Law Enforcement Officer I – Cadet

Salary: $38,203.64 Annually

Closing Date: 4/21/2025

Position Summary:

This is a specialized trainee (Cadet) position for entry-level law enforcement, natural resources protection, and conservation work as a DWFP-Conservation Officer I, for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Employment is contingent upon successful completion after the appointment of the basic curriculum approved by the Board of Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training and an agency-defined specialized training regimen, as well as successful completion of pre-defined requalification standards. Duty assignment may require that the successful applicant be able to demonstrate swimming skills at a prescribed level equivalent to the American Red Cross Basic Swimming skill level. Upon successful completion of the prescribed training and in-service regimen, the trainee (Cadet) will be classified as a DWFP-Conservation Officer I.

Requirements:

• Typically requires 60 semester hours of college, possession of a State of Mississippi Law Enforcement Professional Certification within six months of hire, and 0-2 years of experience in law enforcement. Agency preferred qualifications: Reference Mississippi Code 1972, annotated, Section 49-1-15: All appointments of conservation officers shall be under rules adopted and promulgated by the commission.
• No person shall be appointed from and after July 1, 2001, unless they meet the following requirements: (a) Is at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and (b) Has successfully completed sixty-four (64) semester hours at an accredited community college or university or has an Associate Degree from an accredited community college or (b) Has passed the Law Enforcement Academy and has at least two (2) years of experience in law enforcement. Reference is also made to: H.B. No. 1624 – Regular Session 2001 – Appropriations.
• Applicant must provide employing agency evidence of completion of education or experience requirements and a valid copy of his/her transcript to verify course work, when applicable.
• Applicant must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of appointment; must possess a valid Mississippi Driver’s License, or a valid Driver’s License from a contiguous state; meet any and all minimum standards of employment as set forth by the Board of Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training; have neither a conviction nor a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; have not been discharged under conditions other than honorable from any branch of the U.S. armed forces; receive a favorable background investigation report; upon appointment and on a scheduled basis, pass a physical examination conducted by a licensed physician and meet minimum physical qualification standards, and pass an examination to determine mental fitness for the position; upon appointment, and on a random-selection basis, pass an alcohol/drug test conducted by a certified laboratory.
• Each applicant who successfully meets the above requirements will be interviewed by an applicant interview board prior to entering a training school. Such applicants may also be required, at the discretion of the Executive Director, to be examined by psychiatrists, other doctors, law enforcement officers, or other professional people who may assist in such interviews.