Meet the MPD Recruiting Team
We're Hiring!
Applications open on Monday, May 13th and close on June 20th.
Phase 1 is a two-step process to initially apply:
- Fill out the application. When it’s available on May 13th, you can find it at https://marionoh.applicantstack.com/x/openings.
- Take the entrance exam. To schedule your entrance exam, visit https://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/ and select Marion Police Department.
Phase 2 is the physical agility and you must attend one of the two.
More detailed information will be available soon in the posting.
If you have any questions, contact Major Shaffer at jshaffer@marionohio.org or 740-387-2525 ext 1107.
Hiring Process
Ongoing testing is offered with the National Testing Network even when the City of Marion is not accepting applications. Visit the National Testing Network website, sign up to take the entrance exam, and submit your score to MPD.
The minimum passing score is 70% or higher on all segments of the NTN. An average score of all segments will be used in the final scoring process.
For more info on the testing process from NTN, visit the NTN Testing Process page.
When there is an opening for police officer, Civil Service will announce that the City of Marion is accepting applications. Openings are advertised in several different locations online, including the City of Marion website, here on the Marion PD website, the Marion PD Facebook page, and the National Testing Network website.
Push-ups, sit-ups and a run. When there is an opening, and you passed the entrance exam and turned in an application, you will be eligible for the physical agility. Normally, there will be two opportunities to take the agility. If you don’t pass on the first day, you can come the second day and try again.
The job announcement will have more information on the dates, times and location.
Per Civil Service rules, you will need a note from a doctor certifying that you are “free of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and are physically capable to participate and withstand the agility test” prior to being allowed to participate in the agility. If you can’t get into your doctor, you may want to try an urgent care.
Once the exam and physical agility are complete, Civil Service will forward a list of candidates to the police department after extra credit for military service, a college degree, and/or OPOTA certification is added.
The number of interviews conducted is dependent on the number of names forwarded to the police department. The number forwarded is based on the number of vacancies.
Interview tip: Visit the MPD Facebook page so you are familiar with some of what we do.
Tell us about yourself, including your work history, education and more through the personal history questionnaire (PHQ) You will receive a link to complete it once you are to this stage.
A conditional offer of employment may be extended after interviews are concluded. Employment is dependent upon passing a an in-depth background, physical and a psychological exam.
Congrats! It’s time to start your career at the MPD. You’ll swear-in and then start your field training with a Field Training Officer (FTO). This is normally 3 1/2 months of one-on-one with a veteran officer. It’s a great time to put into practice many of things you learned in the academy.
If you have not been to the academy yet, the department will decide on what full-time academy to send you to while you get paid. Most go to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Basic Academy, a residential academy, in Columbus off 71 at 17th Ave. It varies in length from year to year, but is about four months long, five days per week. Once you graduate, you’ll start FTO.
Lateral Transfers
If you have prior full-time law enforcement experience in Ohio, you are eligible to receive a higher starting wage and vacation accrual. For example, if you have five years of experience as a full-time police officer, you start at the top pay at Marion PD. As of 1/1/2024, top pay not including longevity is $83k+/year!
Due to Civil Service rules, you will still need to complete the same process as other applicants. However, if you have previous law enforcement experience in Ohio in OPERS and/or OP&F, you are eligible to start at a higher salary and with more vacation accumulation depending on the amount of experience.
Paid Academy Training
If you have not been to the academy yet, the department will pay for and decide on what full-time academy to send you to while you get paid. Most go to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Basic Academy, a residential academy, in Columbus off 71 at 17th Ave. It varies in length from year to year, but is about four months long, five days per week. Once you graduate, you’ll start FTO.
Physical Agility Standards
If you have completed the academy, the agility standards are a little less since you’ve already proven you can do the agility standards to graduate from the academy.
If you have not been to the academy, you will have to complete the agility standards required to get into an academy (the 15th percentile). That standard is what is required to complete the MPD application process and potentially move forward to an interview. If you are hired, you will be required to reach the 50th percentile to graduate the academy and continue employment with MPD.
Opportunites
Promotion: Patrol officers —> Lieutenant —> Major —> Chief of Police
Detective: Detectives generally investigate felony level or other in-depth crimes from robberies to homicides.
Drug task force: These detectives investigate drug-related crimes and other serious felonies.
Special Response Team (SRT): SRT members are assigned to Patrol or Investigations as their primary assignment, but are on-call as needed for serious threats to the public and officers were specialized training, tactics and weapons would be beneficial.
K9 Officer: K9 handlers and their K9s can be assigned to Patrol, Investigations, or the drug task force.
School Resource Officer (SRO): SROs work hand-in-hand with schools within the City. Their primary focus is not discipline, but rather to connect with the kids and handle crimes as the happen or are reported.
Drone Operator: A drone operator provides support for missing persons, search warrants, etc.
Hostage Negotiator Team (HNT): A member of the Hostage Negotiating Team provides support to SRT and Patrol operations.
Pay
Your previous OPOTC certification and full-time law enforcement experience determines what your starting wage is.
OPOTA certified with no prior full-time Ohio LE experience? If yes, you start at a higher entry wage. Start: $66k+; After 5 years w/ longevity: $90k+.
OPOTA certified with prior full-time Ohio LE experience? If yes, you start at a higher step based on the corresponding years of service. Start is $83k+ with 5 years of previous experience. If you have 1-4 years of full-time Ohio LE experience, you will start at a different step/rate based on that experience.
Not OPOTC certified? You start at a slightly lower entry wage while you complete the academy. The police department will pay for your academy, and you will earn your starting salary while you attend the academy. Start: $53k+; 5 years after completed training: $90k+.
Benefits
The City provides health, dental and life insurance and money is contributed to your health savings account each quarter. You have an option to add additional life insurance each year.
Time Off
Officers in the Patrol division work four 10-hour days each week. That’s an extra 52 days off each year. The 10-hour days allow for an overlap of the three shifts at different times during the day which increases officer numbers during those times.
Tuition Reimbursement
The City will pay one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per credit hour up to a maximum of twenty-five hundred dollars ($2500.00) per year, per officer, if the officer has:
- A grade of “C” or better;
- A passing grade in a pass/fail course;
- In a “Test Out” course either number 1 or number 2 shall apply.
Testing
The Marion Police Department utilizes the National Testing Network for entrance testing. Testing can be completed in many different states in many different locations at a date and time that work best for you. They now allow virtual testing as well.
You can take the NTN any time, just make sure to choose MPD as a place to send your score. Generally, we will accept scores from NTN tests taken within nine months prior to the application date. NTN has a policy that you can retest every three months if you fail or want to try to get a better score.
The minimum passing score is 65% or higher on all segments of the NTN. An average score of all segments will be used in the final scoring process.
For more info on the testing process from NTN, visit the NTN Testing Process page.
Application
In addition to NTN testing, you will be required to submit an application online. The PD generally opens for applications for police officer 2-3x each year. When we do, it will be advertised on social media, this website, the City of Marion website, NTN, and in the newspaper.
Qualifications
- Must be a citizen of the United States or have a valid permanent resident card
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Possess a valid Ohio Driver’s License
- At least 21 years of age OR will reach that age by the completion of the academy but cannot have reached the age of 35 on or prior to the close of applications. In other words, you are able to apply if you are 20 years old
- You do not need to be have your OPOTC certification (graduate of a police academy) to be hired. If hired, the department will pay for you to attend the academy.
- Pass an in-depth background check that will include a look into criminal history, credit history, work history, and more.
- No felony convictions. This may include felony convictions that have been sealed or expunged. Additional restrictions can be found in the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC 109:2-1-03)
- Pass a drug screen, background check, physical fitness standards
Disqualifiers
Applicants may be rejected from consideration and may be disqualified or removed from an eligible list, or a certified list, for, but not limited to:
- Inability to establish minimum requirements or qualifications;
- Failure to pass any of the tests required for the position;
- Deception or fraud on application or examination;
- Making false statements of material fact in the application, testing process or during any part of the hiring process and for use, threatened use or attempt in using political influence in securing employment;
- Conviction of or admission to any crime classified as a felony under Ohio Revised code or any other applicable state code;
- Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude or an offense of violence;
- Conviction or deferred judgment of an OVI offense within the 36 months prior to the date of application;
- At any time, illegally sell, deliver, distribute, or manufacture drugs;
- Use of a prescription drug in its original intended manner but without the proper prescription or legal justification in the previous 12 months;
- Illegal use of any drug, other than marijuana, within the previous 36 months.
- Disqualified by law from attending the Ohio peace officer basic training program. OAC Rule 109:2-1-03
Applicants may obtain a copy of the MPD’s EEOP Utilization Report on request.