According to U.S. labor of bureau statistics (2018) the average salary for a police officer in Mississippi is...
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how to Become a cop in Mississippi
Table of Contents
2 Red Flags That will Likely Cause an
Agency to pause on hiring you
Checkered Past
everyone ought to know that having a felony conviction on your criminal record is essentially a modern day scarlet letter that will prevent anyone from becoming a police officer, however having a pattern of lawlessness and a clear disregard for the law will also prevent you from getting a law enforcement job.
Social Media posting
constantly ranting on social media about social events, and Posting tasteless photos of yourself getting drunk or using drugs is another common red flag that will reflect negatively on you as a prospective recruit. Agencies are looking for applicants with good moral characters and posting tasteless photos aren't a good sign.
WATCH: The Pros and Cons Of Being a Cop
MS Police Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications
Here are some of the basic requirements to become a police officer in Mississippi. Note some agencies may have additional requirements
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must have a clean criminal record
- Must have a valid MS Driver's License
- Must Have high school diploma or GED
- Must Be in good mental and physical condition
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must pass all stages of the hiring process
- Must Be someone of good moral character
Disqualification factors to be aware of:
Disqualifiers
- Lying on your application
- Failing your drug screen examination
- patterns of illegal drug usage
- history of lawlessness
- serious misdemeanor convictions
- Criminal History of Excessive Drug Use
- Being dishonest during the hiring process
- dishonorable discharge from the military
- Intentional violation of a protective/restraining order
- Any Felony Convictions
Complete Employment Application
Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ)
Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB)
Physical Ability Test (PAT)
Job Interview Board
Polygraph Examination
Background Investigation
Employment Assessment Board
Final Selection
Medical Examination
Psychological Evaluation
Police Training Academy Courses
BASIC TRAINING CURRICULUM
- Basic Law Enforcement Class
- Police Subject Control Basic Ground Course
- Police Subject Control Basic
- Law Enforcement /The Elderly
- Latent Print I
- Police Subject Control Weapon Retention
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Active Shooter Program
- Police Subject Control Vehicle Extractions
- TASAR
- Police Subject Control Defensive Combatives
- FBI Human Trafficking and Smuggling
- Police Subject Control Hold Breaks and Escapes
- Police Subject Control Handcuffing
- First Aid/CPR
- Law Enforcement /The Elderly
- Police Subject Control Takedowns and Controls
- Police Subject Control Baton
- Police Subject Control Ground Course
- Basic Spanish For Law Enforcement
- Police Subject Control Handcuffing
- Accident Reconstruction Level I
- Latent Print II
- Police Subject Control Weapon Retention
- Clandestine Recovery of Human Remains
- Interview & Interrogation
- Police Subject Control Vehicle Extractions
- Death Scene Investigation
- Police Subject Control Takedowns and Controls
- Field Training Officer -FTO –Level I
- Adult Rape and Sexual Assault
- Crime Scene Investigation
- NRA Handgun/Shotgun
- Police Subject Control Basic
- Police Subject Control Defensive Combatives
Specialized Units in Mississippi
Criminal Investigations
Protective Services
Special Operations
K 9/TCAP
Traffic Enforcement
Public Affairs
Motorcycle Corp
Motor Vehicle
Inspection/Implied Consent
Recruiting
Driver Records
Accident Reconstruction
Air Operations
Communications
Honor Guard
SWAT Team
Compensation Percentile Breakdown
The percentile wage estimate below is the value of a wage below which certain percent of workers fall. Data collected from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018)
10th Percentile
$22,150
25th Perentile
$28,180
50th percentile
$34,530
75th percentile
$41,840
90th percentile
$50,410
Find Best Police Jobs in MS
Click below to search for police jobs near me in MS. Browse jobs by city/county or zip code
More From Outside The Badge
In Mississippi, persons looking to become municipal police officers must complete a 10-week, 400-hour basic training program within two years of the date of hire by a police force. In order to be hired in the first place, they must meet certain minimum standards and pass a physical fitness test.
Requirements & Qualifications
The basic standards begin with a minimum age of 21 and include having a high school diploma or GED equivalent. In lieu of a GED, applicants may provide a standardized ACT test score of 15 or higher. All candidates must be U.S. citizens, of good physical and mental condition and moral character.
Disqualification Factors
A felony conviction or a misdemeanor for a crime of moral turpitude will disqualify candidates. A rigorous background investigation will be conducted to look for any possible criminal activity or convictions, or drug use. All candidates for police officer positions must pass a written test given by the State Personnel Board, and pass a personal background investigation before being enrolled in a basic academy training program.
In addition to criminal history and drug use, the background investigation will probe such things as military history, financial and bankruptcy record, employment history and whether the candidate has been suspended for any reason or terminated from a job, alcohol use or addiction.
All candidates will be fingerprinted and the fingerprints sent to the Criminal Information Center of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety as part of the background investigation.
Mississippi Police Academy Requirements
The 10-week basic training program include training in Police knowledge, Criminal Investigation, Traffic, Police Skills, Courtroom Testimony, Firearms, First Aid and Driver Training. Passing grades of between 70% and 80%, depending on the subject matter, must be achieved in order to graduate.
Physical Fitness Test Standards
The physical fitness test also must be taken and passed before graduating. It consists of a demonstration of flexibility, an agility test through a timed obstacle course, timed push-ups and a timed 1.5-mile run. These tests are administered three times during the 10-week program to give recruits several opportunities to pass each of the sections.
All police officers in the state are certified by the Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training (BLEOST). The agency’s web site can be found here. Police officers must achieve certification to remain as a duly sworn officer with authority to bear arms and make arrests.
Mississippi has published a comprehensive manual on all of the requirements to become a police officer in the state. It can be accessed here.
Police Officer Salary – Average Cop Pay in Mississippi
According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics (2010), a police officer in the state of Mississippi makes per year. However the data collected by BLS aren’t very accurate because it does not record overtime pay or off duty work. These two factors, if included in the data, would increase the average salary of a police officer in MS.
Police Officer Jobs in MS
There are several law enforcement job openings in Mississippi. Simply visit our Career Job Opening or go to the official website of the agency you are interested in to complete an application of employment. Below is a list of all the law enforcement agencies in the state of Mississippi.
TRAINING PROCEDURES
The MHP Cadet School is a demanding course of study involving an average of 1,033 academic hours of classroom work, skill certification courses and a 3-week physical training and conditioning program. Cadets must enter with good, efficient reading and study skills if they are to maintain the pace of training in the academic and skill certification program.
Areas of academic instruction include, but are not limited to:
- Law
- Patrol procedures and functions
- Investigation
- Human behavior
The skill certification courses which provide cadets with practical “hands-on” training for certification in seven important law enforcement skills such as firearms, first aid, CPR, driver training, implied consent and radar.
The physical training program involves 4 basic components:
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Strength
- Endurance
- Agility
Steps to Becoming a MHP Trooper
- Candidate must be at least 21 years of age and possess a high school diploma or GED. If under age 21, the candidate must hold a degree from an accredited four year senior college or university.
- Candidate must complete an application, including photograph, certified birth certificate, school transcript, and a certified copy of millitary discharge papers (is applicable.)
- Candidate must pass a written examination that is administered and scored by the State Personnel Board.
- Candidate must pass a personal background investigation indicating that he or she is of good moral charater, honest, reliable, loyal and above reproach.
- Once selected for the cadet training program, the candidate must pass a physical test to ensure he or she is in excellent physical and mental condition.
- Once these requirements have been met, The candidate will be interviewed before entering the training school and asked to submit to a polygraph examination.
- Upon acceptance, candidate must present proof that he or she is a resident of the state of Mississippi, has a valid Mississippi driver’s license, and is a citizen of the United States.
As of 1 July 1995, the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training (MBLEOST) required all Mississippi law enforcement training academies to administer an ENTRY LEVEL FITNESS TEST to those recruits reporting to the ten (10) week basic training program. We will give this examination immediately upon reporting for training whether a recruit can remain at the academy for the ten (10) week program.Students must achieve a passing score of 50% on this examination. Should a recruit fail any portion of this pre-enrollment examination, we will ask that he or she leave the academy. They may, however, resubmit their application to attend a future class. The test consists of four components: flexibility, agility run, pushups, and a 1.5 mile run. This will be the same test administered at the end of the ten (10) week basic training program. We will give a recruit only one opportunity to pass the pre-enrollment examination. Please pay close attention to the chart below to learn what MBLEOST will require of each recruit:
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