Police Officer (Certified)

Essential Functions

Click here for the essential functions of a Certified Police Officer.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must have been an AZ POST certified officer; OR must have been a certified officer in another state.
  • Out of State certified officers will be required to apply for reciprocity.
    • For more information on reciprocity and the waiver process, visit AZ POST.
• Be a United States citizen.
• Be in sound physical and mental health.
• Have at least 20/20 vision uncorrected; or 20/20 vision corrected by glasses or hard contact lenses if uncorrected acuity is 20/80 or better; 20/20 vision corrected by soft contact lenses if uncorrected acuity is 20/20 or better.
• Vision capable of distinguishing basic color groups against a favorable background.
• Meet AZ POST and Yuma Police Department drug standards.
• Have a high school diploma or GED equivalency.

License and Certification Requirements

• A valid Arizona State Driver's License is required.
• Must obtain (if applicable) and maintain Peace Officer Certification with AZ POST.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

• Work is performed in a standard office environment, and in the field on tactical assignments; may be exposed to physical attacks, hazardous chemicals, infectious and communicable diseases; required to capture and physically restrain persons; must maintain a level of physical fitness to meet YPD standards.
• This job is classified as Safety Sensitive, and subject to Federal and state regulations.

Automatic Disqualifiers

• Be aware that AZ POST follows Federal Guidelines for Drug Usage.
• Be convicted of a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in Arizona.
• Be dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
• Previously denied certified status, have certified status revoked or have current certified status suspended.
• Illegally sold, produced, cultivated, or transported for sale marijuana or dangerous drugs/narcotics.
• Illegally used a dangerous drug or narcotic, other than marijuana, for any purpose within the past seven years.
• Convicted of or adjudged to have violated traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles with such a frequency so as to indicate disrespect for the traffic laws and disregard for the safety of other persons on the highway within the past three years.
• Been previously employed with a law enforcement agency and since has committed or violated federal, state, or city laws pertaining to criminal activity.
• Lied during any stage of the hiring process, falsified any information on the application or background questionnaire.
• Conviction of domestic violence crime, misdemeanor, or felony or conviction of a lesser charge, which at the time of occurrence was a domestic violence crime.

Benefits

• PUBLIC SAFETY PENSION - Special retirement system for full- time certified peace officers and full-time fire fighters in the State of Arizona.
• SHORT TERM DISABILITY - The City provides short-term disability coverage at no cost to the employee.
• SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE - Employees pay a contribution of 7.65% into the Social Security & Medicare System.
• WORKER'S COMP. - Insurance coverage for medical expenses and loss of income due to an on-the-job injury is provided by the City of Yuma for all employees.
• UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - Employees are covered by Unemployment Insurance.
• MEDICAL, DENTAL, and VISION INSURANCE - The City of Yuma is proud to provide medical, dental and vision insurance for its employees which is administered by the Yuma Area Benefit Consortium.
• LIFE INSURANCE - The City provides a life insurance policy for employees in an amount that is equal to their annual salary. An Accidental Death and Dismemberment rider is also included for an equal amount.
• FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT - The plan establishes a reimbursement account, which is designed to provide you with a means of paying for certain medical, dental, vision, and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - Provides free counseling sessions for employees and family members, as well as a 24-hour crisis line for emergencies.
• COMPENSATORY LEAVE (COMP. TIME) - Paid leave that an employee has elected to accrue in lieu of overtime payment.
• GENERAL LEAVE - This leave is available for all regular full-time and regular part-time employees. General Leave is paid leave for an employee's personal time off. General Leave accrual varies by the employee's years of service and employment status.
• SICK LEAVE - Employees are eligible to utilize paid sick leave immediately following 90 calendar days from their date of hire. July 1 of each year, employees will have 40 hours of sick leave added to their sick leave bank. New employees will have 40 hours of sick leave added to their sick leave bank on their date of hire.
• Paid Parental Leave - The City provides up to 4 weeks of paid parental leave to employees following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster care.

Hiring Process

• Below Are Steps That Must Be Completed Prior To Hire, These Steps May Not Be Conducted In The Order Listed.
• An Email Notification Will Be Sent To The Applicant Prior To The Beginning Of Each Step In The Process
• Peace Officer Physical Aptitude Test (POPAT)
• Information regarding the POPAT and the minimum standards for certification can be found on the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZ POST) website.
• Oral Interview
• Background Interview - PHQ required for this step (See link in the Selection Process section).
• Background Investigation
• Polygraph Exam
• Psychological Exam
• Medical/Drug Screening
• Police Academy