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Police Department > Department Operations > Employment > Selection Process

Selection Process

From the time of initial application, the hiring process can take between three to six months. Contact will be maintained with applicants from the time of initial application until an applicant is removed from the hiring process or an offer of employment is extended.

All phases of the selection process will be given in the order below, barring unforeseen circumstances necessitating the alteration of the sequence. If the order is changed, notice will be given to applicants. Some steps may be eliminated as needed; the job announcement will outline the process for both sworn and non-sworn applicants. Candidates who fail to show up for further testing, when notified, will be stricken from the examination list and disqualified from further testing. Failing any portion of the examination shall disqualify the candidate from any further participation in the examination process.

Employment Information Packet

Out-of-Area Candidates

With proper notification, candidates who live three hours or in excess of 200 miles away, will be allowed to complete Phases I and 2 on the testing date.

Written Examination

All candidates will be contacted with the date and time of the examination. Candidates should arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time to register for the written examination. Registration is required even though an application was submitted to Human Resources.

A driver's license or other valid picture identification (passport, military ID, employment ID, etc.) is required to gain admittance to the written examination. Candidates csm be denied entry to the test for failure to provide a driver’s license or other valid picture identification at the time of registration.

The test will be video-based consisting of 54 scenarios designed to test judgment, decision making, and common sense. It also includes a grammar and reporting writing section. Candidates must successfully pass this portion of the process in order to continue on to Phase 2. At the end of the written examination, candidates will be given a Personal History Questionnaire to be completed upon notification that they will be moving on to Phase 2 – Structured Oral Examination.

The company that provides the written test offers a practice test to help candidates become familiar with the video-based testing process. There is a cost for the service and it is administered by the testing company, not the Police Department.

No food or drink will be allowed in the test area.

Background Interview

Candidates selected to continue beyond Phase 1 will be interviewed by a background investigator.

Structured Oral Examination

Candidates who have passed Phase 1 will be scheduled for an oral examination based on overall ranking order and the number of available positions. The candidate will be notified of the specific location, date and time of their appointment for the oral examination as well as when the Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ) should be submitted.

Assigned oral examination dates and times shall be final. Changes or rescheduling are not allowed. In this phase, the candidate shall be asked several questions by a panel of three to five assessors. The assessors will then score the candidate’s responses to the questions based on established criteria. All candidates will be asked the same questions.

Ranking

A candidate who successfully completes Phases 1 and 2 will be ranked according to their overall score.

Polygraph Examination

A polygraph examination will be scheduled for the candidates that have successfully completed the Oral Examination Phase based on ranking and number of available positions as outlined in Phase 2.

Background Investigation

Candidates shall be investigated as to character, conduct, driving record, drug and alcohol history, habits, environment, previous and current employment, criminal history (a felony conviction, as an adult is automatic grounds for disqualification), credit history and references.

Conditional Offer of Employment

Based on their current rank in the process and the number of available positions, candidates who successfully completed Phases 1 through 4 will meet to receive a conditional offer of employment. Successful candidates will then move to Phases 6 and 7.

Psychological Evaluation

The psychological evaluation shall consist of written psychological tests and a personal interview with a clinical psychologist retained by the department. Each candidate, in order to be eligible for the position of police officer, shall be recommended as suitable for the position.

Drug Screen/Medical Examination

Candidates shall be required to successfully undergo a drug screen and medical examination. Entry-level examinations are required for all candidates, prior to employment, to determine general fitness for duty. The standard, entry-level examination will be provided at no cost to the candidate. If the drug screen (urinalysis)shows the use of a controlled substance, that fact shall be cause for disqualification. Where the use of a prescription drug is detected, the candidate will be required to offer proof that the drug has been prescribed by a physician for the candidate. If the candidate is unable to provide such proof, employment may be denied. Employment may also be denied where future or continued use of a prescribed drug poses a potential safety risk or would impair job performance. The question of future or continued use of a prescribed drug shall be referred for an evaluation as recommendation by the licensed medical practitioner retained by the department. Each candidate, in order to be eligible for the position of police officer, shall show that they have no limitations and that there are no medical contradictions to perform the job without accommodations

Hearing Standards for Police Officers

Hearing loss attenuated by a hearing aid(s), is grounds for disqualification.

Pure tone thresholds in the unaided worst ear cannot be worse than 25 dB at 500Hz, 1000Hz, or 2000 Hz, and no worse than 35 dB loss at 3000 Hz or no greater than 30 dB at any of the first three frequencies and an average loss of less than 30 dB for all four frequencies is acceptable for safety classifications.

Vision Standards for Police Officers

Visual acuity must be 20/40 or better in each eye with or without correction.

Significant loss of color (greater than one cross on the Farnsworth D-15 panel test and an inability to pass practical ability examination) is grounds for disqualification.

Reduced peripheral acuity with opaque colored lenses requires individual evaluation as these lenses may produce visual field loss ranging from 21 to 47 percent. The dense coloring used in these special lenses reduces the amount of light entering the eye, especially at the periphery.

Significant decrement in visual field performance (peripheral vision) in either eye is unacceptable for safety positions. Field of vision must extend across degrees in both eyes and at least 70 degrees in each eye tested separately. Note: Peripheral vision of each eye should be measured separately by means of automated perimetry.

Anomalies of depth perception are not significant. Current evidence indicates that anomalies of depth perception are not pertinent to the performance of any job.

Final Offer of Employment

The Lee's Summit Missouri Police Department is a sponsoring agency. Once accepted, officer candidates will attend the Kansas City Missouri Regional Police Academy. The department covers all costs associated with the training and candidates receive a salary while attending. Upon graduation, candidates are assigned to the 16-week Field Training program.