Chester - Police Officer (Full)(Part)

Chester Police Department

Now accepting applications for Police Officer

Chester Police Department is located in the unique Town of Chester, Vermont. Chester is a quaint New England town with a population of 3,144, centrally located, and in close proximity to several ski areas including Okemo, Stratton, and Killington. Chester offers a community of great restaurants, comfortable B & Bs, and interesting shops, including authentic antique stores and lovely art galleries. Whether you are looking for a quiet respite, or just adventuring off the beaten path..... Here, you can enjoy a tranquil and charming atmosphere. Chester is also a wonderful place to live! Chester PD has a full time force of 5 officers (one detective) with a supplemental force of up to 4 part time officers. We currently have 5 marked units with an unmarked detective vehicle. Our Department is located in our newly built Public Safety Building which is shared by Chester Fire and Chester EMS.

Chester is the first "True Public Safety" department in VT. Employees have the option be trained and active in two or three of the departments. We work to get the job done and offer the best service we can to our community. When working in your primary department and a call comes in requiring a different needed skill, trained members will switch hats and make sure the job gets done. An example would be a police officer is on duty, a structure fire comes in during the day (limited resources), the officer switches hats, notifies a supervisor they are headed with the FD, and jumps on a truck to respond with the FD. This allows a faster response time to emergencies, and provides a better overall service to our community.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license.
• Possess, or have the ability to attend and complete the required training for, a Level II or Level III certification by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC). A waiver from another state certification approved by the VCJC will also be accepted.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work varied hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Must successfully pass/recently passed a background investigation, physical examination, psychological evaluation, written exam or polygraph.

Job Description/General Duties

• Enforce local and state laws to ensure public safety.
• Conduct routine patrols to prevent and detect criminal activity.
• Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service.
• Investigate crimes, accidents, and other incidents.
• Engage with the community to foster positive relationships and trust.

Benefits

• Competitive hourly wage based on experience and qualifications.
• Opportunities for professional development and training in all public safety aspects including EMT and Firefighter1.
• A supportive and community-focused work environment.
• Benefits include additional holiday pay and shift differentials, VMRS retirement, paid vacation and sick leave, town supplied life insurance, 95% employer paid healthcare, FSA, 457B plan option.

Testing Requirements:

https://vcjc.vermont.gov/training

Hiring Process

Possible written exam, polygraph, MMPI, physical agility test, oral board, and background investigation. Must have and maintain a level II or III certification or obtain one at the end of either academy and pass a field training test period. 6 - 12 month probationary period must be passed starting from the applicants swearing in date. Failure to pass any portion of this process can result in termination from the hiring process.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

The Town's policy and intent are to provide equal opportunity to everyone and to prohibit discrimination because of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, health coverage status, genetic information, crime victim status, or any other category of person protected under state or federal law.

The Town will work with you to provide any reasonable accommodation you are entitled to. Do not expect that that the town will know of a need for accommodation;please, speak up and ask. Please remember that the Town may provide accommodation that is reasonable, though it may not be your preference.