Certification to become a peace officer in Utah can be obtained only after complete basic training course at either the state’s training academy in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, or at one of five satellite academies. The state offers two choices in getting this basic training.
In the first, prospective police officers can find a job prior to training and have the jurisdiction in which he or she has been hired enroll the new officer in the Sandy, Utah, academy.
The second is for individuals who wish to be certified but who have not been hired by an agency. These individuals will have to enroll in one of the satellite academies and pay for the training themselves, then find a job. A list of Utah police agencies can be found at here.
Minimum Requirements
Which ever method is selected, prospective officers will have to meet certain minimum requirements for hiring set by the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), which establishes standards and training requirements and which is the agency that certifies all officers (http://publicsafety.utah.gov/post/index.html). The site provides prospective officers with a full list of minimum qualifications, factors that will disqualify a candidate, and links to the satellite academies that offer training in addition to the state academy in Sandy.
Here are some of the minimum qualifications that have to be met in Utah in order to become a police officer.
The prospective officer must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old at the time of appointment, a high school graduate or have an equivalency certificate and free of any physical, emotional or mental conditions that could adversely affect performance of peace officer duties.
Disqualification Factors
A number of factors will prevent a candidate from becoming a police officer in the state. A less than honorable discharge from the U.S. armed forces disqualifies a candidate, as does any felony conviction that could have resulted in imprisonment in a federal or state penitentiary.
Convictions of misdemeanor crimes are not automatic disqualifiers but require a waiting period from the date of conviction, depending on the type of crime involved, before a candidate can be accepted.
For example, misdemeanor crimes concerning drugs or controlled substance have a two- to five-year waiting period, depending on the type of drug or controlled substances involved.
Misdemeanor crimes of dishonesty, unlawful sexual conduct or physical violence have a four-year waiting period. A DUI offense has a two-year waiting period and minor crimes may require a one-year wait.
Police Training Academy & Background Check
Candidates will be fingerprinted and a search made through local, state and federal data bases for any criminal history.
After being hired by a police jurisdiction, the candidate officer will be sent to training at the Sandy, UT academy, where he or she will be put through 15 weeks of training that will include, but is not limited to, training in firearms and emergency vehicle operations, canine training, defensive tactics and physical fitness. Students at satellite academies will be put through training that mirrors that of the state academy.
Average Salary For Cops in Utah
According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics (2010), a police officer in the state of Utah makes between $43,400 – $48,120 per year. However the data collected by BLS is not very accurate because it does not record overtime pay or off duty work like private security work, special assignments and etc. These factors, if included in the data, would drastically increase the average salary of a police officer in Utah.
Police Jobs in UT
There are several law enforcement job openings in Utah. Simply visit our Career Job Opening or go to the official website of the agency you are interested in to complete an application of employment. Below is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Utah.
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