Cook County Sheriff Job Overview:

If your dream job involves wearing a badge, fighting crime in Cook County, Illinois, it’s best to know what the process is like before you apply. Cook County has a Sheriff’s Department as its main law enforcement body. The requirements are the same as those of a city police officer. Unlike police officers, however, deputy sheriff’s  serving under the sheriff department umbrella have varied duties that sometimes include highway patrol and even acting as a coroner. Officers may also assist in other legal matters, such as evictions or foreclosures.

Application Requirements for Police Officers:

AN APPLICANT MUST BE: A United States Citizen. 21 years of age or older. Certified (employed for one year) Cook County Deputy Sheriff or Correction Officer.
AND MUST POSSESS: 2 year (60 hrs) Associates Degree (or higher) from an Accredited College or University. Such prerequisites of training, education, and experience as the Merit Board may from time to time prescribe. AND SHALL BE REQUIRED:

At certain times to pass successfully certain mental, physical, psychiatric and other tests or examinations as may be prescribed by the Illinois Local Government Law Enforcement Officers Training board, Illinois Law, or prescribed by the Board.

General Duties and Responsibilities of a Police Officer Police Officers of the Department are charged with the enforcement of all federal, state and local laws and ordinances, the preservation of the public peace, the protection of life and property, the prevention of crime and the detection and apprehension of violators of the law.

Police officers must be constantly alert, keeping a vigilant watch for needed police services. Officers will be physically and mentally fit to perform their duties. They will be cognizant of information required for the proper performance of duty.

Police officers will patrol their beats and perform assigned duties as required. They will not leave their beat, post, or duty assignment except as directed in the discharge of police duty.

Police officers will be extremely conscientious, reliable workers who can always be counted on to perform his/her job with the department. For more information about employment opportunities for sworn positions (i.e., correctional officer, deputy sheriff), please visit the official website of the Cook County Sheriff Department.

Job Description

To do a job correctly, a police officer must have analytic skills as well as the mental and emotional capacity to handle heavy stress. In order to assess this, Cook County requires that recruits pass a written test, a physical, medical and psychological evaluations in order to even apply for police academy.

This is pretty much standard throughout the country. All police officer candidates should be at least 21 years of age during the time of application, with a valid high school diploma or GED, college degree or at least 36 months of military service. The initial written test will be administered first. A study guide like the National Police Officer Selection Test can help you prepare if you feel nervous. If you pass the test, the process will then segue into a background check.

Criminal Background Check

The background check investigates your past, your school and financial records, your insurance, even your credit score. This is because candidates with violent histories, felony convictions or drug or alcohol issues may be disqualified from the process. (However, this depends on the frequency and severity of the misdemeanor/felony issue). The background test can take up to a few months or take as little as a few weeks.

Physical Fitness Test

While your background test is going on, you should make sure you are in the best physical shape of your life. In Illinois, you cannot enter a police academy without passing the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report (POWER). The physical exam will test your agility, strength and endurance. One of the tests is a 1 repetition bench press to measure your upper body strength. Male candidates between the ages of 21-29 must at least be able to bench press 98% of their body weight. Female candidates should be able to bench press at least 58%.

Psychological Exam

Once you sweat through the physical, the county will administer a grueling mental and psychological exam, as mentioned previously. This is to test your mental fortitude and ability to handle the stress that comes with law enforcement. The tests also look for physical factors or mental disabilities that could potentially interfere with your job performance.

Illinois Police Academy Requirements

After that, if you are luckily enough to be selected and hired your next step is the police academy. But the work isn’t over yet. Entering a police academy means subjecting yourself to daily mental and physical training to acquire the necessary skills to become a cop. This includes daily training, car handling, firearm training and more. Graduating from academy means applying for certification — and that’s the only time you can really don that coveted badge.