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Become a Police Officer
Known for its parks, paths and picturesque Main Street, Greenville, SC is a small city with a vibrant atmosphere. At the Greenville Police Department, we pride ourselves on our relationships with residents and visitors that highlight our vision of becoming the most effective community-focused police agency in America. Come join a department with a family atmosphere and that Southern hospitality you’ve been searching for.
To be considered for employment, all applicants must, at a minimum:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Be a United States citizen
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent
- Have or be able to obtain a valid South Carolina driver's license
- Have not had a driver's license suspension during the last 5 years for DUI; leaving the scene of an accident; reckless homicide; or involuntary manslaughter
- Have never been convicted of a felony or domestic violence
- Have never been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or a misdemeanor carrying a possible sentence of more than 1 year
- Have not defaulted on a government or student loan
Steps in the hiring process include:
- Application
- All applicants must submit an application through the City of Greenville's jobs portal online. Due to the large number of applications we receive, the application for Police Officer is typically only open for 4-5 weeks at a time, and is posted twice per year.
- Physical Ability Test (PAT)
- This is required for admission into the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and is the first test all applicants take after applying to the GPD. The course and all obstacles must be successfully completed in under 2 minutes and 6 seconds.
- Written Exam
- After passing the PAT, applicants immediately take the National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory Exam. Applicants must score 70% or better on this exam.
- Interview Board
- After successfully completing the written exam, applicants are scheduled for an interview board in front of 3 GPD officers. The Board scores applicants based on their responses to a series of questions.
- Polygraph Exam
- All applicants who pass the interview board are scheduled for a polygraph examination.
- Drug Screen
- Applicants are given a drug screen during their pre-employment testing phase.
- Background Investigation
- A thorough background investigation is completed on all applicants. This includes (but is not limited to) contacting former and current employers and references, a credit check, and a criminal history check.
- Psychological Evaluation
- All applicants meet with a licensed psychologist, who makes a recommendation to the GPD about whether the candidate should advance in the hiring process.
- Medical Screenings
- Applicants meet with a physician at the Employee Health Center at City Hall and are given a comprehensive 2-part medical screening, which includes a vision and hearing test. Applicants cannot be colorblind and must meet the standard of 20/30 corrected in both eyes and 20/100 uncorrected in both eyes.
- Stress Test
- This is a cardiovascular fitness test designed to measure an applicant's aerobic capacity. The applicant runs on a treadmill while heart rate is measured.
Applicants must successfully complete each step in the process before being extended an offer of employment.
Once employed as a police officer with the Greenville Police Department, all new hires register to attend the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) in Columbia, SC for 8 weeks. Prior to the 8-week class, recruits receive 4-6 weeks of training via the online SCCJA training program at their home agency, and then must pass a cumulative test on the material. They will also complete their initial firearms qualification, taser certification, and OC spray certification at their home agency before attending the SCCJA.
Certified officers from other states may qualify for a shortened 2-week online class via the online SCCJA training program and qualifying with firearms, driving, and a cumulative exam at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
The Greenville Police Department's Police Training Officer (PTO) program is 18-22 weeks (may be abbreviated for prior experience) and the probationary period is one year.
The Greenville Police Department hires lateral officers (prior certified officers) from other agencies in South Carolina and other states. Lateral officers must meet several criteria in order to be considered a lateral:
- 24 consecutive months (2 years) after certification of working as a sworn officer
- Police training curriculum approved by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for out-of-state transfers
Lateral officer candidates follow the same hiring steps and procedures as new officer candidates, and must provide the following information to their recruiting officer per SCCJA guidelines:
- Academy/training curriculum showing topic and hours
- Training/Academy/BLE certificate showing date graduated
- Law enforcement credentials and certification
- Contact information for their internal affairs division to review IA history
Download and view our Lateral Officer Rank & Pay Guidelines for detailed information on salary and step placement for laterals.
Parris IslanD Marine Corps Base
Wednesday, September 28
10Am - 2pm
Parris Island, SC
Meet GPD recruiters at the Protective Services Hiring Event to be held on base at Parris Island.
Police Officer Application: How To Apply
The application for police officer will be open from September 19 - October 28, 2022. Applications must be submitted prior to midnight on the closing date.
Read the following instructions carefully before applying.
If you meet any of the following criteria, please click the CERTIFIED application link to apply.
- Currently certified as a Class 1 law enforcement officer in South Carolina AND currently employed by a law enforcement agency in South Carolina
- Currently certified and employed as a Class 1 or equivalent law enforcement officer in any other state AND have been certified and currently employed for at least 24 months
- Currently serving as military police for at least 24 months AND serving in a patrol function on a military base within the past 6 months
If you meet any of the following criteria, please click the RECRUIT application link to apply.
- Currently certified as a Class 1 law enforcement officer in South Carolina BUT have not been employed by a law enforcement agency in South Carolina within the past 6 months or longer
- Currently certified and employed as a Class 1 or equivalent law enforcement officer in any other state for less than 24 months after certification
- Prior employment as military police, police officer, deputy, or any other law enforcement capacity BUT have not been employed by a law enforcement agency within the past 6 months
- Employed in detention, corrections, or other non-Class 1 law enforcement function
- No prior law enforcement experience
Click here to apply for POLICE OFFICER RECRUIT
You will need the following information available to complete your application for Police Officer:
- List of all addresses/residences since age 16
- A minimum of 3 professional references and 2 personal references, including names, email addresses and phone numbers
- 10 years of employment history, including:
- Company name, address and phone number
- Supervisor name
- Job duties
- The job history portion of the application is followed by a series of questions to determine your eligibility for the position. All questions must be answered truthfully and completely. You may be disqualified from the hiring process if inaccuracies are discovered later on.
- Please review the above "Hiring Requirements" to ensure you are eligible to submit an application for the Police Officer position.
If you are viewing this job posting on an external website, please note that resumes and employment applications are not accepted from 3rd party websites. All applications for employment must be made by going to https://jobs.greenvillesc.gov.
If you have recently applied for a position with us, please note that communication regarding your application will arrive via our application portal email address at info@governmentjobs.com or from our GPD Recruiting email at gpdrecruiting@greenvillesc.gov. Be sure to add these addresses to your contact list in order to receive important communications from us regarding your application status.
Starting Salary
Qualifications |
Hourly Rate (effective Jan 1, 2022) |
Annual Salary (43-hr work week) |
|---|---|---|
Starting Salary |
$21.25 |
$47,515.00 |
Associate's degree |
+$1.00/hr incentive |
|
Qualified Veteran* *Honorable Discharge or still serving |
+$1.00/hr incentive |
|
Bachelor's/master's degree |
+$1.50/hr incentive |
|
Lateral/sworn officers |
Salary based on prior experience and formal training. |
|
Language incentive |
+$0.75/hr incentive |
Salary Range
The Greenville Police Department utilizes three ranks for non-supervisory personnel: Police Officer 1 (PO1), Police Officer 2 (PO2) and Police Officer 3 (PO3). All new officers who have no police experience start out at the PO1 rank. Lateral officers may start at PO1, PO2 or PO3 based on years of experience and formal elective training.
Within each rank, salary ascends on a step program until the range maximum is met. Officers may be promoted to PO2 or PO3 after completion of the required years of service and attending additional training.
Promotions to Sergeant and Lieutenant are based on a competitive testing process.
| Range Minimum | Range Maximum |
|
|---|---|---|
| Police Officer 1 | $47,515 |
$55,631 |
| Police Officer 2 | $52,277 |
$65,134 |
| Police Officer 3 | $58,560 |
$76,292 |
| Sergeant | $67,348 |
$84,789 |
| Lieutenant | $73,400 |
$99,100 |
Benefits
- All new officers are full-time employees of the City of Greenville and receive their full salary and benefits during training and while attending the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy
- Required uniforms and equipment are provided at no cost to officers
- Training is provided at no cost to officers
- Take home car program after successful completion of Field Training Program
- Tuition reimbursement up to $5,000 per fiscal year for approved undergraduate and graduate courses
- Scholarship opportunities for children of police officers through the Harold C Jennings Scholarship Foundation
- Employee wellness programs
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Health Center
- Free visits with a nurse practitioner at the Employee Health Center
- Comprehensive insurance & benefits plan
- Family/medical leave
- Military leave
- Longevity bonuses paid every 5th year
- 28-year retirement with pension
- Supplemental elective 401k/457k
- Retirement planning
- 11 (8-hour) holidays per year
- Annual leave time as follows:
- 1st year of employment: 13 days
- 2nd through 10th years: 18 days
- 11th through 20th years: 23 days
- 21st year and beyond: 28 days
Civilian Employment
Are you looking for civilian job opportunities in law enforcement? Consider working as a Communications Specialist in our 911 dispatch center. Interested in working for the City of Greenville in a non-sworn position? Check out all employment openings via the City of Greenville’s jobs portal.