If you want to become a police officer for the city of Fort Lauderdale, be prepared for the long haul because this department takes extra time to recruit only the best.
I personally think it’s unusually long compared to other departments in Florida. Mind you, in the event you get hired, you won’t care how long it has taken because FLPD is such a great department to work for. The salary is very competitive compared to other agencies in Florida.
Here are some of the tasks you’ll have to successfully complete in order to get hired and subsequently sent off to the police academy:
The Written Examination:
The written test will cover topics such as written comprehension and expression, inductive and deductive reasoning, information ordering, and visualization. The written examination is not difficult if you prepare in advance. Some recruits perform well on the written test, while others have fail. I highly recommend a police exam study guide if you want to pass the test on your first attempt.
The Physical Agility Test:
The physical agility test will be tough for some recruits but similar to that of the written test, if you prepare in advance you should be fine. The fitness test consists of a timed 1.5 mile run, obstacle course, standing broad jump, vehicle push, and handgun trigger pull. If you want to do well on this test, I highly recommend a police specific workout program.
The Oral Board Interview:
The Fort Lauderdale PD oral board interview is tough and it accounts for 60% of your final register score. If you fail the oral interview, you’ll have to wait for a full year before you can reapply. The hiring panel puts emphasis on how well you do on the oral exam. That’s why I highly recommend a police oral board prep guide that has sample interview questions and answers.
The Polygraph Test:
The polygraph test is another phase in the recruiting process you must successfully pass in order to move forward. According to polygraph examiner, A.J. Phillips, author of How To Pass Your Polygraph Test, 50% of police recruits nationwide fail the polygraph test. The odds are stacked against you. That’s why I recommend downloading A.J.’s polygraph test prep book. With this resource, you will learn common pitfalls and mistakes many first time test takers make and how to avoid them.
Other steps in the hiring process include:
- Psychological evaluation
- Swim Test
- Vision Requirements
- Background check
- Medical examination
