Salary Information:

Salary range for Officers: $42,182.00 – $61,672.00  (The Police Department’s pay scale consists of 15 annual steps with a 3% increase between steps.  Uncertified Officers start at Step 1 at $20.28 per hour with an increase to Step 2 upon graduation of the Police Academy.  Pay is negotiable for Certified Officers).

Salary range for Dispatchers: $33.00 – $44,824.00 (Pay is negotiable for training and experience). Starting pay is $16.24 per hour.

Benefits:

• BC/BS Health Insurance is provided to our full time employees at no cost (family coverage is an additional cost to the employee)
• 12 days of paid vacation leave per year (increases with longevity)
• 12 days of paid sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays per year
• Participation in Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA)
• All uniforms and equipment provided by the City

Applicants for Law Enforcement Officer must:

• Be at least 19 years of age;
• Be a United States Citizen;
• Be a graduate of an accredited high school or have obtained a GED;
• Not have been convicted of any felony offense, or have been convicted of any misdemeanor offense which restrict the applicant from lawfully possessing a firearm;
• Pass a background check (be of good character and possess integrity)
• Be able to meet the minimum standards as set by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC)

Applicants for Dispatcher must:

• Be at least 19 years of age;
• Be a United States Citizen;
• Be graduate of an accredited high school or have obtained a GED
• Not have been convicted of any felony offense or misdemeanor offense involving moral turpitude or violence
• Pass a background check (be of good character and possess integrity)

Law Enforcement Officers must also be able to meet the below listed educational requirement as set by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC):

In partnership with the Alabama Community College System, the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) has adopted the ACT WorkKeys Assessment as the official Basic Ability Test (BAT) for all applicants for Law Enforcement Officer employment and certification. This requirement became effective July 1, 2017.

In addition to possession of a valid high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate, the BAT is required of all applicants.  This requirement does not apply to applicants who have been previously APOSTC certified and who are required to complete the Refresher training for reinstatement of their Certification.  This requirement also does not apply to applicants possessing an earned Associate’s Degree or higher Degree from a College or University accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or its regional equivalent.

Individuals who do not possess a valid ACT WorkKeys Assessment (BAT) may test at any Alabama Community College within the State.  A list of Alabama Community Colleges can be found here (https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/workkeys-for-employers/shared/test-site-locator-form.html).  Applicants or their agencies may contact the community college nearest their location for scheduling and other related information.

The three components of the WorkKeys Assessment and the passing scores for applicants are as follows: (1) Reading (Workplace Documents) – passing score is “4”, (2) Locating Information (Graphic Literacy) – passing score is “4”, and (3) Applied Mathematics – passing score is “3”.

An ACT WorkKeys Assessment practice test can be purchased here (http://www.act.org/content/aact/en/products-and-services/workkeys-for-employers/assessmetns/preparation.html).

A fee of $45 (payable to the community college) is required prior to testing.  Should an applicant fail any segment of the three segment test, the applicant is allowed to re-take that segment for an additional fee of $15 per segment.

More information and a copy of all of the APOSTC rules can be found by clicking here (https://www.jsu.edu/lea/basic.html).

The BAT requirement can be met during the testing process, but applicants are encouraged to satisfy the requirement as soon as they consider employment as a Law Enforcement Officer.

The first step in joining our team as full-time police Officer or Dispatcher is to apply with the City Of Weaver’s Civil Service Board. A copy of your high school diploma or GED and a copy of your driver’s license should be submitted with the Civil Service Application.  The Civil Service Board will announce vacancies and testing dates/times before administering a written exam.  Once the exam is completed, the Civil Service Board will create a list of applicants based on score.

The Civil Service Board will forward names from the Dispatcher applicant list to the Police Department in order of ranking by score.

The Civil Service Board will forward all names on the Officer Applicant list to the Police Department and Physical Fitness Testing will take place.

The Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission has an established a Physical Agility Test and a Physical Fitness Test that every police applicant must pass in order to complete the Police Academy and become certified as a Law Enforcement Officer.   Since you must be able to pass these physical requirements in the first week of the academy or be dismissed, the Weaver Police Department has adopted these requirements in our hiring process.  Therefore, every police applicant must demonstrate the ability to satisfactorily pass these standards.  After your application is submitted and you pass the Civil Service written exam, you will receive notice of a physical fitness testing date and time.

The Physical Agility/Physical Fitness Test consists of the following…

The Physical Agility Test requires that an applicant complete the following within 90 seconds…

• Pushes a standard patrol vehicle (while in neutral) a distance of 15 feet;
• Runs a short distance and climb over a six foot wall or chain link fence;
• Runs a short distance to an obstacle similar to a small window and crawls through the window;
• Runs a short distance to a balance beam mounted approximately one foot off the ground, balancing on the beam and walk the length of the balance beam (15 ft); and
• Runs a short distance and drags a 165 pound dummy a distance of 15 ft.

The Physical Fitness Test requires the applicant:

• Complete 22 push-ups in 60 seconds;
• Complete 25 sit-ups in 60 seconds;
• Runs 1.5 miles on a flat, level course within 15 minutes and 28 seconds.

Applicants who fail the Agility/Fitness Test will have one opportunity to re-take the Agility Test/Physical Fitness Test (in their entirety) within 48 hours.   Failure to pass any portion of the Agility Test/Physical Fitness Test within the second attempt will result in removal from further consideration.

Applicants that pass the Physical Agility Test/Physical Fitness Test will be provided with background packets, which are required to be returned within 5 business days.

The Civil Service Board will then be notified of all applicants that pass the Physical Agility Test/Physical Fitness Test.  The Civil Service Board will then forward applicant names to the Police Department in ranking by score on the Civil Service written exam.

Applicants that pass the Civil Service written exam, pass the Physical Agility Test/Physical Fitness Test, and pass an in-depth background check will then be notified of an interview date/time.

The interview will be conducted by the Chief of Police and other Command Staff members.   A decision to offer employment or decline employment will then be made.

All uncertified applicants that are hired will be required to sign a three-year contract.