To keep up with the region’s growth, all three jurisdictions in the Las Vegas Valley need more cops. The only problem is, hiring new police officers is tough. Especially when the high standards that adhere to accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, the most prestigious of all credentialing authorities, by which Metro has been accredited, weed out more recruits than they accepts.
Do you have what it takes to become a cop in Las Vegas? Here’s a breakdown of Metro’s course for hiring: decide for yourself.
Before anything, you’ll need to be:
• At least 21 years old
• A recipient of a high school diploma or GED
• Free of felony convictions or domestic abuse/assault convictions
• Without visible tattoos, brandings or body piercing
• Flexible enough to work shifts around the clock, seven days per week
Then, to start, a written exam:
• Four hours long, 169 total questions
• Tests for observation and memory skills, reading comprehension and communication skills
• Includes a biographical inventory
• Must score at least a 70 percent
Afterward, a personal-history questionnaire screener:
• Two hours long
• Asked about any drug use (which is not tolerated)
• It’s either pass or fail
Next the physical fitness test:
• Must have satisfactorily completed all the above
• A grip-strength test: must demonstrate a minimum of 80 pounds of pressure
• 32 full sit-ups in one minute
• 24 full push-ups, no time limit
• 100-yard dash in no more than 19 seconds
• One-mile run in less than 10 minutes and 49 seconds
Then, the oral board examination:
• Must have satisfactorily completed all the above
• 90 minutes long
If you prevail thus far, you will be asked to return for a thorough background investigation, including:
• A psychological exam
• A background interview
• A polygraph exam
Then you will receive a medical exam, in which you must:
• Demonstrate 20/20 vision, or correctable 20/20 vision
• Pass a color-perception test
• Prove your auditory pure-tone threshold doesn’t exceed 25 db HL
• Not fail the drug test