Become a Community Service Officer
Basic CSO Information
A Community Service Officer (CSO) works approximately 20-30 hours per week in the Minneapolis Police Department for up to three years while enrolled as a student in an approved, two-year law enforcement program and/or working toward completion of MN Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) licensing requirements.
CSO's assist the police department and community to improve communications, understanding and cooperation between MPD employees and Minneapolis's diverse communities.
The CSO is a civilian position with the possibility of promotion to a full time police officer position.
Salary:
- $17.72 per hour, plus tuition! Salary current through July 1, 2018.
- $18.85 per hour effective July 1, 2018
- $19.13 per hour effective January 1, 2019
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
Include
- Assist patrol officers in non-enforcement activities.
- Respond. to requests for service.
- Help maintain police vehicles.
- Identify and report criminal activities.
- Assist citizens with crime prevention techniques.
- Recover abandoned property.
- Assist traffic control of special events, major fires, parades and accidents.
- Assist department officers or other agencies in providing transportation as requested.
- Must pass periodic performance evaluation.
Required Qualifications:
Age:
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
Education:
- Must be accepted/enrolled into a regionally accredited college/university law enforcement program (not required to be registered for classes).
Licenses:
- Must have and maintain a valid driver's license that is accepted by the State of Minnesota.
- Applicants must NOT have taken and passed the MN Board of P.O.S.T. licensing exam.
State Requirements:
- Must not have a felony conviction.
Ability:
- Relate and work effectively with people from diverse cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds.
- Must have physical ability to run and chase suspects, wrestle and subdue suspects, jump and crawl over and under objects and lift and drag heavy objects.
Fitness Qualifications:
- Must participate in and complete the fitness assessment.
- Employees will be expected to reach and maintain their fitness levels according to standards set by the MPD as a term and condition of continued employment.
Eyesight:
- Vision no poorer than 20/100 without correction in the poorer eye; correctable to 20/40 in both eyes.
- Ability to distinguish the colors red, yellow and green.
Hearing:
- Possess standard hearing average threshold without correction or no worse than a 40-decible loss on the average at 500, 1,000 and 3,000 Hertz frequencies in the better ear.
Medical/Psychological:
- Must be deemed medically and psychologically fit and successfully pass a drug and alcohol screening prior to hire.
Terms and conditions
- For those seeking a law enforcement degree, terms and conditions of continued employment require enrollment into the first available session after hire, and continuous enrollment (to include summer sessions) as a full-time student in an approved two-year law enforcement training program and completion of the law enforcement degree within 3 years of hire.
- Must maintain a grade point average of 2.5.
- After successful completion of the degree, applicants must complete the P.O.S.T. Board requirements and department testing to be eligible to promote to the position of Police Officer (Recruit). Failure to do so will result in release from employment with the Minneapolis Police Department.
- The MPD assesses CSO promotion suitability after completion of academic training, based on, but not limited to, field performance, assignment rotations, and supervisor recommendation.
- Must continue employment with the Minneapolis Police Department for a period of two years following hire as police officer or pay back the cost of tuition paid by the department.
Selection Process and Dates:
Initial evaluation step
Any one or any combination of:
- evaluation of related education/experience/screening question responses,
- fitness exam,
- oral exam, etc. may be utilized.
Applications and resumes are screened for completeness and requirements. The City of Minneapolis reserves the right to select and limit the number of candidates at any point in the exam process, based on a review of application materials.
Fitness exam step
- Qualified candidates, as determined by Human Resources, will be invited to fitness exam.
- Qualified candidates are notified by email to self-schedule.
- Candidates must attend and complete all components of the fitness exam.
Fitness exam standards
Vertical Jump (13 inches)
300 Meter Run (82 Seconds)
Bench Press (102 lbs. Or 60% of your body weight) OR Push Ups (20)
Sit Ups (25)
1.5 Mile Run (15 Minutes 44 Seconds)
Background investigation step
- Selected candidates will be contacted to schedule a background investigation conducted by MPD. This may take up to three (3) months to complete.
Oral examination step
- Qualified candidates will be notified by email to self-schedule for the oral exam.
- The oral examination is a competency based interview.
Eligible list
- The eligible list is established by Human Resources after all testing components are completed.
- Final offers are made inviting candidates to the CSO Academy.
- All hired candidates must attend a 3 week, 8 hour/day academy.
Candidates unable to complete any portion of this process will not be eligible to move forward in the hiring process.
Approved Schools for CSO Loan Agreement:
Century College
3300 Century Avenue North
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Program Contact: John Adie
Phone: 651-748-5333
Program Contact Business Office
Phone: 651-748-3981
Phone/Main: 651-779-3200
Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Blvd
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Program Contact Business Office
Phone: 763-488-2517
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
1501 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Program Contact Business Office
Phone: 612-659-6888
Normandale Community College
9700 France Ave. South
Bloomington, MN 55431
Program Contact: Jennifer Hetzer
Phone: 952-358-8225
Phone/Main: 952-358-8261
North Hennepin Community College
7411 85th Ave. North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Program Contact: Janet Simenson
Phone: 763-493-0566
Email: info.nhcc.edu
Rasmussen Community College
4400 West 78th Street, 6th Floor
Bloomington, MN 55435
Phone: 952-545-2000
Last updated Feb 25, 2020
