40 River Street, Norwell, Massachusetts 02061 * 781-659-7979 - Emergency 911
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HOW CAN I BECOME A NORWELL POLICE OFFICER?
YOU MUST BE A RESIDENT OF MASSACHUSETTS
FOR THE FOLLOWING TO APPLY TO YOU
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:
A high school diploma or equivalency certificate issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education OR Three years in the armed forces of the United States with last release or discharge under honorable conditions .
AGE REQUIREMENT:
You must be at least 19 and younger than age 32 prior to the posted civil service examination cutoff date* to be appointed as a Police Officer in the following civil service municipalities that, as of the printing of this notice, have not accepted the provisions of chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws relating to medical and physical fitness standards: Acton, Acushnet, Adams, Arlington, Ashland , Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dalton, Dartmouth, Dracut Easthampton, Easton, Great Barrington, Groton, Haverhill, Hingham, Hudson, Ipswich, Lee, Leominster, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, MBTA, Methuen, Milford, Newton, Northampton, North Andover, North Attleboro, North Reading, Norton, Norwood , Orange, Raychem, Lockport, Salisbury, Southbridge, South Hadley, Stoneham, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Ware, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Westfield, Westford, West Springfield, Williamstown, and Wilmington. Click here for HRD Link for test & cutoff dates.
The minimum age requirement of 19 years applies to all civil service jurisdictions. The following civil service municipalities (under the provisions of chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws) may appoint candidates who are over age 32 and who meet certain medical and physical fitness standards: Abington, Agawam, Amesbury, Andover, Athol, Attleboro, Auburn, Avon, Barnstable, Bellingham, Belmont, Beverly, Boston, Bourne, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Carver, Charlton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Cohasset, Danvers, Dedham, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Greenfield, Halifax, Hanover, Holbrook, Holden, Holyoke, Hull, Kingston, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leicester, Lexington, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Marlborough, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Middleboro, Millis, Millbury, Milton, Montague, Natick, Needham, Newburyport, New Bedford, North Adams, Northbridge, Norwell, Oxford, Palmer, Peabody, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Plainville, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy, Randolph, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Sandwich, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Swampscott, Taunton, Uxbridge, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Wareham, Webster, West Bridgewater, Westwood, Weymouth, Whitman, Winchendon, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, Worcester, and Wrentham. In these communities, as current law requires, candidates will have to meet physical fitness and medical standards within 30 days of appointment to police officer positions, and once hired, will be tested regularly during their employment to be sure that they meet certain medical and physical fitness standards.. More information about medical and physical standards testing will follow. This list of communities is subject to change. Any questions about status changes should be directed to the communities in question.
WRITTEN EXAMINATION
YOU MUST TAKE THE WRITTEN EXAM IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR APPOINTMENT AS A POLICE OFFICER
* At the examination site, applicants must present a current valid photo identification with their signature, such as a current motor vehicle operators
license.
* A fee of $35.00 has to be sent by money order and it is recommended that you send it Certified Mail to assure arrival.
* There is a Preparation Guide, which describes the examination in more detail. Applicants
will be sent a written letter on where and how to obtain one.
YOU WILL BE ADVISED AT THE EXAMINATION SITE HOW TO CLAIM ANY OF THE PREFERENCES LISTED BELOW
VETERAN'S PREFERENCE
Definition of a qualified veteran
Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 4, section 7, clause 43, a veteran is an individual whose (a) last discharge or release from wartime service, as defined below, was under honorable conditions and who (b) served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States for not less than ninety days active service, at least one day of which was for wartime service.
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NOTES:
A person awarded a Purple Heart does not have to meet the 90 day service requirement. Neither does a disabled veteran, who is, by definition, a veteran who has at least one day of wartime service and who has been certified by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a wartime service connected disability of at least 10% and for which he is entitled to receive compensation. Applicants wishing to claim status as disabled veterans will get the opportunity to claim such at the test site with further instructions to follow.
If you are claiming veteran's preference and if your eligibility for veterans' preference has not been approved before by this division, you must submit a copy of your DD form 214 (Release From Active Duty) in order to receive proper credit. Your notice to appear for the examination will indicate whether or not you are already classified as a veteran. If not, you will need to submit your DD Form 214. Qualifying service must have been in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Air Force of the United States. Please note that active duty exclusively for training in the National Guard or reserves does NOT qualify you for veteran's preference.
PREFERENCE FOR THE CHILDREN OF CERTAIN POLICE OFFICERS/FIRE FIGHTERS
The son or daughter of a Police Officer or Fire Fighter employed in Massachusetts who was killed or died of injuries received in the performance of duty, or who was permanently disabled as a result of injuries received in the performance of duty, is entitled to certification preference under the provisions of Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1985.
RESIDENCY PREFERENCE
IF "residency preference" is requested by a municipality, applicants who have resided in that municipality, for the entire twelve month period immediately preceding the date of the examination are entitled to be placed on the eligible list for that community ahead of any nonresidents. Applicants who have had a break in residence or have moved from one community to another within the twelve month period preceding the date of the examination will not be entitled to claim resident preference in any community. You will be asked to fill out a residency preference list form at the test site.
RACIAL/ETHNIC PREFERENCE
Due to a federal decree, African-American (Black) and Hispanic applicants are given certification preference in a number of communities, whether or not they are residents of those communities . As of the printing of this notice, the following communities are included in this consent decree: Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea , Duxbury, Foxboro, Holbrook, Holyoke, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, New Bedford, North Adams, Norton, Pittsfield, Randolph, South Hadley, Springfield, Westwood, Williamstown, Winthrop, and Worcester. This list of communities is subject to change. The definition of Hispanic, for the purposes of the decree, includes any person born in a Spanish- speaking country or any person who grew up in a household in which the predominant language spoken was Spanish
SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS
If a position in a municipality requires that a Police Officer be an Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Technician- Intermediate, or Emergency Medical Technician- Paramedic, the local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such skills. For eligibility on this basis, you may submit a copy of your current certificate (issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health , Office of Emergency Medical Services) at any time during the existence of the eligible list. On the date of the examination, you will have the opportunity to register as a certified emergency medical technician. You will need to supply proof of possession of a current certification as an Emergency Medical Technician at the time of hire.
SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION FOR BILINGUAL POLICE OFFICERS
If a position in a municipality requires that a Police Officer Be fluent in a second language (such as Spanish, Vietnamese, Laotian, Khmer, Haitian Creole, or Chinese), The local appointing authority may request that competition for that position be limited to persons who have such skills. You will have the opportunity at the test site to indicate the foreign languages in which you are fluent. You will need to prove your language fluency at the time of hire.
MEDICAL EXAM:
Some municipalities may require you to pass both a medical examination and a psychological evaluation before you are appointed.
SMOKING PROHIBITED:
Police Officers hired from the eligible list resulting from this examination are prohibited from smoking tobacco products at the time of and after appointment, according to Chapter 41, Section 101A, of the Massachusetts General Laws.
CHARACTER:
No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be appointed as a Police Officer. A candidate may be disqualified for evidence of character clearly unsuited for police services. Some municipalities include a comprehensive background check as part of the selection process.
FIREARMS PERMIT:
You may need a valid firearms permit before you will be hired by some police departments.
DRIVER'S LICENSE:
You may need a valid Massachusetts motor vehicle operator's license before you will be hired by some police departments.
ACADEMY TRAINING:
All candidates hired as full-time police officers as a result of the state administered civil service examination will be required to attend and successfully complete basic recruit training conducted by the Criminal Justice Training Council.
DUTIES:
A Police Officer works under supervision to perform law enforcement duties, protecting life, property, and the civil rights of individuals. Primary duties include patrol; interacting with citizens to provide service and render assistance : and preparing and completing records, reports, and other paperwork documenting incidents for use in prosecution. A Police Officer is dispatched to crime and emergency scenes in response to reported violations , accidents, domestic disputes and abuses, and other incidents: Carries out crime scene duties; makes arrest and performs search and seizure; conducts investigations; and interviews witnesses, suspects , and complainants.
SALARY:
Each jurisdiction sets its own salary for Police Officer. Questions about salary should be directed to the appropriate city, town or agency.
HOW TO APPLY
You may get your application and file it and the examination processing fee (or fee waiver form) in person or by mail from HRD Examination Administration, One Ashburton Place, Boston MA 02108 -1515. Applicants and fee waiver forms may also be available at city and town clerk's offices and civil service police stations across the state. If you mail your application send all correspondence by certified mail with "return receipt requested", if possible. Information on future exam dates can be obtained through the Human Resource Division at the number below or their web site.
NO APPLICANT HAS THE RIGHT TO A MAKEUP EXAMINATION DUE TO PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL CONFLICTS ON THE TESTING DATE AND APPLICANTS ARE ADVISED TO CONSIDER THIS BEFORE APPLYING FOR THE EXAMINATION.
Examination processing Fee: The fee must be paid when you apply. This fee may be waved .
Written Test Fee: The examination processing fee is $35.00. Please use a money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and print your name, address, Social Security number and the examination announcement number on the front of the money order.
NO REFUNDS unless the examination is canceled by the human resources division.
CASH OR PERSONAL CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
You may visit the Human Resources Division Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EXCEPT HOLIDAYS, or may telephone the Division during these hours at the following numbers:
Boston area: (617) 727-3777, extension 246
TDD Number: (617) 727-7583
Outside the Boston area toll free 1-800-392-6178
Fax Number (617) 727-4917