RECRUITMENT
Police > Recruitment

​Openings

Please check Human Resources Employment or Wilenet for possible openings.  

Minimum Requirements
  • United States Citizenship
  • A minimum age of 18 at time of appointment
  • Associate Degree in Police Science, or a college degree in a related field, or minimum of 60 credit hour of college level courses attested by a transcript from the college
  • Completion of Basic Police Recruit Training with Wisconsin Certification (Proof of certification is required at time of hire)
  • Valid Wisconsin Driver's License
  • Must have ability to swim and survive in water rescue operations
  • Must be able to withstand a pre-appointment investigation
  • Vision correctable to 20/20
  • Able to distinguish color
  • Must be fluent in speaking and writing English
  • Must have and be able to maintain the legal right to possess firearms
  • Must live within 15 miles of the city’s jurisdictional boundaries within one (1) year from date of appointment
​Any certifications, degrees or licenses referred to in the above minimum requirements must be current at time of application, unless otherwise specified, and supporting documentation must be provided at the time of application.
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​Physical Agility Requirements
  • Climb 68 stairs up-down
  • Run forward, backward, lateral right and lateral left for 20 yards each. Must complete within 34 seconds.
  • Overcome a 6 foot fence w/step
  • Run ¼ mile; must complete within 2:15 minutes
              a.       Evade a 35” surface (½ body must go over top)
              b.       Duck under a 4’ hurdle
              c.       Jump over a 1’ hurdle
  • Simulate CPR compressions on an adult on the floor, 2 minutes
  • Lift/carry 100 lbs. in a crate, waist height for 10 feet
  • Push 75 lbs. of force at waist level, 25 feet
  • Pull/drag 75 lbs. of force at waist level, 25 feet
Salary and Fringe Benefits
  • The starting salary, based on the 2018 contract, for a police officer is $52,782.
  • Currently, employees participate in an excellent group health, dental and life insurance program. The City currently pays 90 percent of the health premium.
  • Participation in the Wisconsin Retirement Plan.
  •  All police officers currently receive sick leave.
  • Currently, there are ten paid holidays. Currently, one week of vacation is earned after one year of service.
  • The City currently provides many other fringe benefits, such as call pay, uniform allowance, funeral and personal leave, etc.
  •  The established work schedule is a 12 hour work day consisting of 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on, 3 days off work cycle.
  • Tuition reimbursement for professional development is currently offered.
 
Hiring Process
  • Written Application
    All application of materials for the position of Police Officer must be completed and received by the Human Resources Department by the posted date and time. Required application materials include advanced educational transcripts, certificates, licenses and diplomas.
  • Physical Agility Test
    The physical agility examination will have a scheduled date.  You must pass all parts of the physical agility in order to proceed in the process. You will be allowed one attempt at each station and you must pass each station in order to continue through the process. You will be required to sign a "release of liability" form prior to admission to the testing process.
  • Written Examination                                                                                                                                    The written examination is composed of a number of multiple choice questions and covers reading comprehension, problem analysis, math, and reasoning problems. This test is administered by the State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Personnel Partners. If you require reasonable accommodation for the examination, you must contact the Human Resources Department.
  • Oral Interview with Police & Fire Commission
    Based upon the results of the written and physical agility examinations, and other qualifications a candidate may possess, candidates may be invited to participate in an oral interview before the members of the Police and Fire Commission. Candidates will be asked a series of questions to determine their suitability for employment with the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department. All candidates will be asked the same questions, however, the Commission reserves the right to ask follow up questions.
  • Eligibility List
    The Police and Fire Commission will compile a list of qualified candidates. The list will be forwarded to the Chief of Police for further review and action.
  • Police Department Interview
    When a vacancy exists or is anticipated, the Chief of Police will select candidates from the eligibility list for a finalist oral interview. The interview will be conducted by members of the department and community selected by the Chief of Police.  The Chief will advise the PFC of changes in the eligibility list which may have resulted from the interviews with members of the department and/or background investigation.
  • Background Investigation
    If you are selected as a finalist, an extensive investigation of your background will be conducted. The background investigation may include interviews of former employers, review of previous employment personnel files, criminal background check, driving records, credit history, interviews with neighbors, references, etc. Any false or misleading information provided by you will be cause for rejection.
  • Conditional Offer of Employment
    Upon successful completion of all other phases of the pre-employment process, you may be offered a conditional offer of employment. This offer is contingent upon satisfactory results from a Medical Examination, Psychological Examination and Drug Screening. 
  • Approval of Appointment
    Wisconsin Statutes provide that the Police and Fire Commission approve all appointments to the police department.

Field Training Program

The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department has a 14 week Field Training Program. It is comprised of 3 or more Field Training Officers and is headed up by a Field Training Supervisor. A new employee will be scheduled for training on each of the shifts for approximately 12 weeks and then an additional 2 weeks of "shadowing" with the primary FTO. The training program may be adjusted based on individual needs.  Upon successful completion of these steps, a new officer will be placed in the patrol schedule and will continue to report daily to the FTO supervisor. A new officer has a probationary status for one year from date of hire.