Cranberry Township - Entry Level Police Officer

APPLICANT SELECTION PROCESS SUMMARY

1.    APPLICATION - Application can be completed online.  All applications must be submitted by Friday, March 13, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. All applications must have an attached resume and include (1) certified college transcripts showing completion of at least sixty (60) credits from an accredited college or attainment of college degree and (2) proof application meets the Act 120 requirement for the position.

2. PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST – The physical agility test will take place at 9:00 AM on March 17, 2026, at the Seneca Valley High School Track, located at 128 Seneca School Road, Harmony, PA, 16037. All applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the position will be sent to the physical agility portion. The test shall consist of the job-related events. An applicant must successfully complete and pass all events to receive a passing mark for the physical agility portion. Additional information relating to the physical agility test, including the Male and Female Standards by age is available at the following links:

MPOETC Physical Fitness

MPOETC Physical Fitness Videos

Each applicant will be required to provide photo identification and Physical Agility Release Form. Upon completion of the test the applicant will receive written notice or an e-mail of their testing results and if they are still being considered for the position. If still under consideration, instructions for the next step will be given.

3. INITIAL INTERVIEW – an initial interview may be included in the hiring process. Inclusion of this step is dependent on the number of applicants who successfully complete the physical agility test and its inclusion will be determined by the Cranberry Township Human Resources Department and Chief of Police. An initial interview must be included in the process if there are more than five (5) qualified applicants who complete the physical agility test and may be included if there are less, if approved by the Cranberry Township Human Resources Director and Police Chief.   All applicants will be notified whether an initial interview  will be included in the hiring process at the completion of the physical agility test.

Each applicant will be required to provide photo identification prior to the interview.

The interview shall consist of a series of questions asked by the panel to measure common sense, ability to comprehend, general knowledge and demeanor of the applicant.

Once the interview scores are calculated the applicant will receive notice in writing or e-mail advising them if they have or have not scored high enough to continue in the hiring selection process.  If the applicant has scored high enough to move forward, instructions will be provided for the next phase. 

4. INTERVIEW – the interview list will be determined through one of two ways: (1) if an Initial Interview is not included in the hiring process, all applicants who successfully complete the physical agility test will be selected for an interview or (2) if an Initial Interview is included in the hiring  process, the top 50% of applicants based on scoring from the Initial Interview will be considered for an interview. At least 5 of the top 10 applicants with the highest Initial Interview scores will be selected for an interview if that step is included in the hiring process. The interview panel shall consist of three to five scoring members, including a panel of police executives/command staff.

All applicants will start out equally in this phase of the selection process.  This interview shall also consist of a series of questions that will measure the applicant’s common sense, ability to comprehend, general knowledge, and demeanor.

Once the interview scores are calculated the applicant will receive notice in writing or e-mail advising them if they have or have not scored high enough to continue in the hiring selection process.  If the applicant has scored high enough to move forward, instructions will be provided for the next phase.

5.  INITIAL SELECTION - the interview panel shall submit a list of selected applicant(s) to the Director of Human Resources or their designee to fill the number of positions open and approved to be filled by the Board of Supervisors for final hiring. The applicant will be notified he has been selected as a final applicant. Before a conditional offer of employment may be made, the following background investigation procedures shall be followed which shall meet, at a minimum, all of the specific requirements of MPOETC and Act 57 of 2020 (the “Law Enforcement Background Investigations and Employment Information Act”). These procedures shall be consistent for each candidate. Each candidate shall be required to execute an authorization and release for the disclosure of employment information from the applicant’s former employing law enforcement agencies on a standard form promulgated by MPOETC. The Chief of Police or other authorized representative shall also sign the form, which shall be used to request employment information from each of the applicant’s former employing law enforcement agencies, if any. At this time, the following requirements of the hiring process need to be completed:

a. PERSONAL HISTORY STATEMENT/CONFIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE

b. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

c. EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, WHICH INCLUDES:

1. Criminal history check, including the submission of fingerprints to the State Police Central Repository and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

2.  PROVIDING THEIR CURRENT DRIVERS LICENSE AND Driver’s license check, including a review of the candidate’s driving history, which involves a review of all traffic violations

3. Personal interviews conducted with at least 3 people that have personal knowledge of the applicant but are not related to the applicant

4.  Interviews of the applicant’s employers, if any for the past 5 years to determine the applicant’s work history

5.  Preview of the candidate’s employment information from each previous law enforcement employer (if any) to determine the candidate’s law enforcement work history

6.  Verification of the candidate’s eligibility to lawfully possess a firearm

d.  CREDIT CHECK      

e.  Provide One OF THE FOLLOWING if not previously submitted:

1.  Act 120 waiver of training

2.  PROOF OF CURRENT ENROLLMENT IN 120 training AND COMPLETION DATE PRIOR CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

3.  Certification of act 120    

f.  PROVIDE PROOF OF HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED AND Certified college transcripts documenting 60 credits from an accredited college OR ATTAINMENT OF college DEGREE (IF NOT PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED).

6.  Conditional Offer of Employment - Once the final applicant(s) is/are contacted, they will be responsible to sign a conditional offer of employment within 48 hours of notification. The applicant(s) will also have to complete and sign the forms attached to the conditional offer of employment, including a signed and notarized authorization for the release of separation records on a standard form promulgated by MPOETC. Should an applicant fail to sign this or is no longer interested, the offer shall be void and another applicant will be selected from the final list.

Upon receipt of the signed release of separation records, the Chief of Police, or the Chief’s designee, shall request separation records through the MPOETC Training and Certification System (“MPOETC TACS”) database, pursuant to Act 57 of 2020. The candidate may not proceed further in the application process until the separation record is obtained or a certification that no separation record exists is received from MPOETC.

7.  ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOLLOWING CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT. The final applicant(s) MUST successfully complete the following:

a.  MEDICAL EXAMINATION (INLCUDING A STRESS TEST and DRUG SCREENING)

b.   PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION

c.    PROVIDE THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD