Reserve Officers

Reserve officers must meet the same basic appointment requirements as that of Regular Officers and go through the same selection process. Cost of physical and psychological tests in the hiring process will be covered by the city. Reserve officers are volunteer personnel and may be dismissed at will.

All candidates must have the following minimum qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be 21 years or older
• Must possess or be able to obtain a valid driver license by time of hire
• Must be able to meet all Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Police Officer standards
• Must pass the agency certified entry level written exam (70% or better)
• Must pass the agency physical agility test
• Must be able to read and write the English language
• Must possess a high school diploma or GED

DISQUALIFICATIONS

• A felony conviction under State or Federal law
• A conviction of any misdemeanor under Oregon law within three years prior to application or convictions for two or more misdemeanors under Oregon law as an adult
• A conviction of domestic violence
• A conviction of crime involving controlled substances
• Drug use, distribution or manufacturing
• Any adult use of marijuana within one year of application
• You have a dishonorable, bad conduct, or other than honorable discharge from the armed services
• Three or more moving violations or a single instance of a major traffic offense within three years of application

Vehicle Operation

• Ability to possess a valid drivers license
• Ability to drive safely
• Ability to control a motor vehicle at high speeds
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle in all types of weather conditions

Integrity

• Refusing to yield to the temptation of bribes, gratuities, payoffs, etc.
• Refusing to tolerate unethical or illegal conduct on the part of other law enforcement personnel
• Showing strong morale character and integrity in dealing with the public
• Being honest in dealing with the public

Credibility as a witness in a court of law

• The ability to give testimony in a court of law without being subject to impeachment due to his/her honesty or veracity (or their opposites) or due to prior felony conviction

Dependability

• Having a record or submitting reports on time and not malingering on calls, etc.
• A record of being motivated to perform well
• A record of dependability and follow through on assignments
• A history of taking the extra effort required for complete accuracy in all details of work
• Willingness to work the hours needed to complete the job

Learning Ability

• The ability to comprehend and retain information
• The ability to recall information pertaining to laws, statutes, codes, etc.
• The ability to learn and to apply what is learned
• The ability to learn and apply the material, tactics and procedures that are required of the law enforcement officer

Personal Sensitivity

• The ability to resolve problems in a way that shows sensitivity of the feelings of others
• Empathy
• Discretion, not enforcing the law blindly
• Effectiveness in dealing with people without arousing antagonism
• The ability to understand the motives of people and how they will react and interact

Judgment under pressure

• The ability to apply common sense during pressure situations
• The ability to make sound decisions on the spot
• The ability to use good judgment in dealing with potentially explosive situations
• The ability to make effective, logical decisions under pressure

No official of the City of Coburg, whether appointed or elected, may be a member of the Coburg Police Reserve.  The testing process for Reserve Officer is the same as that for a full-time police officer. The prospective Reserve completes a basic City of Coburg application form and submits this to our agency during recruitment.  From this, the applicant is invited to the physical agility test, a written examination, then an oral interview, a background investigation, a Chief’s interview, a psychological evaluation, and a medical evaluation.

Coburg Police typically recruit for vacant Reserve Officer positions at various times throughout the year. The process is dictated by the need to fill open, authorized positions.

They Physical Ability Test is a sample physical abilities assessment process designed to evaluate police officer candidates on essential physical capacities required to satisfactorily perform job duties.  This test consists of 3 phases, each required pass/fail.  Any failure of a phase will result in the automatic fail of the test.

• Push-ups (age specific)
  
• Sit-ups (age specific)
  
• 400 meter run
  

400 Meter Run (Male or Female)		Under 2:30
Push Ups:  2 Minute Time Limit
Age Group	17-21	22-26	27-31	32-36	37-41	42-46	47-51	52-56	57-61	62+
Male	32	30	29	26	24	20	20	18	16	15
Female	19	17	17	15	13	12	10	9	8	7
Push Ups:  2 Minute Time Limit
Age Group	17-21	22-26	27-31	32-36	37-41	42-46	47-51	52-56	57-61	62+
Male	42	40	35	32	28	22	20	18	17	16
Female	40	38	32	30	26	20	18	16	15	14

Written Test

After successful completion of the physical ability test, you will move forward in the testing process to the written test portion.   The Coburg Police Department has adopted the National Police Officer Selection Test as a standard written test for employment.  No law enforcement background or knowledge of law enforcement procedures is needed to do well on this test.  The test is designed to determine your level of general knowledge in the following areas: 

• Math
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Punctuation
• Reading Comprehension
• Writing

The test is divided into four (4) sections and a minimum score of 70% is required in all of the sections to proceed further in the hiring process. If you have passed this test with another agency, you scores are NOT transferrable to the Coburg Police Department.  The Coburg Police Department requires all persons who apply here to take the test through this agency.   

 

Oral Board Interview

The Oral Board Interview is conducted by a panel of Coburg Police Department personnel, City of Coburg personnel and citizens from the community of Coburg.  The panel will interview the top candidates, and return a recommendation to the Chief of Police.  Background investigations are then conducted on those applicants the Chief of Police determines to be best suited for the job.  

 

Tips for Success: 

• Arrive early
• Dress professionally
• Be honest
• Be yourself

Following the oral board interviews, the Chief of Police will order a background investigation to be conducted.    The Coburg Police Department is interested in hiring only persons of the highest ethical caliber.  The background investigation is one of the tools we use to ensure this happens.  We need to learn about your values, habits and your history to make sure we only hire the best for our team.  

 

The duration of the background investigation is different in every circumstance.  To ensure a swift and accurate background investigation, your application should be complete.  Like every other part of the process the best thing you can do is be open, honest and be yourself.

The psychological evaluation looks at several factors of the applicant, not only to ensure that the applicant is fit for duty, but that he/she displays good logic and has a profile that would interact well with other members of the department.

Additionally, the psychological test has several parameters that will assess the individual’s response and ability to complete the field training program.