More than 3,600 men and women serve in the ranks of the Dallas (Texas) Police Department, protecting the citizens of one of the largest cities in the nation. Every week, the department accepts applications from men and women who are interested in careers as police officers. To be accepted for employment and assigned to begin training at the Dallas Police Academy, the department requires that you first meet minimum physical, educational and other qualifications.
Qualifications
To be eligible for employment by the Dallas Police Department, you must be a U.S. citizen and no older than 44 years of age. In addition, you must have a valid driver's license with no more than three hazardous traffic violations in the past two years. The department's website states that this does not include any traffic violations settled by deferred adjudication or a driver's safety course. In addition, you must also pass a criminal background check. You must have no felony or class A misdemeanor offenses at all and no class B misdemeanor convictions in the last 10 years.
Education
Like many other police departments, Dallas requires new officers to have some college education, though it does not require a degree. Applicants at least 19.5 years of age must have 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university, with a minimum grade-point average of 2.0. Applicants 21 to 44 years of age must have at least 45 hours of college credit from an accredited school, with a grade-point average of at least 2.0. The Dallas Police Department will waive the college credit requirement for applicants with at least three years of active military service and an honorable discharge.
Physical Fitness
Police officers must be physically fit to carry out the stressful, often dangerous, work that is part of an officer's duties. The Dallas Police Department requires applicants to pass a physical fitness assessment that consists of seven exercises, or events. Aspiring officers must pass each event to be admitted to the police academy. Applicants must bench press at least 56 percent of their body weight; perform a vertical leap of at 6.5 inches; perform at least 14 sit-ups in one minute; run a zig-zag pattern in less than 25 seconds; run 300 meters in no more than one minute, 50 seconds; do at least four push-ups in a minute; and run 1.5 miles in no more than 19 minutes, 9 seconds.
Required Documents
The Dallas Police Department website states that you must present the following documents to be considered for employment: driver's license; Social Security card; birth certificate; college transcripts, if applicable; high school transcripts or proof of GED; a marriage license or divorce decree, if applicable; and a DD-214, for candidates with military service records. In addition, you must fill out a City of Dallas application for employment and a personal history statement. Both of these documents are available online.
Application Process
Applicants for the Dallas Police Department must meet minimum qualifications and present all required documents to begin the department's testing process. The first testing phase consists of an online application; the Civil Service examination, which covers basic reading, writing and mathematical skills; a preliminary interview; a polygraph examination; an interview by a panel of three officers; and the physical fitness test.
The next phase consists of a background investigation, after which you will undergo medical and psychological examinations, as well as a final review by a police chief. After successfully completing the testing and application process and receiving departmental approval, you will receive a conditional job offer and be scheduled for training at the Dallas Police Academy.
Tags: Dallas Police, Police Department, Dallas Police Department, must have, addition must, class misdemeanor
