Qualifications

POST Requirements

The California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) regulates the hiring and selection standards law enforcement agencies must follow in order to hire prospective candidates. Individuals applying for a peace officer position in California are required to meet several statewide minimum standards for employment. A law enforcement agency may have stricter standards than the minimum required by POST. These standards include:

No felony convictions
A fingerprint and criminal history check
Meeting the citizenship requirement (Included are provisions for permanent resident aliens). Click here for citizenship requirement FAQs on the POST website
A background investigation indicating the individual is of good moral character
Minimum age of 18 years
Minimum education of United States high school graduation or passage of GED test
A medical and psychological suitability examination
An employment interview
A reading and writing ability test

Campbell Police Department Requirements

A law enforcement agency may have stricter standards than the minimum required by POST. The Campbell Police Department’s requirements are as follows:

A fingerprint and criminal history check
Meeting the citizenship requirement (Included are provisions for permanent resident aliens)
A background investigation indicating the individual is of good moral character
Minimum age of 21 years
Valid California Driver’s License
Minimum college education of 40 semester (60 quarter) units for a Police Officer
A medical and psychological suitability examination
An employment interview A reading and writing ability (PELLETB) written exam T-Score of 50 or above

Required Documents

Before applying, candidates must pass both the POST PELLETB.

Copy of PELLETB

Written exam T-Score of 50 or above. (If you have been employed as a Police Officer in the last 12 months, you do not need to submit proof of a T-Score). More Info

PLEASE NOTE: Your application will be rejected if any required documents are not included in your application packet.

Application Process

Step 1 : Prepare For Your Career

Meet the minimum qualifications.

Step 2 : Pass Written

Candidates must pass a PELLETB.

Step 3 : Create a governmentjobs.com Login

Applications must be submitted through governmentjobs.com.

Step 4 : Complete Application Questionnaires

Step 5 : Submit Required Documents

Step 6 : Complete Application

Application Evaluation

Applicants meeting the qualifications and submission of all necessary documents may be invited to continue in the selection process.
The selection process begins with a personal history questionnaire.
If an applicant passes the personal history questionnaire, they may be invited for an oral board interview.
Candidates will participate in a series of panel interviews.
Candidates being considered for appointment will be subject to an extensive background investigation.
Candidates with a disability who may require special assistance in any phase of the application or testing process should advise the Human Resources Division upon submittal of application. Documentation of the need for accommodation must accompany the request. The City of Campbell is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Personal History Questionnaire

Applicants meeting the qualifications and submission of all necessary documents will be asked to provide a personal history background.

The Personal History Background is designed to identify applicants who do not meet the minimum standards to become a Police Recruit and proceed with the process.

This step may save the ineligible applicant considerable time and effort involved in the interview process.

Oral Board Interview

This step in the process consists of a series of panel interviews.

Candidates will be asked five to eight questions, not necessarily police-related. Pass Point is 70% or higher. Results are valid for three years.

Candidates who successfully complete the Oral Board Interview will be placed on a list of eligible candidates. Candidates selected to advance to the Background Investigation Process will be notified approximately 3 weeks later.

Background Investigation

Candidates being considered for appointment will be subject to a polygraph examination and a background investigation. Upon a conditional offer of employment, candidates will also be required to pass medical and psychological exams.

Prior to hire, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, including employment verification and a Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprint check. A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment; however, failure to disclose a conviction will result in disqualification or termination.

Police Academy

The Campbell Police Department participates in a number of academies throughout the region. All academies are a 26-week program. Recruits who successfully passed the application and interview process are paid the current contract hourly rate while in the Academy. Upon graduation, you will enter the Field Training Program (FTO) for additional training as a CPD officer on the street.

Field Training Program (FTO)

The Field Training Officer (FTO) program is the “street” training for officers just graduating from the academy. This is a period where newly graduated Police Recruit Officers will take what they learned in the academy and apply it to the street.

New officers will be assigned to experienced CPD Field Training Officers throughout the FTO program. Daily evaluations are given to document progress through this training period.

Those who successfully complete the Field Training Program are assigned to the Patrol Division as a solo beat officer.

Service

Justice

Fundamental Fairness

Open Position

Field Services Division (Patrol)

The Field Services Division, also known as Patrol, enhances the safety of the community by providing a full range of effective police field services. When fully staffed, the Division has four Sergeants, four Agents, 20 Police Officers and two Community Service Officers. Officers patrol by car, bicycle, and on foot to maintain high-profile, proactive and preventive public safety services. Services include responding to emergency calls, investigating crimes, enforcing criminal and vehicle codes, investigating traffic collisions, community policing, crime prevention and managing security and safety for the many special events that occur within the community. Additional Field Services personnel are assigned to administration, and training.

Special Enforcement Division

The Special Enforcement Division (SED) includes the Investigative Services Unit and the Traffic Unit.

Investigative Unit

The mission of Investigative Services is to resolve cases quickly and reduce crime by providing proactive and follow-up investigative services utilizing traditional and innovative methods.

This unit is comprised of one Sergeant, one Agent, one Robbery/Homicide Investigator, one Sexual Assault Investigator, one Property/Financial Crimes Investigator, two Arson/General Crimes Investigators and two Regional Task Force Investigators (SCCSET & RATTF). This unit identifies perpetrators of crimes to assist the District Attorney’s Office in the successful prosecution of suspects.

The Campbell Police Department contracts with the Santa Clara County Fire Department to pay for our two Arson Investigators. These investigators are responsible for the Fire Protection District that spans seven different cities and some unincorporated areas within Santa Clara County including Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga.

SWAT Team

The Campbell Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team is comprised of 15 members who serve on the team in addition to their regular assignment. The ultimate goal of the SWAT Team is to protect and preserve life and property during critical incidents and high-risk operations.

The SWAT team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. On average, the SWAT Team is activated about 10 times a year. These incidents include search warrants, parole/probation searches, arrest warrants/fugitive apprehensions, barricade/hostage situations, and surveillance involving suspects with known violence. All SWAT callouts and operations need to reach a specific threat level and requires the approval of a Division Commander.

The SWAT Team currently consists of six Sergeants, two Agents, and seven Officers. The team also has two tactical dispatchers and one SWAT/Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT) liaison. Each team member completes various trainings to provide them with the tools necessary to handle critical incidents. In addition to the CNT Liaison, several SWAT Team members are cross- trained as hostage negotiators. Both cross-trained SWAT and CNT members regularly use their negotiations training to deescalate situations on patrol.

Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT)

The Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) was established to create a peaceful resolution to often volatile situations. The team is comprised of sworn and non-sworn members of the Campbell Police Department and train with members of the Campbell SWAT Team.

Members of CNT are trained hostage negotiators and receive continuous training to respond to a variety of high-risk incidents. Typical calls may involve a hostage situation, barricaded subject, someone threatening harm to themselves or others, or other crisis events that threaten the safety of the community.

Crisis negotiators work to establish an ongoing dialog and rapport with the person or persons involved in the incident. Team members gather information on the people involved, interview witnesses, compile psychological profiles, develop threat assessments, and analyze intelligence information.

K9 Unit

The K9 Unit was initiated in July of 2019 with a mission of continuing to cultivate new ways to connect with our community and providing the highest level of public safety services on patrol and during critical incidents. The K9 Unit currently consists of two apprehension K9s and one therapy K9.

The apprehension K9 and their handlers complete an extensive 6-week training before taking their partnership to the streets of Campbell. Their specialties include locating individuals, apprehending criminal offenders, and putting smiles on faces. They attend various community events and schools, in addition to their diligent work together on patrol and continuous trainings.

The therapy K9 and their handler provides comfort to witnesses or victims of a crime. In addition, they provide important mental and emotional wellness benefits to our employees and can be an exceptional ambassador for the department. As an agency that embraces community engagement, we believe a therapy dog can be a beneficial tool for establishing stronger relationships with our diverse population.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), more commonly referred to as drones, have proven to be a valuable resource for law enforcement. The Campbell Police Department studied the use of drone technology in public safety operations and developed best practices, policies, and procedures for our department. In 2016, we became the first law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County to be fully operational with a drone unit.

The Campbell Police UAS Unit received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pilots, members of our sworn and non-sworn staff, are trained and licensed by the FAA. The drones are deployed for incidents such as lost or missing persons, rescues, suspected explosive devices, barricaded subjects, hostage situations, active shooter events, apprehension of armed and dangerous subjects, and high-risk search warrants. We have also utilized our drones to help process crime scenes to avoid contamination and better document the overall scene.