"Women and minorities are
strongly encouraged to apply."
Please view our EEO Plan
Are
you are looking for a rewarding and meaningful career? Do you
want to be a positive role model for your community? Do you also
want to make a real difference in people’s lives? Then the
Warwick Police Department is the place for you! The Warwick
Police Department has a need for police officers who are
committed to public service, professionalism, and who want to
work as part of a team to keep our neighborhoods safe.
The
department utilizes a thorough and extensive hiring process that
is aimed at identifying and hiring the best candidates to serve
as police officers in our city. The process is highly
competitive. The following outline will serve to explain the
process and gives insight into preparing for it.
Police Officer Application
Schedule
Application period is scheduled for March 3, 2008 to March 31,
2008
A
preliminary application will be accepted during this time
period. Pre-applications will be available online at
www.warwickpd.org and
also at Warwick Police Department Headquarters.
The preliminary
application is available at the Warwick Police Department or by
clicking on the following
link:
Please
click here
A physical fitness test will be conducted by Cooper
Institute certified instructors. The test is a job-task related
physical fitness assessment that is age and gender adjusted.
This test is the same as the one mandated for entrance into the
Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy. All five phases of the
test must be successfully completed to continue in the
recruitment process.
A positive photo ID
(driver’s license)
must be presented at the time of testing. A physician’s note
(within the last 90 days) allowing you to participate in the
physical fitness test must be presented at the time of testing.
You will also be required to sign a waiver of liability form on
behalf of the City of Warwick and State of Rhode Island for your
participation in this testing.
The written exam will
be given
on
April 19, 2008 at the Community College of
Rhode Island (CCRI) Knight campus (Warwick.) There is a $25.00
non-refundable processing fee that must be paid by a personal
check or money order made out to the City of Warwick at the time
of testing. (Candidates claiming financial hardship may have this fee waived
at the discretion of the Chief of Police. This will be
determined on a case-by-case basis.)
The test will only be
given to those candidates who successfully completed the agility
test. A
seventy percent (70%) score must be attained to pass and go on
to the next phase. The test is a general knowledge type and is
provided by an independent testing agency. Tests will be scored
by Warwick Police Department authorized personnel. Candidates
may review their results by filing a request, in writing, to the
Inspection Services Division of the Warwick Police Department
within five (5) days of notification of score. Passing test
scores will be weighted as sixty percent (60%) of the final
score in the application process.
Upon successfully completing the
written test, you will be given a Comprehensive Employment
Application. Along with the submission of this application, you
will be required to submit personal documentation.
(See Documents Needed for
Comprehensive Employment Application.)
If the applicant is unsuccessful
in either the written or physical agility test, he/she is
encouraged to re-apply in 2010
All comprehensive employment applications must be returned in
person or mailed to the Warwick Police Department Inspection
Services Division no later than
May 2, 2008
at
4:00pm.
The Comprehensive
Employment
Application must be notarized (Notary available at police HQ's).
All Required
documentation must accompany this application.
Oral Board Interview(s) – Sworn officers of the Warwick Police
Department will ask a series of questions that may be based upon
hypothetical situations, or to clarify and expand upon
information in the application, or other data about the
candidate. The Oral Board will consider the candidate’s
performance before the board, how questions are answered, as
well as the answers given. The questions are designed to elicit
frank, truthful responses and not to test the candidate’s
knowledge of police practices, legal procedures, or technical
processes which the candidate is not expected to know, but
rather to assess the candidate’s ability to understand, make
decisions, reply truthfully, and other general characteristics
which are acknowledged traits necessary for carrying out police
responsibilities. They do measure a candidate’s ability to
respond in an intelligent, confident, courteous manner and to
show a candidate’s ability to communicate clearly and
concisely. Consideration will also be given to the candidate
for experience and/or education.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
POLICE TITLE: POLICE
OFFICER
-
Effect an arrest, forcibly
if necessary, using handcuffs and other restraints; subdue
resisting suspects, using maneuvers and weapons and resorts
to the use of hands and feet and other approved weapons in
self-defense.
-
Prepare investigative and
other reports, including sketches, using appropriate
grammar, symbols, and mathematical computations.
-
Exercise independent
judgment in determining when there is reasonable suspicion
to detain, when probably cause exists to search and arrest
and when force may be used and to what degree.
-
Operate a law enforcement
vehicle during both the day and night; in emergency
situations involving speeds in excess of posted limits, in
congested traffic and in unsafe road conditions caused by
factors such as fog, smoke, rain, ice, and snow.
-
Communicate effectively and
coherently over law enforcement radio channels while
initiating and responding to radio communications and while
operating a law enforcement vehicle.
-
Gather information in
criminal investigations by interviewing and obtaining the
statements of victims, witnesses, suspects, and confidential
informers.
-
Pursue fleeing suspects and
perform rescue operations which may involve quickly entering
and exiting law enforcement patrol vehicles; lifting,
carrying, and dragging heavy objects; climbing over and
pulling up oneself over obstacles; jumping over obstacles,
ditches and streams, crawling in confined areas; balancing
on uneven or narrow surfaces and using body force to gain
entrance through barriers.
-
Load, unload, aim and fire
and become proficient in a variety of police firearms under
conditions of stress that justify the use of deadly force
and within prescribed certification standards, which
include, but are not limited to, handguns, shotguns, and
other shoulder fired weapons, fired from a variety of body
positions.
-
Perform searches of people,
vehicles, building and large outdoor areas which may involve
feeling and detecting objects, walking for long periods of
time, detaining people and stopping suspicious vehicles and
persons.
-
Conduct visual and audio
surveillance for extended periods.
-
To detect possible
violations of physical security breaches of building after
being alerted to same through reports of intrusion alarms,
citizen complaints or officers observation and conducting
overall physical security checks of the structure of said
building to verify their integrity.
-
Effectively communicate with
people, including juveniles, by giving information and
directions, mediating disputes, and advising of rights and
processes.
-
Demonstrate communication
skills in court and other formal settings.
-
Detect and collect evidence
and substances that provide the basis of criminal offenses
and infractions and that indicate the presence of dangerous
conditions.
-
Endure verbal and mental
abuse when confronted with the hostile views and opinions of
suspects and other people encountered in an antagonistic
environment.
-
Perform rescue functions at
accidents, emergencies, and disasters including, but not
limited to, directing traffic for long periods of time,
administering emergency medical aid, lifting, dragging, and
carrying people away from dangerous situations and securing
and evacuating people from particular areas.
-
Process and transport
prisoners using handcuffs and
other appropriate restraints.
-
Wear personal protection equipment to include
chemical suit and mask and operate with PPE equipment in
contaminated environment.
-
Extinguish small fires by
using a fire extinguisher and other appropriate means.
-
Read and comprehend legal
and non-legal documents, including the preparation and
processing of such documents as citations, affidavits, and
warrants.
-
Operate law enforcement
support equipment including, but not limited to, telephones,
typewriters, computers, console radios, mobile radios,
portable radios, audible-warning systems, emergency lighting
systems, cameras, and mobile command unit.
-
Deploy chemical sprays.
Police Dispatcher
We
are NOT currently accepting applications for police dispatcher
City
of Warwick
Civilian Police Dispatcher
As civilian employees of the Warwick
Police Department, dispatchers work in the Communications Center
and often serve as a citizen’s first point of contact with the
Department. A career as a Police Dispatcher is challenging,
interesting and rewarding. You will have an opportunity to work
with sworn police officers on a daily basis in solving crisis
situations, assisting citizens and fellow Department members and
ensuring that communications between citizens and officers in
the field flows efficiently and effectively.
Police Dispatchers respond to requests
for information or police services through 911 emergency calls,
routine telephone calls and from citizens that come to police
headquarters. These requests can range from emergency
situations needing immediate police service, such as a report of
a robbery or burglary in progress, to providing a citizen with
directions to a local City business. The Warwick Police
Department utilizes a Computer Aided Dispatch System to
facilitate those communications, simplify reporting in the field
and maintain required records. Police dispatchers also process
requests from other police departments and government agencies.
Dispatchers also provide officers with a
wide variety of support services such as conducting wanted
person checks by computer through state and national enforcement
computer networks, conducting drivers license and vehicle
registration checks by computer with the Rhode Island Division
of Motor Vehicles and other police communication centers to
obtain necessary information and countless other needed and
vital services.
The Warwick Police Department’s
Communication Division is a state of the art Communications
Center. There are three intricate sections in the
Communications Center.
Call Taker: Handles incoming
emergency and non-emergency calls using computer aided dispatch
system.
Radio Dispatcher: Handles the
dispatching of police officers to emergency and
non-emergency calls for service.
Information Dispatcher: Handles
requests for license and registrations checks, warrant checks,
and any and all requests from officers for information.
The Communications Center has 16
civilian employees
Key Responsibilities:
∙ Receive and prioritize
emergency calls from the public requesting police and
other emergency services;
determine nature, location, and priority of calls and
dispatch units accordingly.
∙ Operate a variety of public
safety communications equipment including a
multi-channel radio, 911
emergency telephone equipment, computer aided
dispatch systems, instant call
recorders, and paging and intercom systems.
∙ Maintain contact with all
units monitoring status and location of police
officers.
∙ Maintain police case files and
purge old records according to State laws,
Police Department and City
policies.
∙ Operate a computer terminal
and teletype machine to enter, modify, and
retrieve data; update
information in various computer systems.
Educational Requirements:
∙ Should be High School
Graduates or have obtained a GED.
∙ Supplemented with computer
experience using a windows based operating
system.
∙ Required to pass a typing
test verifying a minimum competency level of 25
words per minute or any
equivalent combination of education and
experience.
No one can be expected to walk into a
job such as Police Dispatcher and immediately be knowledgeable
and proficient in all aspects of the job requirements. The
Police Department has an intense training program consisting of
several weeks to ensure your success as a Police Dispatcher.
During training you will be paired with various experienced
Police Dispatchers who will serve as your Training Officer (CTO).
Your CTO will help you with everything from learning the layout
of the facilities to learning how to use the computer system.
There is a Probationary Period of 6 months before being fully
certified and becoming a regular member of the police
dispatching team as a Communication Specialists/Dispatcher.
There will also be periodic job related training courses and
monthly in-house training sessions.
Hiring Process:
∙ Preliminary Background
Check
∙ Pass the Practical Test
∙ Pass a Typing Test- 25
correct words per minute
∙ Formal Interview
∙ Formal Background Check
You may contact the city of Warwick
Personnel Management Division for information about employment
and information on how to obtain an employment application.
(401) 738-2000 ext.# 6253.
DUTIES:
Responsibilities will include
reviewing communication center's reports and shift summaries for
submission, and notifying supervisor of any
emergencies/problems; operating computer communications control
console, internal security system and surveillance system,
receiving complaints/requests for service and dispatching which
will require the use of police computer assisted dispatch
system, computer records management system, RI law enforcement
computer system, National Crime Information System, and the RI
911 System; and performing related work as required.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Applicants should be high school
graduates supplemented with computer experience using Windows
based operating system. Applicants will also be required
to pass a typing test verifying a minimum competency level of
twenty-five words per minute, or any equivalent combination of
education and experience.
APPLICATIONS:
Applicants should contact Terry
Cehelsky
at the City of Warwick Personnel Department to obtain an
application. (401) 738-2000 ext 6253
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to provide the highest level of
service to the public in their time of need; utilizing
appropriate resources in a timely manner. We will strive to
ensure fair, impartial and courteous treatment; providing the
best support possible for maintaining the safety of our citizens
and public safety personnel. We are committed to be that
critical link between citizen and first responders while
efficiently collecting and disseminating information needed to
protect life, property, and the environment. We will be lifelong
learners, accepting our responsibilities, challenges and
necessary changes with a willing attitude as required by our
profession.
CODE OF ETHICS
As a Communications
Specialists/Dispatcher I regard myself as a member of an
important and honorable profession.
I will perform my duty with efficiency
to the best of my ability.
My conduct and my performance of my
duties will be accomplished in an honest manner, contributory to
my fellow workers, and observant of the policies and procedures
of the city and department.
I will recognize at all times in my duty
that I am a public safety employee, and that ultimately I am
responsible to the public.
I will give the most efficient and
impartial service of which I am capable at all times.
I understand the importance of courtesy
and will maintain it as my reference point in all my duties.
I will regard my fellow dispatchers with
the same standards as I maintain myself.
I will strive for those values, which
will reflect honor on my fellow dispatchers, my agency and
myself.
I will exhibit honesty and integrity
through ethical behavior.
I will demonstrate professional
excellence through leadership, cooperation, and dedication
serving the public.
I recognize diversity among the members
of communities and department, allowing for fair and open access
to services.
As
a Public Safety Communications Specialists/Dispatcher there is
recognition of the honor of my position that is a symbol of
public faith.
