Dublin Police Application Process
Whether you are starting your career in law enforcement or have experience as a sworn officer, getting selected to join the Dublin Police Department involves far more than completing an application and interview. The City of Dublin is an equal opportunity employer.
5 Ways To Prepare for an Interview
Know Your Selection Process
There are three different pathways to becoming a Dublin Police officer. Get acquainted with the selection process. Only one pathway will be followed at a time during an open application process.
Current Pathway
– Not accepting applications
All Pathway Options
– Not accepting applications
- Lateral Pathway
- For current law enforcement officers
- Examination Pathway
- Application and Resume Pathway
Take a Ride-Along
Experience a day in the life of a current Dublin Police officer. A ride-along is a critical way to see the community through an officer’s eyes and can assist you in your interview preparation. Citizens may ride along with an officer once every six months for an eight-hour shift.
Review Website
Do your research! Learn the department’s mission and goals, standards, training programs and community engagement efforts.
Check out YourDublinPolice.org.
Read Dublin Police’s Annual Reports
See in what areas the police department has been active in the last few years.
View the latest annual reports.
Attend a Community Event or the Chief’s Advisory Committee
The Dublin Police Department hosts multiple community events throughout the year, so visit and speak to an officer. Or, join the monthly public meeting of the Chief’s Advisory Committee to see the department in dialogue with residents.
Find upcoming meetings.
Why Dublin Police
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Qualifications
Requirements
Each officer who is hired by the Dublin Police has to successfully participate in and pass a series of comprehensive interviews, tests and exams, which are designed to narrow the field of applicants to those who are the most qualified and will uphold and model the agency’s mission and core values. The purpose of the extensive selection process is to uncover any history of racism, discrimination or dangerous biases that would affect an officer’s decision-making and ability to build relationships with the community if employed in this profession.
Police Officer Minimum Qualifications
- High School Diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent certificate
- Possession of a valid Ohio driver license at time of appointment
- Must be at least 21 years of age at time of appointment
- Must not be older than 44 years of age at time of application if an applicant is seeking an original appointment as a police officer with the City of Dublin; exceptions to this rule apply if the applicant has received an original appointment as a sworn peace officer with any other appointing authority
- Must be a United States citizen or United States permanent resident
Other Requirements
Background must be free of prior felony convictions.
Successful completion of a state-certified peace officer basic training program. (This is not required prior to appointment; however, if a new officer, at time of appointment, has not completed such a training program, they must enter such a program immediately upon appointment.) The Chief of Police will determine if a candidate’s completion of a prior academy meets the qualifications for a basic training program of this agency’s choosing.
Successful completion of all phases of the selection process prior to appointment. The process includes the application phase, written examination, structured panel interview, background investigation and record check, final interview with the Chief of Police, polygraph examination, psychological evaluation, medical examination and drug test.
Must establish and maintain a primary place of residence within a county within which the Dublin Police Department has jurisdiction or a county contiguous with such county of jurisdiction. That list includes Franklin, Delaware, Union, Morrow, Marion, Hardin, Logan, Champaign, Madison, Pickaway, Fairfield, Licking and Knox counties.
Must be physically capable of successfully performing the essential job functions of the police officer classification and be free of medical conditions that would preclude one from successfully performing said functions or would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of oneself or others.
Visual acuity must be correctable to 20/20, and vision must be free of color deficiencies that would preclude one from performing the essential job functions or would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of oneself or others.
Salary & Benefits
Among other benefits, the Dublin Police Department offers
- a premium salary
- up to 246 vacation hours
- tuition reimbursement
- Health Savings Account
- Pension plan
2024 Wage Structure
Advance step placement in the pay range is based upon experience. Police officers will advance to the next highest step in the wage structure after one year of continuous service at the preceding step, until reaching Step 4. This wage structure began January 2024.
- Training Step: $67,967.98 | Hourly: $32.68
- Step 1: $73,663.13 | Hourly: $35.41
- Step 2: $84,537.33 | Hourly: $40.64
- Step 3: $95,417.37 | Hourly: $45.87
- Step 4: $109,755.79 | Hourly: $52.77
- Sergeant: $118,810.70 | Hourly: $57.12
- Lieutenant: $127,865.62 | Hourly: $61.47
2025 Wage Structure
Advance step placement in the pay range is based upon experience. Police officers will advance to the next highest step in the wage structure after one year of continuous service at the preceding step, until reaching Step 4. This wage structure begins January 2025.
- Training Step: $70,346.86 | Hourly: $33.82
- Step 1: $76,241.34 | Hourly: $36.65
- Step 2: $87,496.13 | Hourly: $42.07
- Step 3: $98,756.98 | Hourly: $47.48
- Step 4: $113,597.24 | Hourly: $54.61
- Sergeant: $122,969.07 | Hourly: $59.12
- Lieutenant: $132,340.91 | Hourly: $63.63
Longevity Pay
Police officers receive, in addition to the pay rates, an annual longevity payment based upon completed years of service with the City according to the following schedule:
Years of Completed Service Payment
Years of Completed Service | Effective Jan. 1, 2011 |
4 – 6 | $925 |
7 – 10 | $1,125 |
11 – 14 | $1,700 |
15 – 19 | $1,850 |
20 and more | $2,100 |
Benefits
Health Insurance
The City of Dublin makes available medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and wellness benefits to all Police Officers and dependents who meet the eligibility requirements of the plan.
Benefits are effective on first day of employment.
Retirement Benefits
The City of Dublin Police Department pays into the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund. Subject to restrictions, an Officer may purchase full–time service credit earned under another Ohio retirement system, such as the Cincinnati Retirement System, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, State Highway Patrol Retirement System, or State Teachers Retirement System.
Life Insurance
The City provides group term life insurance coverage in the amount of $150,000 for all Police Officers. The full premium for this coverage is paid by the City.
Vacation Leave
Police Officers accrue vacation leave based upon years of qualifying continuous active service with any state government or any political subdivision.
Completed Years of Public Service Accrued Vacation (Hours Per Year)
0 Year – 1 Year | 80 Hours |
1 Years – 4 Years | 108 Hours |
4 Years – 9 Years | 142 Hours |
9 Years – 15 Years | 182 Hours |
15 Years – 20 Years | 208 Hours |
20 Years or more | 246 Hours |
Personal Leave
Effective the first pay period of January of each year each a Police Officer receives 40 hours of personal leave. However, new Police Officers appointed throughout the year will receive a pro-rated allocation of Personal Leave.
Sick Leave
All Police Officers are entitled to sick leave with leave accrued at the rate of 4.614 hours per pay period. Sick leave with pay will accrue without limitation.
Any Police Officer who has accrued sick leave with the State of Ohio, or any political subdivision of the State, is entitled to have this accrued sick leave transferred to the City of Dublin.
Shift Differential
For all members regularly assigned to a shift which does not begin between 6:00 a.m. and 10:44 a.m., shift differential shall be applied to any hours worked. For members regularly assigned to a shift which begins between 6:00 a.m. and 10:44 a.m., shift differential shall be paid between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Shift Differential is paid at a rate of $1.25/hour.
Uniforms, Equipment, and Allowances
Upon appointment to the Department, each new uniformed member will be issued patrol duty equipment, most notably, 1 service weapon, 1 set of Body Armor, 12 uniform shirts and 6 pairs dark blue pants (all weather).
Each uniformed member, after his or her initial year of service, will be allotted an annual uniform and equipment allowance in the amount of $1,000. This allowance will be payable in two (2) semi-annual installments.
Dry Cleaning
The Employer provides uniform cleaning at no cost to the Police Officer. In any week, a member is entitled to have up to ten (10) uniform items laundered/cleaned. In addition, each member is permitted to have his/her winter coat and hat cleaned once each year.
Tuition Reimbursement
A Police Officer is eligible for a maximum of Three Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($3,750) in reimbursement per calendar year for fees and required textbooks for job-related courses/degree programs of instruction voluntarily undertaken.
Training
The Police Department values continuing education and professional development. We offer Police officers range and defensive tactics training on at least a yearly basis. Police Officers are also given the opportunity to take part in additional advanced training for approximately 80 hours a year at the City’s expense.
Collective Bargaining
Communications Technicians are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council.
Career Opportunities
The Dublin Police Department has an authorized strength of 125 employees, including 74 sworn officers and 51 civilian employees. There are two bureaus at the department: Support Services and Operations.
Organizational Structure for Each Bureau
- Chief
- Deputy Chief
- Lieutenant
- Sergeant
- Officer/Detective/Investigator
Full-Time Assignments
- Patrol: First, second and third shifts, including six sergeants and three lieutenants
- Detective Bureau: Five detectives, one detective sergeant and one detective lieutenant
- Community Impact Unit: Three investigators, four traffic enforcement officers, one sergeant, one lieutenant
- School Resource Officers: Seven officers, one sergeant and one lieutenant
Ancillary Assignments
- Background Investigator
- Bicycle Officer
- Chaplain Liaison Officer
- Defensive Tactics Instructor
- Drone Pilot
- Field Training Officer
- Range Officer
- Recruitment Team Member
- Traffic Accident Investigator
- Surveillance Team Member
Steps of the Hiring Process
Know Your Selection Process
There are three different pathways to becoming a Dublin Police officer:
- Examination Pathway – Review the study guide
- Application and Resume Pathway
- Lateral Pathway – for current law enforcement officers
Application
- Each candidate will be required to complete the online employment application.
- Upon completion of the online employment application, each candidate will receive notification of receipt of the application materials as well as their status with respect to their eligibility to participate in the written examination.
Written Examination (only applicable to Examination Pathway)
A written examination will be administered to qualified candidates. Candidates will receive a raw score on the written examination, which will be weighted at a factor of 30% of the total eligibility score. The written examination will be obtained from an established, recognized and credible test development organization.
In order to increase testing integrity, each candidate shall be required to show at least one source of identification containing their picture at the time of the examination.
Candidates must score at least a 70% on the written examination to move forward in the selection process, although a passing score does not guarantee that a candidate will move forward. Candidates who receive a score of 69% or lower on the written examination will not continue in the hiring process. Candidates finishing in at least the top 30 places on the written exam will be notified in writing of their progression to the next phase of the selection process within 21 days of the written examination. More 30 candidates may progress to the next phase depending upon the number of vacancies available at that time or the number of “ties” between candidates for the 30th place in the scoring. All other candidates will be notified of their status within 30 days of the written examination.
Physical Fitness Assessment (not required for Lateral Pathway)
Each successful candidate will be required to complete a physical assessment to determine their readiness to enter the Police Academy of the City’s choosing or, upon hire, to move into a City field training program. The purpose of the physical fitness assessment is to ensure that a candidate possesses the general physical fitness necessary to perform the essential job functions of police officer for the City of Dublin. While these elements may not be directly representative of essential job functions to be performed by a police officer, each component does measure the candidate’s physiological capacity to learn and perform the essential job functions. Candidates who are eligible to complete the physical fitness assessment will be invited to participate in the assessment at a date and time determined by the City. Candidates are required to meet the standards shown below. All standards set forth are determined to be starting benchmarks for a State of Ohio Peace Office Basic Training Academy.
To pass the physical fitness assessment of the police officer recruitment and selection process, the candidate must perform each component being tested and meet or exceed the standard. A score below the standard on any single exercise will be considered a failing score, resulting in disqualification in the current recruitment and selection process.
| Age and Gender Minimum Scores* | ||
| Exercise | Males (<29) | Females (<29) |
| Sit-ups (1 min.) | 32 | 23 |
| Push-ups (1 min.) | 19 | 9 |
| 1.5 Mile Run | 14:33 | 17:49 |
| Exercise | Males (30-39) | Females (30-39) |
| Sit-ups (1 min.) | 28 | 18 |
| Push-ups (1 min.) | 15 | 7 |
| 1.5 Mile Run | 15:13 | 18:37 |
| Exercise | Males (40+) | Females (40+) |
| Sit-ups (1 min.) | 22 | 13 |
| Push-ups (1 min.) | 10 | 5 |
| 1.5 Mile Run | 15:58 | 19:32 |
| Exercise | Males (50+) | Females (50+) |
| Sit-ups (1 min.) | 17 | 7 |
| Push-ups (1 min.) | 7 | 4 (Modified Form) |
| 1.5 Mile Run | 17:38 | 21:31 |
Structured Panel Interview
Candidates finishing in at least the top 30 places on the preliminary examination will participate in a structured panel interview. The interviews are no more than one hour in length and generally conducted over a two-week period. Panel members include a representative from Human Resources, the field training sergeant and two police officers. The panel interview is weighted at 70% of the total eligibility list score.
Creation of Preliminary Eligibility List
Candidates who complete the structured panel interview phase of the process will be placed on the Preliminary Eligibility List in order of their combined weighted scores tabulated from the written examination and the structured panel interview.
Continued eligibility will be conditional upon successful completion of the remaining components of the selection process as described in the remainder of the Administrative Order. Candidates who are disqualified during subsequent phases of the selection process will be removed from the Preliminary Eligibility List and/or Final Eligibility List, as applicable.
The Preliminary Eligibility List and/or Final Eligibility List will be valid until completion of the current recruitment and selection process at which time vacancy(ies) have been filled. The Preliminary Eligibility List and/or Final Eligibility List may also be extended for an additional period of not more than six months by order of the director of Human Resources or the Chief of Police.
Background Investigation and Record Check
The director of Human Resources, or designee, will initiate background investigation and record check procedures by forwarding on to the Dublin Police Department, at minimum, the number of candidates’ applications necessary to fill the current vacancy(ies) in rank order from the Preliminary Eligibility List.
Background investigations and record checks will be conducted by the Dublin Police Department or by an outside resource approved by the Chief of Police and the director of Human Resources. Findings of the background investigation may be used in combination with the results of other phases of the process in determining whether a candidate should be disqualified from the process or should be given further consideration. The findings of the investigator may, also, themselves alone be used as a reason for disqualification from the process if the nature of these findings warrants disqualification.
The candidates who have successfully participated in and completed all selection process components leading up to the final interview stage of the selection process will be placed on a Final Eligibility List.
Final Interview
After the background investigation and record check phase of the selection process is complete, the Chief of Police, a Human Resources representative, and Operations and Support Services bureau commander(s) will interview and consider at least the three highest ranking candidates from the current Final Eligibility List. These interviews are typically one hour in length.
As a result of these interviews, the Chief of Police may select one of those candidates for each available vacancy. If multiple vacancies exist, the director of Human Resources, or designee, the Chief of Police and the Operations and Support Services bureau commander(s) will interview at least the number of candidates necessary to fill the multiple vacancies. The Chief of Police may consider any one of the candidates interviewed for selection.
Conditional Offer of Employment
Candidates are notified that the City of Dublin is extending them a conditional offer of employment. Certain conditions must be met prior to their employment. Conditions of employment include successful completion of the following:
- Pre-employment police officer medical examination
- Polygraph examination
- Psychological evaluation and interview
- Pre-employment drug screen
- Full background investigation
Appointment would be probationary in nature for a period of at least one year from the beginning of the field officer training program.
Conditional Offer Correspondence
Candidates receiving conditional offers will receive a verbal and written copy of the conditional offer along with a medical form that must be completed by the doctor at the pre-employment medical examination.
Offer Confirmation Correspondence
Once the candidate successfully completes all the conditions of employment a start date is determined, the candidate is sent a letter confirming that all conditions of employment have been met along with the date and time of their swearing-in ceremony.
Appointment and Probationary Period
Upon acceptance of the City’s employment offer by the selected candidate, the candidate will be appointed to the position in a probationary status for a period of at least one year from the beginning of the field training program. If a candidate is required to attend an academy, the probationary status will begin upon appointment and continue throughout the duration of the academy and for a period of one year from the beginning of the field training program.
Police Academy
It is up to the discretion of the Chief of Police if a candidate is to be enrolled into a police academy.
Swearing-In Ceremony
New police officers are typically appointed one week prior the start of their academy or a field training program. The swearing-in ceremony is conducted on the new officer’s first day of employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the agency have a residency requirement?
An officer must establish and maintain a primary place of residence within a county within which the Dublin Police Department has jurisdiction or a county contiguous with such county of jurisdiction. That list includes Franklin, Delaware, Union, Morrow, Marion, Hardin, Logan, Champaign, Madison, Pickaway, Fairfield, Licking and Knox counties. A newly hired police officer has six months from his or her start date to establish the residency requirement.
Does the agency accept lateral transfers?
Lateral transfers will be accepted when the Lateral Pathway selection process is open. Candidates will law enforcement experience are welcome to apply at any time.
How many people will be hired?
The number of people hired will vary depending upon the City’s budget, retirements and overall needs of the department.
What type of shifts do officers work?
Officers work eight-hour shifts/40-hour work weeks with the same days off each week. Officers bid for shift assignments once per year.
Emergency
Phone: 911
Non-Emergency Service
Phone: 614.889.1112
Dublin Justice Center
Address: 6565 Commerce Parkway, Dublin, OH 43017
Phone: 614.410.4800 | Fax: 614.761.6535
Justice Center Hours: Open 24/7
Records Department Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Court Services
Phone: 614.410.4920 | Fax: 614.761.6598
Email Dublin Police
Contact the Dublin Police Department via email.
Submit an Anonymous Tip
Submit an anonymous tip to the Dublin Police regarding crime.
Submit Traffic Complaint
Fill out a traffic complaint; this is NOT live monitored.
Public Records Request Overview
In order to support faster response and better tracking of requests, the City of Dublin uses JustFOIA to collect, respond to and manage public information requests.
Why JustFOIA?
JustFOIA is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) online application that helps streamline the open records request process for the community and improve efficiencies in getting requested information quickly and accurately.
The application lets community members submit requests for all city records, including police reports. Commonly requested information includes accident reports, copies of resolutions and body-camera video.
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