Master Police Officer Program
Description:
A Master Police Officer is a senior police officer who serves as a subject
matter expert advisor to the Supervisor and the Watch Commander or unit
Commander and also serves as a mentor to junior police officers. A Master
Police Officer generally has ten years of police experience and maintains
knowledge of many aspects of law enforcement. This knowledge and experience
usually is gained by having previously served in a specialty billet such as
Detective, Street Crimes, Task Force, School Resource Officer, SWAT, Hostage
Negotiations, Community Policing, Field Training Officer, Honor Guard, Traffic,
and K-9. Master Police Officers can serve in limited command billets of small
units and may supervise a unit in the absence of the Supervisor. In terms of
where the rank of Master Police Officer falls on the spectrum of typical
departmental ranking systems, it is generally NOT a civil service supervisory
rank, however it is regarded as the highest rank attainable by a Police
Officer, equivalent in many ways to the rank of Corporal. Master Police
Officers are working members of a unit and will carry on with all expected
duties of a basic police officer.
Criteria:
A Master Police Officer candidate should have the following criteria:
• 10 years with the agency or 8 years
with at least 2 years prior law enforcement experience.
• The
candidate should have completed all of the basic schools and have completed FTO
or Line Supervision School.
• Pass a written critical skills exam.
• Annually
complete at least 20 hours of community service, or complete an approved
service project that benefits the agency, or serve a collateral duty of the
supervisors choosing.
Mentorship:
A Master Police Officer should be the backbone of this agency’s mentorship
program. A junior police officer should be able to seek advice from the Master
Police Officers in their unit, without worry of judgment of their immediate
supervisor. In turn the supervisor should be able to work with the Master
Police Officers in their unit to link up junior police officers with certain
Master Police officers who have a particular set of skills that meet the
specific issues that may arise. Supervisors can also seek advice from the
Master Police Officers without worry of judgment from subordinates. The Master
Police Officers should not take this position lightly and should guard these
confidences. Some of the leadership skills sets and concepts are taught at the
Field Training Officer and the Line Supervision Courses, and it should be a
requirement to attend one of these courses prior to obtaining the rank of
Master Police Officer.
Required
Basic Schools: Master Police Officer Candidates should take the following basic
courses prior to applying for the rank of Master Police Officer. Candidates
should also have FTO School or Line Supervision, and one of the listed advanced
schools.
• Investigative Interviews
• Domestic Intervention
• CIT School
• Drug Identification
• Laser/Radar School
• Breath Tech Operator
• Field Sobriety School
• Sex Crimes
• Building Searches
• Tactical Handgun School
Advanced Schools:
• SWAT School
• Hostage Negotiations
• CID School
• Undercover Operations
• DEA School
• Traffic Homicide School
• Death Investigations
• Instructor Techniques
• Crime Prevention
Written
Critical Skills Exam: The purpose of a written critical skills exam is to
ensure that a Master Police Officer in charge of a group of officers or one
that is left in charge of a shift, has the basic leadership skills to handle
situations involving high liability issues in the department. A Master Police
Officer left in charge of a group will always have access to a Watch Commander
or a higher ranking command staff member.
Community
Service: 20 hours of community service annually. Service may include but not
limited to the following:
• Volunteering at a church
• Volunteering with the Boy Scout, Girl
Scouts, or Police Explorers
• Volunteering as a role player at CIT
School
• Volunteering with Toys for Tots
• Participating in the National Night
Out
• Participating in the Citizen’s Police
Academy
Service
Project: The nexus of the service project is to promote innovation within the
department. Good ideas generated from the ranks tend to have real practical
value and give the officers a sense of ownership in the department. The service
project should be significant enough to have a benefit to the department, city,
or to its citizens. Example of a service project include:
• Addressing a traffic issue through a
study and implementing a plan of action.
• Identifying a specific need for some
equipment and locating resources to pay for the equipment.
• Applying for a grant for a specific
program.
• Facilitating an annual department
firearms competition.
• Fund Raising for the FOP or a charity
organization.
• Organizing a local food drive.
• Reform an existing policy that makes
a significant improvement for the department.
Collateral
Duty: If a Master Police Officer chooses not to volunteer or to take on a
service project, they can take on collateral duties directed by their
supervisor. These duties may include, but not limited to the following:
• ASL (Assistant Squad Leader)
• Shift Inventory and Inspections
• Significant Shift Training
• Equipment Issue
• Language Translation
• Task Organizer
The process of appointing new Master Police Officers once the minimum requirements have been established, will consist of a three phase process. Each phase will assess points to an overall composite score. The maximum score is 300. At the end of the three phases, the candidates with the highest composite scores will be considered for appointment to Master Police Officer based on the number of positions available. This process includes the following phases:
Master
Police Officer Process
The process of appointing new Master Police Officers once the minimum requirements have been established, will consist of a three phase process. Each phase will assess points to an overall composite score. The maximum score is 300. At the end of the three phases, the candidates with the highest composite scores will be considered for appointment to Master Police Officer based on the number of positions available. This process includes the following phases:
1. Master
Police Officer Candidates will submit a resume and cover letter which includes a
declaration of at least one or more Subject Matter Expertise. Candidates will
be assessed points for their time in service with the department with a maximum
of 100 points assessed for a candidate with 20 years of service. 10 points per
year past the 10 year mark. For example, a candidate with 11 years of service
will receive 10 points. A candidate with 12 years of service will receive 20
points, etc...
2. Candidates will take a written critical skills
exam of 90 multiple choice questions and an essay worth 10 points. This test is
geared to determine if the candidate has the skills to take charge of a shift
or unit in the absence of a supervisor. Critical skills must include high
liability subjects such as the Mutual Aid Policy, Pursuit Policy, Use of Force
Policy, Officer Involved Incidents, and Use of Resources.
3. A
series of exams that test the declared Subject Matter Expertise. The expertise
must be significant and will be determined by the staff based on the needs of
the department, a shift, or a unit. For example, a Subject Matter Expertise
could include Investigations. A Master Police Officer with a Subject Matter Expertise
in investigations should be able to conduct death investigations, write search and
arrest warrants, and conduct good crime scene investigations. Candidates will
be able to declare a maximum of 10 subject matter expertises, with 10 points
given to each and 100 points maximum. The exams for a Subject Matter Expertise
will be a pass or fail exam. This is so the candidate proves their declared
Subject Matter Expertise.
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