How to Become a police Officer in Oregon

**IMPORTANT**

The information below is subject to change, and may have already changed. Please visit the official webpage of the law enforcement agency that you’re interested in working for.

In order to gain acceptance into Oregon’s Police Academy, one must pass a physical ability test, a written test, a panel interview, and a background screening investigation. Before you can even gain access to these tests, there are other specific requirements that need to be met.

You must have US citizenship, a high school diploma (GED), and a valid Oregon driver’s license. In addition, any potential applicants must have no felony convictions or major traffic violations.

You also may not have any misdemeanor convictions within the past five years. If all of these basic requirements are met, you may fill out the application and gain access to the assessments that I previously mentioned.

Fitness Physical Test

The first test that a potential student of Oregon’s Police Academy must pass is the Physical Ability Test. Physical fitness is a big part of being a police officer. Because of the many responsibilities and demands in this line of work, potential officers must be at the peak of physical fitness.

This Physical fitness test is composed of three different sections: A one-minute sit-up test, a one-minute push-up test, and a two-mile run. There are minimum times that you must achieve in these tests, these times are determined based on the age of an applicant. Failure to complete any of these three sections within the allotted time results in disqualification.

Written Exam

The next test that the state of Oregon requires of their police academy applicants is the written test. After passing the physical test, an applicant will move on to the written test. Because communication and improvisational skills are such key parts of being a successful leader and law enforcer, Oregon likes for their police academy trainees to be educated and mentally sharp.

The written test is divided into five parts. There are questions that assess: vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, mathematical skills, and reading comprehension. There are approximately twenty questions in each section.

Oral Board Interview

If you do well on the first two tests, you then qualify for the panel interview stage. This is also known as the oral board interview. There are several interviewers that ask questions designed to determine competency as a future cop.

As with the written test, this stage measures a potential student’s ability to think on their feet and correctly deal with tricky situations.

Psychological Test

Upon passing the oral board interview, you will be sent for a psychological exam. This just assesses whether or not you are healthy enough to have a career in the law enforcement field.

The psychological exam is composed of two written tests: The “California Psychological Inventory,” and the “Personal History Questionnaire.” All results are evaluated by licensed psychologists.

Background Test

As is expected with a career in law enforcement, personal history and background screening are taken very seriously and are looked at with great scrutiny. During this the final stage of the required police academy application tests, you will be asked for documents and personal history information (this includes things like previous employment, credit card history, and educational background).

The documents must be verified by an investigator who then goes on to interview family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers.

If it is found out that you have lied or forged information at any point, your application will be dropped and you will no longer be considered as a candidate for Oregon’s police academy.

ABOUT OREGON STATE POLICE

Oregon State Troopers provide a wide variety of public safety services. From the rural counties to metropolitan freeways, Troopers are trained to do it all. The mission of the Oregon State Police is to develop, promote, and maintain protection of people, property, and natural resources of the State, and to enhance the safety and livability by serving and protecting its citizens and visitors through leadership, action, and coordination of Oregon´s public safety resources.

To accomplish this mission, Oregon State Troopers spend the majority of their time enforcing the State´s criminal, fish & wildlife, and motor vehicle laws. Oregon´s geographic diversity calls for a wide variety of duty assignments. Troopers may find themselves conducting enforcement patrols by airplane, pickup, ATV, snowmobile, horseback, an assortment of watercraft from white water rafts to ocean going craft, and of course, standard police cruisers.

Oregon´s livability is what attracts many new residents to the State. Whether you prefer the ocean, mountains, or desert; large cities or small towns, Oregon has a place for you. Oregon is an outdoor activity mecca that provides its residents and visitors with a wide variety of recreational activities 365 days a year.

Getting to know Oregon will take some time. After all, there more than 224 State Parks to explore and thousands of trails to hike, including the over 400 mile Pacific Crest Trail that snakes through the Cascade Mountains. For the spirited and adventurous, the Columbia Gorge offers some of the best wind surfing in the world. River rafters can take a ride down the Deschutes, Rogue, or Snake Rivers, and skiers and snowboarders find recreation almost year round on Mount Hood.

For those who prefer milder forms of entertainment, Oregon provides plenty of rustic fishing lodges, luxurious golf destinations, ample wildlife viewing, or even cozy getaways where you can curl up with a hot drink near a crackling fire and watch storms whip up on the Pacific Ocean. It doesn´t matter what time of year it is, Oregonians love where they live because there are so many things to do…even when the rest of the country is hibernating indoors.
Oregon´s agriculture is perhaps the most diverse of any comparable geographic area on earth. Orchards are abundant with fresh fruits, nuts and berries of all kinds, our native wines are winning awards around the world, the ocean offers a delicious bounty of fresh seafood, and tender beef stock is readily available from Eastern Oregon. Yes, getting to know Oregon will take some time, but it is time well spent.

Trooper Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
United States Citizen
Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
Twenty-one years of age or older upon appointment
Possess and maintain a valid license to operate a motor vehicle
Applicants must be in good health and good moral character.
Must meet all applicable medical and physical requirements which will be outlined to an applicant upon an offer of employment.

Additional Qualifiers

An application will not be processed for any of the below listed reasons. The applicant will be notified by correspondence indicating a file will not be opened unless the applicant provides mitigating information regarding one or more of the below listed reasons.

• A felony conviction under state or federal law.
• A misdemeanor conviction relating to sex crimes, crimes against persons, drugs, fraud, or moral turpitude.
• Other misdemeanor conviction within the last five years.
• Conviction for minor in possession of an alcoholic beverage within the last three years.
• Conviction of a major traffic offense or a DUII diversion within the last five years.
• Revocation of driving privileges or a felony or misdemeanor operator’s license suspension within the last five years.
• Three or more hazardous traffic violation convictions within the last two years.
• Careless driving conviction within the last three years.
• Conviction for an open container of an alcoholic beverage within the last three years.
• Conviction of a Class A traffic infraction within the last three years.
• Five or more traffic violation convictions, including suspensions, within the last three years.
• Operator’s license infraction suspension within the last three years.
• Possession, sale, distribution, manufacture, or use of an illegal drug within the last ten years.
• Personal use of marijuana within the last three years.
• Any discharges less than Honorable from a branch of the Armed Forces.
• An arrest record in any law enforcement database.
• No valid operators license.

Each applicant must be of good moral fitness (moral character). The following are indications of a lack of good moral fitness.
Illegal conduct involving moral turpitude.

• Conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.
• Intentional deception or fraud or attempted deception, or fraud in any application, examination, or other document.
• Conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Acts or conduct which would cause a reasonable person to have substantial doubts about the individual’s honesty, fairness, respect for the rights of others, or for the laws of the state and/or the nation.
• Conduct that adversely reflects on the individual’s fitness to perform as a law enforcement officer.

Trooper Selection Process

Applicants must be honest and truthful in responding to all questions. It is imperative that all information provided throughout the applicant process be accurate and that no pertinent information be withheld. Applicants will be required to submit to a drug screening test and be fingerprinted sometime during this process.

When We Receive An Application
We will not send an acknowledgement that we have received an application. Applications will be held on file until we notify all applicants of the test date, time and location — approximately 4 – 8 weeks prior to test date.

Records Check Will Be Ordered:
Minimum qualifications will be verified — age, education, citizenship, driving license, driving record, criminal record. An applicant who does not meet the minimum qualifications will be notified in writing.

Test Notification:
Tests are held as determined necessary to fill vacancies. Letters of notification of test date, time and location will be sent approximately 4 – 8 weeks prior to test date.

Entry Level Test:
Entry Level Testing (ELT) includes a physical abilities test and a written test.

The physical abilities testing, which consists of pushups, sit-ups and a two (2) mile run, is pass/fail.

Testing will be discontinued and the file will be closed if an applicant fails any portion of testing. No rescheduling of individual portions of the testing process is permitted.

The written test consists of timed and un-timed portions. We do not have and cannot recommend a study guide.

An applicant who fails any portion of testing can reapply at any time and repeat the complete testing process at the next test period.

An applicant who successfully passes the physical abilities tests and written test will be given a personal history form to complete. The majority of that information will be completed on-line.

Screening
Applicants will be screened, utilizing test information, as well as their personal history information. Any information withheld or found to be untruthful is grounds for immediate closure of a file.

Background Investigation:
Applicants who move forward to the background investigation phase will receive materials to complete and return to the Sworn Applicant Processing Section. Results of investigations are for Department use only, and are confidential.

Final Selection
The “entire” applicant packet, including testing and screening, the applicant’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, and the results of the background investigation, will be reviewed. Hiring decisions are based on a complete review of the candidate and not on a numerical ranking.

Appointment Process
An applicant who is offered and accepts a Recruit Trooper position must pass a medical examination, psychological examination, drug screening test, updated records check (driving record, computerized criminal history, LEDS/NCIC) and be fingerprinted.
Command Level Interview
Applicants will meet with a Commander prior to finalizing their appointment.

Appointment
The Superintendent has final approval on all appointments.

Trooper Testing Information

Overview
Entry Level Testing is comprised of two portions — a physical abilities test and a multi-part written test. Both tests are completed on the same day.

Testing will be discontinued and the file closed if an applicant fails any portion of testing.

NOTE: No rescheduling of any part of the test process is permitted. An applicant can reapply at any time and repeat the testing process at the next test period.

Written Test
The written test is a multi-part test, consisting of timed and un-timed portions. The written test will be administered to applicants who pass the Physical Abilities Test.

Physical Abilities Test
The physical abilities test is based on the U.S. Army standards (see scoring standards listed below) in accordance with Oregon Revised Statute 181.260.
If an applicant fails any portion of this test, the testing will be discontinued.

 
* Above charts are based on U.S. Army standards and are subject to change.

Trooper Salary & benefits

Monthly Salary
Recruit
Trooper
Senior Trooper
Senior Trooper
Senior Trooper

Salary increases are merit based and are subject to collective bargaining agreement.

Benefits

Paid Holidays
Annual vacation
Sick Leave
Various Insurance Plans
Health and Dental Plans
Retirement
Uniform and Safety Equipment
Overtime/Compensatory Time
Educational .Certification Incentive