, criminal justice or related field is highly desirable.
Reserves
Reserve police officers are employed part-time by the Mountain View Police Department. Reserve Officers must comply with the same requirements established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) as regular police officers.
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HOW TO GET STARTED?
Attending the POST Modular Academy is a good start! Classes are held at several locations in the Greater Bay Area and you don’t need to have an agency affiliation to attend. You will need to minimally complete the Level III and Level II POST Modular Academy courses before applying to MVPD. Go to the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training site for more info. If you have completed Level II or higher, or will soon, fill out a Reserve Police Officer application today!
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DUTIES
Level II Reserve Officers can make arrests and perform other officer duties with supervision. Level I Reserve Officers can do anything regular police officers do, including solo patrol work. Level II and Level I Reserves also work a variety of paid special events and private hire details.