Officer Recruitment and Selection Process for the Vermont Highway Patrol
CJA/214

The basic eligibility requirements for being hired as a Vermont Trooper are to have a high school diploma or GED, age 21 and over, U.S. citizen, a background demonstrating good moral character, and satisfactory completion of Peace Officer Academy (POST) Entrance Exam (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). The minimum requirements to become a Vermont Highway Patrol are that applicants must be a U.S. Citizen; must be at least 21 years of age as of initial testing date; must have a high school diploma or equivalent; may not have received more than three minor traffic violations within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or pled guilty to a lesser charge within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or pled guilty to a lesser charge within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or used hard drugs within five years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or used other drugs not classified as hard drugs within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or involved in the sale, manufacturing or cultivation of illegal drugs within five years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of a felony as an adult, may not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; not been convicted of, or involved in crimes of dishonesty within four years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or involved in crimes of unlawful sexual conduct within four years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or involved in crimes of physical violence within four years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or involved in minor crimes other than traffic within one year prior to the initial test date; may not have a military discharge other than honorable, and an employee in uniform is prohibited from having a tattoo anywhere on their body that is visible while in a short sleeve uniform (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). Candidates who apply to test for Department of Public Safety Officer positions will be required to undergo the Physical Assessment Test (PAT) and the suitability assessment. Candidates taking the PAT will be required to pass each event. Failure to pass each event at the level indicated in the physical requirements will eliminate the candidate from further consideration of employment for the recruitment period. Once the candidate passes the PAT they will take the suitability assessment test that consists of several instruments to assess cognitive and interpersonal skills. This test is a video-based, multiple choice test that portrays situations that are commonly faced in law enforcement. Candidates are required to analyze situations and make quick judgments. Candidates are also evaluated on other areas such as, reading, observation skills, factual report and basic writing competency during the assessment. Candidates passing this test will move to the background Investigation portion of the selection process. Candidates will also go through additional testing that includes an oral board, polygraph examination, pre employment drug test, psychological evaluation, and a comprehensive medical examination that includes hearing and vision (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). Upon being hired, a candidate must successfully complete the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) that is 15 weeks long. Vermont law requires all potential peace officers to receive basic training before they can be certified and function with any authority in the state. The POST Basic Training program provides the required training for law enforcement officers.
The mission of the Basic Training Bureau is to provide professional law enforcement training utilizing progressive adult learning concepts, innovative technology and research to meet the needs of Vermont's law enforcement community and the citizens they serve which includes basic training, firearms training, emergency vehicle operations training, canine training, defensive tactics, physical fitness, and curriculum development (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). Ongoing training requirements and major components of the training process and the career development programs for officers who work at the agency include in- service, intoxilyzer, firearms, emergency vehicle operation, and radar training. Advancement opportunities are also available for troopers. Troopers can apply for Sergeant promotional examination after they have completed five years of work experience as a peace officer with the department. For any Trooper that wishes to attend college to earn a degree, the department will reimburse $2,500 annually to help pay for education expenses when approved (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). In conclusion, the mission of the Vermont Highway Patrol is to reduce crime and crashes through proactive policing. You will notice Troopers out and about in their areas of responsibility doing all they can do to gain voluntary compliance through education and enforcement. The Vermont Highway Patrol strives to have a proficient work force made up of highly trained Troopers (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013).

References
Vermont Department of Public Safety. (2013, Spring). Vermont department of public safety. Retrieved from http://publicsafety.vt.gov/highwaypatrol/