The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s looking for a few good peace officers. Spokesman Jim Saunders says they’re taking applications right now.
Specifically they’re hiring state troopers, special agents with the division of Narcotics Enforcement in the Division of Criminal Investigation, arson investigators and inspectors for the State Fire Marshal’s office, and with the new casinos being built across the state the agency’s hiring special agents to work in the gaming industry as well.
The qualifications required of applicants will depend on which job they’re applying for. For state troopers to work at the Capitol complex they’d have to be 18 to 21 years old, and those 22 and over can apply to work at the State Patrol, Narcotics, and DCI.
Saunders says, “Generally, high moral character and a college education is always helpful.” Local job fairs help generate lists of applicants, but Saunders says then the agency gets to work checking them all out.
A committee will go through applications and figure out which ones meet the minimum criteria. Next they’ll do interviews, do physical fitness testing, give applicants them a medical exam, and finally put each through questioning by an oral board. The would-be law-enforcement officers even undergo polygraph, or lie-detector testing.
Saunders explains it’s simply a series of questions the applicants will go through, to determine if they’re truthful and of “high moral character.” Once applicants have made it through the screening that far, a conditional offer will be made. Then they face 22 weeks of law-enforcement academy.
There’s a session beginning in December but he says the current recruitment is to get applicants for the academy that begins in January, and they’re still taking applications through December 15.