How do I become a Police Officer?
This is just a brief overview of how to become a Police Officer. Further information about the examination process may be found at the Department of Human Resources web site. This is a link to a video of the Physical Agility Test that all prospective Police Officer candidates must pass in order to be hired.
Minimum Qualifications:
You must be a resident of Massachusetts.
Education/Experience Requirement:
A high school diploma or equivalency certificate issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education OR Three years in the armed forces of the United States with last release or discharge under honorable conditions .
Age Requirement:
You must be at least 21 and younger than age 32 prior to the posted civil service examination cutoff date* to be appointed as a Police Officer in the following civil service municipalities that, as of the printing of this notice, have not accepted the provisions of chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws relating to medical and physical fitness standards: Acton, Acushnet, Adams, Arlington, Ashland , Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dalton, Dartmouth, Dracut Easthampton, Easton, Great Barrington, Groton, Haverhill, Hingham, Hudson, Ipswich, Lee, Leominster, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, MBTA, Methuen, Milford, Newton, Northampton, North Andover, North Attleboro, North Reading, Norton, Norwood , Orange, Raychem, Lockport, Salisbury, Southbridge, South Hadley, Stoneham, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Ware, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Westfield, Westford, West Springfield, Williamstown, and Wilmington.
The minimum age requirement of 21 years applies to all civil service jurisdictions. The following civil service municipalities (under the provisions of chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws) may appoint candidates who are over age 32 and who meet certain medical and physical fitness standards: Abington, Agawam, Amesbury, Andover, Athol, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Barnstable, Bellingham, Belmont, Beverly, Boston, Bourne, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Carver, Charlton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Cohasset, Danvers, Dedham, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Greenfield, Halifax, Hanover, Holbrook, Holden, Holyoke, Hull, Kingston, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leicester, Lexington, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Marlborough, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Middleboro, Millis, Millbury, Milton, Montague, Natick, Needham, Newburyport, New Bedford, North Adams, Northbridge, Norwell, Oxford, Palmer, Peabody, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy, Randolph, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Sandwich, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Swampscott, Taunton, Uxbridge, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Wareham, Webster, West Bridgewater, Westwood, Weymouth, Whitman, Winchendon, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, Worcester, and Wrentham. In these communities, as current law requires, candidates will have to meet physical fitness and medical standards within 30 days of appointment to police officer positions, and once hired, will be tested regularly during their employment to be sure that they meet certain medical and physical fitness standards.. More information about medical and physical standards testing will follow. This list of communities is subject to change. Any questions about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.
Written Examination:
You must take the written exam in order to be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a Police Officer.
* At the examination site, applicants must present a current valid photo identification with their signature, such as a current motor vehicle operators license.
* A fee of $100.00 has to be sent by money order and it is recommended that you send it Certified Mail to assure arrival.
* There is a Preparation Guide, which describes the examination in more detail. Applicants will be sent a written letter on where and how to obtain one.
Medical Exam:
Some municipalities may require you to pass both a medical examination and a psychological evaluation before you are appointed.
Smoking Prohibited:
Police Officers hired from the eligible list resulting from this examination are prohibited from smoking tobacco products at the time of and after appointment, according to Chapter 41, Section 101A, of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Character:
No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be appointed as a Police Officer. A candidate may be disqualified for evidence of character clearly unsuited for police services. Some municipalities include a comprehensive background check as part of the selection process.
Driver’s License:
You may need a valid Massachusetts motor vehicle operator's license before you will be hired by some police departments.
Academy Training:
All candidates hired as full-time police officers as a result of the state administered civil service examination will be required to attend and successfully complete basic recruit training conducted by the Criminal Justice Training Council.
Duties:
A Police Officer works under supervision to perform law enforcement duties, protecting life, property, and the civil rights of individuals. Primary duties include patrol; interacting with citizens to provide service and render assistance : and preparing and completing records, reports, and other paperwork documenting incidents for use in prosecution. A Police Officer is dispatched to crime and emergency scenes in response to reported violations , accidents, domestic disputes and abuses, and other incidents: Carries out crime scene duties; makes arrest and performs search and seizure; conducts investigations; and interviews witnesses, suspects , and complainants.
How to apply:
You may get your application and file it and the examination processing fee (or fee waiver form) in person or by mail from HRD Examination Administration, One Ashburton Place, Boston MA 02108 -1515. Applicants and fee waiver forms may also be available at city and town clerk's offices and civil service police stations across the state. If you mail your application send all correspondence by certified mail with "return receipt requested", if possible. Information on future exam dates can be obtained through the Human Resources Division web site.
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