Table of Contents
- Welcome from the Chief
- Part 1: How to Pick your Police Department
- Part 2: Completing the Personal History Form
- Part 3: Written and Physical Tests
- Part 4: Police Officer Applicant Interviews
- Part 5: Final Steps to the Job Offer
- Part 6: How to Make a Decision to Accept a Job Offer
Welcome from the Chief
On behalf of the Chesterfield County Police Department, I want to thank you for considering a career in law enforcement. We need people who will step forward to serve our communities, and I appreciate your willingness to heed the call to service. We have created this guide to help people understand and navigate the police officer hiring process, which involves much more than filling out an application. We hope you consider CCPD as your law enforcement employer of choice, but we know you have options. As you go through the steps in this booklet and determine which agency is the best fit for you, we encourage you to evaluate our department. If you have a heart for service, we have a place for you. We wish you the best in your career. Please do not hesitate to reach out to a recruiter if you have any questions. Colonel Edward F. Carpenter Jr.
Part 1: How to Pick your Police Department
Making the decision to become a police officer is often born of a strong desire to serve, a drive to protect the vulnerable, and an interest in being a part of something bigger than oneself. Believe it or not, that decision is the easy part. Choosing which department is the best fit for you can be overwhelming. In today’s law enforcement environment, everyone is hiring, and applicants often have a vast amount of information coming at them from multiple departments at once. So, how do you make the right decision for you and your family (or your future family)? We have been hiring police officers for many years, and the advice we always give our CCPD applicants is this: Evaluate us as we evaluate you. As we conduct your background investigation and find out about you, you should be finding out about us and making sure you want to be part of our culture. Here are a few things to think about when you are considering a police department as your future employer:
Look Externally: Before considering a police department, consider the community in which it is situated. In most cases, you will be living there. Be future oriented and try to think not just about who you are now, but who you will be in 10 years or more. Consider the following:
- Does the community offer amenities you enjoy? Having access to good restaurants, museums, theaters, public parks, etc. can help you maintain a healthy work/life balance.
- Community support is critical to your wellness as a police officer. Does the department have the trust of the public? Does the department engage with the community in positive ways? A police department should never be separate from the community, but rather it should be part of the community it serves.
- Governmental support is important so you can do your job well, be safe, and have the tools and resources you need. How is the local government structured around the agency, and does it appear everyone is working as a team?
- Evaluate the school system. You may not have kids now, but you might someday. Make sure the schools in the community offer what you need.
Look Internally: Next, look at the department itself. Consider whether it aligns with your career goals and your expectations of an employer and of a workplace.
- Are there opportunities for growth and development? Are there promotional opportunities and opportunities to do a variety of different things outside of patrol? Do these opportunities align with your personal career goals? Are you able to tour specialty divisions or units during the hiring process and ask questions of members of those units?
- What benefits beyond pay are offered? Does the agency support all aspects of wellness? Ask questions of the recruiter about the department’s wellness program. Do you like what you hear?
- What do you observe about the culture of the agency? Do officers seem friendly and respectful to one another? Do they seem happy in their work? Do they treat community members with respect and dignity? Does what you see comport with what you believe a police agency should be?
- What equipment can you expect to be issued to you and what do you have to furnish yourself? Do the officers in the agency you are considering seem happy with their issued equipment? How about the ease of obtaining new equipment and/or uniforms?
- Do the officers in the agency feel supported by management? What is their relationship with members of command staff?
- What does the department have planned in the future? How will it grow? Often, this information may be on their website in the form of an annual report or a strategic plan. Check it out!
The job of a police officer is stressful enough. Don’t add to that stress by selecting a department that isn’t a good fit for you. Do your research and be thorough! This is your life, and you should have joy in your work.
Hear what officers say about working in Chesterfield, Virginia.
Part 2: Completing the Personal History Form
You’ve done your research and applied to a few police departments you feel are a good fit for you. Next comes the hiring process, which usually involves a series of different events and activities. The most laborious and time-consuming part of this process is completing your personal history document (sometimes called a background investigation packet or background form).
We are going to talk about the content of your personal history form soon, but first: A pop quiz!
Scenario: Your grandma has been in a minor fender bender. She was rear-ended at a stoplight by an inattentive driver. She wasn’t injured, but her car was damaged and is not drivable. Your grandma is an active lady; she goes to church twice a week and bingo on Tuesday nights. Plus, she volunteers at a local community center. She needs a rental car while her own car is being repaired, and she needs it fast. The insurance company won’t move forward without a copy of the accident report, and you can’t help because you are away at college. Which police officer do you want responding to your grandma’s accident?
Officer A: This officer misspells your grandma’s name on the report and puts her address in the other driver’s space. He leaves several required sections of the report empty, and the drawing is not correct. The insurance company must ask him four times over the course of three weeks to submit the report until he finally does it. Meanwhile, your grandma still doesn’t have a rental and has been missing all her activities. Officer B: This officer’s report is flawless. Everything is accurate and tidy. The drawing is perfect. The officer submits his report within 24 hours of completing his investigation. Your grandma gets her rental car and can drive to church and bingo within days of the accident.
Which officer do you want helping your grandma?
My guess is you want Officer B (unless you don’t like your grandma, but we’re not unpacking that here). Well, police departments want Officer B, too. We want people who care about customer service and the needs of our community. A significant amount of an officer’s day is spent completing reports. So, as you complete your personal history form, consider what you are demonstrating with your level of effort. Are you following the instructions? Are you completing everything as thoroughly and accurately as possible? Are you asking questions if you need to do so? Are you completing this form to demonstrate the professionalism we can expect of you as a police officer with our agency? Now let’s move on to the content of your personal history form. You’ll likely be asked to provide a variety of documentation, such as copies of diplomas or transcripts, marriage certificates and/or divorce decrees, military records and/or discharge documents, and so forth. Do your best to provide these documents by the due dates provided; if you can’t, then provide documentation you have ordered the documents from the appropriate authority. Communicate with your background investigator regarding any challenges you experience getting the information they need. They will work with you on this issue, but you must communicate with them to facilitate the process. Here is the first scary part for most applicants: Filling out the form. Typically, these documents are anywhere from 20 to 40 pages long. We get it; that can be intimidating. Remember, we also had to fill these forms out when we were hired.
Tip: Do not start working on this form the day before it is due. There may be information you need to research or confirm with family members or friends. Start the paperwork at least two weeks before it is due to the background investigator.
The second scary part is the actual questions. This will be unlike any job application you’ve ever completed. You’ll see deeply personal questions and questions you may be a little uncomfortable answering. As you complete the form, the most important thing for you to do is be honest. Police departments know there are no perfect people. We do not expect people to complete their personal history and have no, you know, personal history. So be candid. If you aren’t sure about something, say so, and answer the question to the best of your recollection. Tip: Do not try to guess at what the agency “wants to hear” when you answer these questions. Just. Be. Honest. Let us know who you are. Usually, what you think will eliminate you from a process won’t eliminate you. Not being truthful about it will eliminate you every time. If you earn a position as a police officer, your agency will be relying on you to maintain the public trust. This means acting with professionalism and integrity. So, your professionalism and integrity are one of the first things we evaluate about you in the hiring process. Be mindful of this as you complete this important first step toward a law enforcement career.
Part 3: Written and Physical Tests
By now, you have a good idea of the first few steps of the application process. The order of events in every department will be different, but at some point, you will be invited to take a written and/or physical test. Whether or not you have a written test will vary from agency to agency, and even state to state. Some states require a Civil Service Examination to be considered for hire in a police agency, while in other states each department has a different a written test or no test at all. You can expect these tests to be primarily cognitive in nature, evaluating your ability to read, write, and problem-solve. In some cases, you may be tested on your decision-making ability.
In general, you cannot study for a police applicant written test. The best way to prepare is to ask questions about the test of the agency to which you have applied and do a little research online about what to expect.
All police agencies have a physical test of some sort. Some states mandate the same test for all agencies and others do not. Some agencies choose to have a physical fitness test that involves a series of events, like push-ups, sit-ups, and running. Others use an obstacle course as their physical fitness test. As with the written test, you should reach out to the agency to which you have applied or check out its website to see what type of test to expect and what the requirements are to pass. Keep an eye out on the website for any preparatory events, because some agencies will schedule voluntary practice sessions or even work-out clubs with potential applicants. If you can do so, you should participate in these types of events. They can not only help get you in shape, but they can also lessen any anxiety associated with taking the test.
You should prepare for the physical fitness test. If you do not currently workout regularly or exercise at all, do not expect to show up for your PT test and just power through.
Adrenaline can do a lot of things, but it isn’t magic. It can’t help you do push-ups if you have never done a push-up before. If you are a senior in college and thinking about applying when you graduate in six months, if you are already working in a career and are considering a change to law enforcement, or if you have been out of the job market for a while and are considering a career in public safety, start a workout plan now! If you have the means, get a gym membership and use it. If joining a gym isn’t in your budget right now, that’s fine. There are plenty of resources online that offer simple at-home or outdoor workouts that require little or no equipment. Commit to your workouts as a way to get stronger, not just a way to pass the test. If your agency has a minimum number of push-ups to pass its test, for example, aim to surpass it in the workouts leading up to your test. In other words, over-prepare.
Remember, as you evaluate the agency to see if it’s a good fit for you, its members are also evaluating you.
During the test, be aware of opportunities to support others. Police work is inherently team-oriented, so your ability to work as a team member and cheer on others during the test is important. We want to see how you’ll fit in with our team, so show up for others as you show up for yourself. This is also a good opportunity for you to ask questions about the agency to those administering the test. Take advantage of this opportunity, as it will help you later in the hiring process. Learn everything you can about the agency during every step of the process. If you don’t pass the PT test on the first try, don’t be discouraged. Keep working on your fitness and keep trying. If you do pass, great! You are on to the next step in the process. But do not use this as an excuse to stop working out or slow down your fitness routine. If you get hired, you will have to go through an academy. Many academies and departments have fitness requirements that are more stringent than the initial applicant test. So, keep getting stronger and more fit!
One final tip: Ask questions about dress requirements when you schedule your tests.
Some agencies schedule written and physical tests on the same day and expect you to dress professionally for the written test and change into PT clothes for the physical fitness test. Other agencies have no requirements in this regard. Make sure you know the expectations and follow them.
Learn more about CCPD's Physical Agility Test.
Part 4: Police Officer Applicant Interviews
Job interviews, regardless of the position for which you are applying, are universally perceived as anxiety-producing at best and terrifying at worst. If you are applying for the position of police officer, well, let’s just say things get a little weird. Typically, a police officer applicant will go through at least two very different interviews. One of these interviews is what you would expect when applying for any job. You will be asked a series of behavioral, situational, or knowledge-based questions by either a panel of senior agency members (three to five) or a single decision-maker, like the chief of police or sheriff. This interview is where your research into the department will benefit you. Additionally, you should be able to demonstrate some level of self-awareness during this process.
Here are a couple of items to note as you prepare for this type of interview:
- If you haven’t done so already, look at the department’s website. Understand how the agency is structured, what opportunities (think K-9, SWAT, and so forth) are available to you, and what services the agency offers within the community that might be appealing to you.
- Complete a ride-along with the agency to which you have applied. This way, you get personal observations of what the job entails, and you also get the opportunity to have in-depth discussions with someone who has the job that you want. You want to go into this interview knowing what a police officer does beyond what you see in police dramas on Hulu or Netflix, and this is the most effective way to know.
- Understand what the possible dangers of police work are and how you plan to manage the resulting stress.
- Finally, be able to answer the question: “Why do you want to be a police officer?” You might not get asked this question in your interview, but you should know your answer going into this process.
The other type of interview you will experience as a police officer applicant is the background investigation interview. This is the weirdness we mentioned earlier. During this interview, you are expected to share extremely intimate and personal details of your life with a stranger. There is no other way to explain this part. In most agencies, the background investigation interview centers around the personal history form. The detective will verbally confirm with you all the information you have written on this form. They may ask follow-up or clarifying questions. The most important thing for you to remember during this conversation is to be candid. Even if it is embarrassing. Even if your mom would kill you if she found out that you took $20 out of her wallet when you were 16. Take a deep breath, relax, and tell us about your life.
We aren’t looking for perfect people. Perfect people, by our estimation, don’t make good police officers.
They don’t understand and have trouble empathizing with what other people have gone through in their lives, the poor decisions they made, or the foolish actions they have taken. Police officers must be able to understand these things; otherwise, they probably won’t be very good at their job. So just tell the truth. What you think will knock you out of a hiring process usually will not. Lying about it will absolutely knock you out. We cannot have people in our agencies who can’t acknowledge the mistakes they have made in life. That would negatively impact the public trust. Your background investigation interview will usually last an hour or two. Typically, it will be followed by a polygraph examination, either on the same day or some later date. And no, there are no tips for the polygraph. Just tell the truth. (Are you sensing a theme?)
We know that this part of the process will be uncomfortable and a little awkward. Just show up and be you, and you will be fine (and it will be worth it)!
Part 5: Final Steps to the Job Offer
So far, you have learned about the major steps in the police officer hiring process. If you have completed all these steps, you’re almost there! There are just a few things left to do as you get closer to that job offer. These steps may come anywhere during the process, depending on the agency and the state in which you are pursuing employment. After your interviews and polygraph, an investigator will complete your background investigation. This means checking your references, talking to prior employers, and maybe even talking to your teachers, neighbors, and other associates. This can take, at minimum, four to six weeks. During this phase, you should look out for communication (telephone calls, texts, emails) from the investigator asking follow-up questions or for clarifications. Make sure you are getting them what they need. Even if they don’t need anything from you, they should be communicating with you frequently just to check in and update you on the status of your hiring process.
Remember: as a department evaluates you for hire, you should be evaluating the department.
Your investigator should provide regular communication and good customer service. They should be answering all questions quickly. They should be responsive to you. If they can’t do that when they are competing with other agencies to hire you, then how will they treat you when you are on the payroll? Can you envision yourself as a coworker of the person completing your investigation?
Additionally, you can expect the following during the process:
- Medical screening: A medical/physical exam is required to ensure you are medically fit to perform the duties required of a police officer. Depending on the agency to which you have applied, you may simply be given a medical form to take to your personal physician to complete, or the department may send you to a physician at its expense.
- Psychological screening: You will typically be asked to take at least one, possibly several, written or computer-based psychological tests. Some agencies may also require you to meet with a psychologist one-on-one.
- Uniform fitting: Depending on the size of the agency, you will either get uniform fitting done at the department’s logistics supply department, or you will be asked to get measured by a private tailor and provide that information to the agency.
- Drug screenings: All agencies will require blood and/or urine tests for illicit drugs.
You may have had to complete a medical examination for a job before, but the psychological screening is not standard for most jobs. So, why do we do it for police officer positions?
Police work is inherently stressful. This psychological screening is needed to make sure applicants are emotionally stable, resilient, and capable of processing this stress and potential trauma.
You may have heard the phrase “hurt people hurt people.” We never want to put someone in a position of protecting the public if they are not emotionally equipped to do so. Public trust is a critical component of any department’s ability to serve a community, and we take that very seriously.
One of the common questions applicants have regarding drug testing pertains to marijuana. As of June 2025, 40 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of cannabis products. Only four states consider marijuana fully illegal, while others consider it a variety of ways, to include legalized, medical and decriminalized, medical only, decriminalized, and CBD with THC only. Our best advice to you is to inquire with the agency to which you are applying.
Currently, marijuana is still illegal at the Federal level, so use of marijuana during employment as a police officer is generally prohibited.
However, get the exact rules of the agency you want to be a part of and commit to following those rules as soon as you decide to apply. Next, we will discuss how to make that final decision on accepting a job as a police officer. By now, you have learned about all the steps in the hiring process. Hopefully, once you have navigated these steps with one or more agencies, the job offers should start rolling in!
Part 6: How to Make a Decision to Accept a Job Offer
If you are in the hiring process for several agencies, now is when you really want to start thinking about which agency is the best fit for you. There are a lot of factors that should go into this calculation for you, including cultural fit, community, and your own personal expectations of an employer. You should have identified these issues as you made the decision to apply to these agencies, and you should be doing a deeper dive into how they mesh with you and your family now. Another important consideration is pay.
No one gets into public service for the pay. But the fact remains that you must be adequately compensated for the job you do so you can support yourself and your family comfortably.
Here are a couple things to consider when looking at compensation:
- Starting salary: Is the starting salary commensurate with similar agencies in the region? Is there a different salary during training versus when you graduate from the academy? Is the salary appropriate considering the cost of living in the area? Can you afford to live in the community in which you work?
- Future salary: Is the department able to tell you what you will be making in five years? Ten? Twenty? Do they have a funded pay plan (always clarify if an agency has a pay plan versus a funded pay plan)?
- Additional benefits that impact your compensation: Does the department provide all your equipment (uniforms, handgun, gun belt, etc.)? Does the department provide officers with a take-home car? Do you pay for your training or are you paid to go through an academy?
- Additional monetary or financial incentives: Is there a shift differential? Is there additional pay for specialty duties, such as Field Training Officer? Do they offer tuition assistance if you wish to further your education?
- Hiring or retention bonuses: Is the agency advertising hiring or retention bonuses? If so, at what point are those received? After completion of the academy? After completion of field training? After one year of employment?
- Retirement and other benefits: What is the agency’s retirement organization, and how does it calculate your monthly retirement benefits? At what age can you retire? What medical benefits are provided during your employment and how much do you pay versus what the employer pays? Does the department offer any additional retirement planning beyond the pension, and, if so, do they match contributions?
- Is financial planning part of the department’s wellness program?
You should be prepared and understand all these things when that job offer comes. You should know what you are getting yourself into, not just from a day-to-day perspective, but from a career perspective.
Take a look inside CCPD's Police Academy and the 89th Basic Academy class.
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