Joining the Urbana Police Department

Entry-Level Officers

If you do not have prior law enforcement experience, you will be considered an entry-level officer. 

To be notified of the next recruitment period, please sign up for job posting alerts that are sent directly to your e-mail. Be sure that you list an e-mail address that you will check frequently, as this is how we will notify you.

Experienced Police Officers

 If you have the following qualifications, you may be eligible for the City of Urbana's Experienced Police Officer hiring program:

1. Successful completion of State of Illinois approved basic police training academy or a recognized equivalent.
2. Currently certified by the State of Illinois or a recognized equivalent.
3. Two or more consecutive years of experience as a full-time patrol officer with a law enforcement agency.
4. Are currently employed by a police department and in good standing with that department.

If you meet these and the other minimum qualifications of the position, you may be able to bypass the initial entry-level video examination. 

 

Step 1—Recruiting and Application Period

Once you submit your application, you will receive an e-mail confirmation that your application has been received; you will also receive notification about whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position and additional information you may need. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply; the City of Urbana encourages diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We foster an environment that values and encourages mutual respect, inclusion of all people and utilizing differences and similarities as an organizational asset.

Step 2—Video Exam

A video-based multiple-choice exam will be administered to candidates who meet the minimum qualifications for the position (you will receive an e-mail notifying you of the date, time and location of the exam if you qualify). To qualify for testing, you MUST first submit an application on-line for the position. If you attempt to test without submitting an application, your test score will be invalidated and you will not be allowed to continue on in the hiring process.

You will be notified in approximately one to two weeks by e-mail after the exam whether you passed and if you are now listed on the Civil Service Register for Entry-Level Police Officer.

How to prepare

You do not need any prior law enforcement experience to do well on the test. Although law enforcement scenarios are presented, the test measures how you react to certain situations that you will likely face in this career, not police policy. Don’t rely on television shows to guide your answers—just use your common sense.

The exam, developed by Ergometrics, is a video-based, multiple-choice test that portrays situations commonly faced in law enforcement. You will be asked to analyze situations and make quick judgments about how to respond.  The exam measures factors such as ethics, observational abilities, judgement and human interaction. You do NOT need prior law enforcement experience to score well. 

The City of Urbana utilizes this exam due to its strong correlation between test score and job performance. 

A practice test is offered for this exam. It is not required; however, some people find that a practice test reduces test anxiety, making it easier for them to demonstrate their true ability on the actual exam. The practice test is available at http://www.ergometricsonline.com/frontline/ for a cost of $17.95. It is called FrontLine Streaming Video Practice Test.  If you are unable to attend the video exam but wish to be notified of future testing events, please contact Elizabeth Borman at: eeborman@urbanaillinois.us to be notified of future position openings and testing dates.

Step 3—Interviews

Typically, the top 5 to 10 percent of candidates who attend the video exam are invited to interview with the City of Urbana. The interviews are composed of two parts: the panel interview and the Chief’s interview. In the panel interview, you will first be asked to interview before a group of City staff (including current members of the Urbana Police Department); if you are successful in your initial interview, you may be invited back to interview with the Chief of Police.

How to prepare

1. Dress the part. You don’t need to rush out and buy a new suit, but this is a professional interview and showing that you respect the position is a great way to make a positive first impression. Avoid shorts, tank and halter tops, t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants, sneakers and other casual attire.

2. Be prepared to talk about yourself and why you’re interested in becoming a City of Urbana police officer. You may want to start reviewing your educational and professional history and accomplishments. Is there anything you’re particularly proud of? How did you handle a difficult situation? Questions like these will be asked in the interview sessions. You may find that talking about yourself is difficult, but the interview panel’s job is to assess the best candidate for the position, and they will not be able to get an insight into your skills, abilities and personality unless you tell them!

3. Listen carefully to the question being asked and try to answer it as best you can. Usually, the best answer isn’t the longest answer, but the most direct and focused one.

Step 4—Conditional Offer of Employment

If you successfully complete the previous steps, you may be offered a conditional offer of employment, which means that the City of Urbana is interested in hiring you if you are able to meet the requirements of the position. All tests will be scheduled by and paid for by the City of Urbana. The conditions for employment call for successfully passing the following:

1. Background Check

2. Police Training Institute (PTI) Power Test

3. Medical exam

4. Psychological exam

5. Physical agility test

Step 5—Final Offer of Employment/ Training

Congratulations! If you are offered a position with the City of Urbana Police Department, you will begin your training.  After training in a formal classroom environment, you will continue the learning process on the job with a Field Training Officer.

For more information about the Urbana Police Department, visit: http://urbanaillinois.us/police.