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Employment

Thank you for your interest in applying for a position with the Delmar Police Department. Following you will find the qualifications for employment, and employee benefits. If you have any questions concerning testing procedures, forms, or any other matters, please contact Lt. Wade Alexander at (410) 896-3131 Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM
Civilian Application Must be Mailed to Delmar PD or Returned in person.

Police Officer Application Civilian Application

Qualifications


Age:

Each applicant must have reached his/her 21st birthday by appointment to a police officer (in all cases, the applicant must have reached his/her 21st birthday before completion of the academy).

Education:

All applicants must show proof of graduation from an accredited high school, or a G.E.D., as approved/recognized by the Maryland or Delaware Department of Education.

College-level courses in law enforcement, i.e., Criminal Justice, Psychology, sociology, business, Municipal Administration, Political Science, Public Administration, City Planning, & Counseling, are preferred but not mandatory.

Residency:

Residency for all Delmar Police Officers is restricted to either Wicomico County, MD, or Sussex County, DE, with a forty-five-minute response time to the Delmar Police Department.

Physical Requirements:

All applicants offered conditional employment must pass a medical examination, including a vision test. A department-approved physician will conduct the medical examination.

The weight of each police officer applicant must be in proportion to height and build, as determined by the departmentally approved physician. Each police officer applicant must complete a physical fitness evaluation.

Additional requirements:

Each applicant must be a United States citizen.

Each police officer applicant must possess a valid driver's license and must obtain a Maryland or Delaware driver's license within 30 days of the date of appointment. Each police officer applicant must have at least three years of driving experience at the time of work.

Testing

There will be three phases of preliminary testing & two stages of testing that will be conducted once a conditional offer of employment has been made. These phases in order are:


Written Examination:

The written examination is the General Education Development (GED) test.

Physical Ability Test

The applicant must participate and complete several areas of fitness-related exercise. Physical fitness is a candidate's body conditioning as measured by evaluating results according to the person's sex & age. Such an evaluation may help identify qualified applicants and reduce the probability of work-related disabilities.

Oral Interview Board

Applicants who complete the written examination and physical ability test with the required scores will be invited to the oral interview board. The board will consist of three members of the Delmar Police Department of varying ranks.

The oral board will apprise personal qualities such as appearance, voice, ability to express oneself, ability to organize higher thoughts, poise, bearing, & alertness.

Physical Examination

All applicants offered conditional employment must pass a medical examination based on medical standards as determined by the department-approved physician. The medical examination will include but will not be limited to:


  1. Eyesight, as determined by the examining physician, natural or correctable to 20/20

  2. Weight, in proportion to applicants' height as determined by the examining physician, See Chart Below

  3. The general condition of sound physical health.

Psychological Evaluation

All applicants offered conditional employment must be able to pass a written psychological test which he/she must pass. Such testing will be classified and withheld from public inspection.

This test identifies abnormal personality traits which indicate maladjustments or mental illness. The Delmar Police Departments Psychologists analyze the test results. They are based upon the analysis and written recommendation an applicant may be rejected at this point.

Desirable Weight Ranges

Height  SM Frame  MED Frame  LG Frame  Height  SM Frame  MED Frame  LG Frame  

5'4"      117-138      123-149         131-163     5'          96-114       101-124        109-138

5'5"      120-142      126-151         138-173     5'1"       99-118       104-128        112-141

5'6"      124-146      130-157         138-173     5'2"       102-121     107-131        115-144

5'7"      128-151      134-163         143-178     5'3"       105-124     110-135        118-149

5'8"      132-155      138-167         147-183     5'4"       108-128     113-139        121-152

5'9"      136-161      142-172         151-187     5'5"       111-132      117-144        125-156

5'10"    140-165      146-177         155-193     5'6"       114-135      120-149        129-161

5'11"    144-169      150-183         160-198     5'7"       118-140      124-153        137-165

6'         148-174      154-188         164-204    5'8"        122-144     128-157        137-169

6'1"      152-179      158-194         169-209    5'9"        126-149     132-162        141-174

6'2"      156-184      163-199         174-215    5'10"      130-154     136-166        145-179

6'3"      160-188      168-205         178-550    5'11"      134-158     140-171        149-185

6'4"      169-198      178-216         188-231    6'           138-163     144-175        153-190

6'5"      174-204      182-222         192-238




Physical Ability


1.5 Mile Run:

This test is an excellent indication of the condition of the heart and lungs as it measures one's aerobic capacity or the ability of the heart and lungs to utilize oxygen.

Sit-Ups:

This test measures muscular endurance in the abdominal muscle group. Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to contract repeatedly for a particular amount of time. In this test, the applicant starts by lying on their back, fingers interlaced behind the head, knees bent, & feet flat on the floor with a partner holding the feet secure. On the command "GO," the applicant performs as many correct sit-ups as possible in one minute.

Push-Ups:

This test measures muscle endurance; a low level of muscle endurance indicates inefficiency in movement and a poor capacity to perform work. This test also measures the muscles of both the chest & upper arm, which are important in physical confrontations such as pushing, pulling, controlling & handcuffing. The applicant starts from a front leaning rest position with only their hands and toes touching the floor. Then the applicant begins by lowering their body toward the floor, bringing their shoulders even or below their elbows. He/She then pushes up so that the elbows lock out and immediately repeats the exercise. The total number of correctly performed push-ups is recorded.

Flex Test:

Flexibility may be defined as the possible range of motion in a single joint or a group of muscles or joints; no known test measures the flexibility of the joints, but they sit and reach test will measure the all-important flexibility of the lower back and hip areas. Additionally, the legs and trunk are measured. After removing his/her shoes, the applicant sits on the floor with legs extended forward, knees locked & backs of legs touching the floor. They then lean forward at the waist as far as possible.


Background Investigation


All applicants must submit to a personal investigation to verify his/her good character.

The name and fingerprint classification of all candidates must be searched through the records of the Delmar Police Department, or the Maryland State Police, the Delaware State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in other cities, including appropriate agencies located in states in which the candidate may have resided or worked.

Using the personal history statement, background investigations will verify candidates are qualifying credentials in such areas as resident checks, employment, education, military experience, arrests, civil actions, and gross negligence. The applicants must list three personal references on the application, who cannot be former employers or relatives.

Candidates determined to be not eligible for employment with the Delmar Police Department will be informed by the Chief of Police, in writing, within thirty calendar days of such decision. Candidates will be notified of the basis for their disqualification (e.g., background investigations, test scores, medical examination, etc.)

A. Failure to meet the following state-mandated requirements to become a police officer will also result in rejection:


  1. At least 21 years of age at the time of appointment

  2. United States Citizen at time of appointment

  3. High School Diploma, GED Certificate recognized by the Maryland or Delaware State Board of Education.

  4. Eligibility for or possession of a valid Maryland or Delaware driver's license before appointment three years driving experience.

  5. Good moral character and reputation, as determined by a comprehensive background investigation which MUST, by law, include:

    1. fingerprint search of local, state, and federal criminal record files.

    2. check of military records (where applicable)

    3. credit agencies at places of residency over the past five (5) years

    4. school records

    5. personal references

    6. neighbors at places of residence over the past ten (10) years

    7. present and past employers and fellow employees



***Conviction for any state or federal crime MAY be grounds for applicant rejection by the Maryland Police Training Commission of Delaware Council on Police Training.

 

B. Medical Examination. Those applicants offered conditional employment who fail to pass the medical examination given by a licensed physician designated by the Delmar Police department will be considered rejected and will progress no further in the selection process. Reasons for rejection (failure to pass a medical examination or meet minimum physical standards) shall include, but not be solely limited to the following:


  1. As determined by the Police Department of the town of Delmar, Eyesight is natural/correctable to 20/20.

  2. Weight in proportion to applicant's height as determined by the examining physician for the town of Delmar.

  3. Recurring and limiting physical injuries, conditions, or illnesses would prevent an applicant from performing the essential functions of the position for which the applicant applied.

C. Physical Stature. An applicant offered conditional employment may be rejected if his/her physical stature is not within the acceptable range of the height/weight chart. This requirement will be waived if the applicant provides a medical opinion from a licensed physician that his/her participation in the physical fitness evaluation will not have any adverse impact on the applicant's health status.

 

D. Background Investigation. The following may be cause for automatic rejection of applicant:


  1. A bad military conduct or dishonorable discharge from any branch of the U.S. Military Service.

  2. Documented evidence of three (3) or more instances of misconduct or disciplinary action in the military service (regardless of the type of charges).

  3. Discharge from employment on two (2) or more occasions; within the past five (5) years, or documented evidence of disciplinary action or dismissal on three (3) or more occasions.

  4. A conviction for any felony or serious crime

  5. A conviction for a misdemeanor may be cause for rejection

  6. Three (3) or more current points against the applicator's operator's license before appointment.

  7. Misleading and/or false information supplied by the applicant to background investigators or administration.

  8. Patterns of violence towards other persons as evidenced in two (2) or more areas of the background investigation (e.g., military check, arrest for crimes of violence, resident checks, etc.)

  9. Evidence of alcoholism or serious drinking including but not limited to:

    1. conviction for intoxication

    2. poor work history related to alcoholism

    3. repeated intoxication or disorderly conduct revealed through checks of residence and neighbors.

    4. Any juvenile felony committed at fourteen (14) years of age or older involving violence against another person.

    5. Personal History form not entirely or accurately filled out.

    6. Attempts at deception.





Drug Use Policy


The purpose of this policy is to avoid arbitrary discrimination against those applicants who, during their formative years, experimented with certain substances of abuse and also protect the interests of the department and the community. Considering that inclusive and sometimes conflicting research as to the residual effects of various substances, legal obligations, and the department's responsibilities, this policy will be a realistic approach to reducing the questions of risks associated with the employment of such individuals.

Identification of present use and/or addiction to any illicit drug (cocaine, PCP, marijuana, LSD, etc.) by any applicant will be grounds for permanent rejection. Should the use of a substance identified to be supported by the proper medical documentation, the completed investigation will be forwarded to the department designated physician for evaluation and recommendation. The purpose of this evaluation shall be to ensure the substance, although properly obtained, is not subject to abuse and/or the individual is medically fit to fill the assigned position.

Evidence demonstrating repeated use of any drug or chemical substance, e.g., marijuana, alcohol, etc., with such frequency that it appears the individual has or had accepted the use and/or reliance upon the substance as part of a pattern or behavior, shall be the reason for permanent rejection.

Any applicant found to be involved (at any time) in the illegal sale, manufacture, or distribution of any controlled dangerous substance will be permanently rejected. Any applicant's improper use of any narcotic/drug after application will be grounds for permanent rejection.


Benefits



  1. Starting Salary: Recruit - $46,009.60 and Officer - $49,230.27 to $53,288.42 based on experience.

  2. All Uniforms and Equipment Issued: (except socks and underwear).

  3. Medical Benefits: Health plan available, paid for by the town, with employee membership.

  4. State Retirement: Sworn employees may retire after 20 years of unbroken service.

  5. Holiday Leave: The employee receives 12 paid holidays a year.

  6. Annual Leave: Employee receive annual leave in the following increments: 0-5 years = 96 Hrs., 6-10 years = 144 Hrs., 11-20 years = 192 Hrs., 21+ years of service = 240 Hrs.

  7. Sick Leave: The employee receives one sick day per month. The employee may accumulate no more than 720 hours of unused sick time.

  8. Overtime: Time and one-half are paid for overtime. Employees scheduled to work on a recognized holiday receive pay at time and one half in addition to another day off.