Police Officer (Recruit and Lateral)

Parsons, KS
Parsons Police Department

SALARY:
Salary ranges from $41,892+ annual base pay to $49,840+ annual base pay. DOQ.

Excellent benefit package including health insurance, vacation, holiday pay, sick leave, and KP&F retirement. Patrol currently works a 12-hour shift schedule. Classes leading to an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice taken through Labette Community College (LCC) are tuition free for Officers.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
High School diploma or GED, no felony or domestic violence convictions, safe driving record. KLETC certification or equivalent from another State is preferred, (certified officers are given credit for prior police officer experience and start at a higher level on the Department’s salary schedule). A list of disqualifiers is available on the agency web page (www.parsonspd.com). Any Brady/Giglio rulings will not be considered.

COMMUNITY AND AGENCY INFORMATION:
Parsons is located in rural southeastern Kansas. The community has a population of nearly 10,000 residents and a daytime population of more than13,000. It is the most populous city in Labette County. It is the 36th largest community in Kansas, and it is the second most populous city in the southeastern region of Kansas. Parsons covers over 11 square miles and the City owns nearby Parsons Lake and operates the Tri-Cities Airport. The median income for households in Parsons, Kansas is $41,653, while the average household income is $51,906.

Parsons PD is an award inning agency. In 2021 the agency was recognized nationally with a Community Collaboration Award. The agency is a Gold Award winner for policy and risk management (placing in the top 10% of the nation), and has received 7 traffic safety awards from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Parsons PD is a full-service community-oriented policing agency staffed by 26 officers, 5 dispatch staff, and 2 support staff along with a Community Service Officer (CSO). Officer staffing includes a Patrol Division of 1 Lt, 4 Sgts, 4 Cpls and 12 Officers; Investigations consists of a Detective Lt, and career development slots for up to two Detectives. In 2019, the Kansas Combined Anti-Drug Taskforce (K-CAT) was created as a partnership between the Labette County Sheriff’s Office, Parsons PD, and the Labette County Attorney.

The agency handles over 18,000 total requests for service annually. You can download a copy of the agency’s Annual Report from: www.parsonspd.com to learn more about the police department.

The Department is an evolving law enforcement agency that is in the process of engaging in a self-assessment process that is focused on updating the agency’s strategic plan. The agency embraces the philosophy of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) and markets itself as a guardian agency first and an enforcement agency second.

The City purchased land for a new Public Safety Center to combine police and fire operations. The City is in the design phase of this project with an architectural firm.

In 2022, the Department continues to invest heavily in training and has a philosophy of investing in Officers to become subject matter experts/instructors (the agency offers monthly incentive pay for various instructor ratings). The Investigations Annex has additional interview rooms and space for the K-CAT Team that was completed in 2019. A new off-site Evidence Annex totaling 9,200 square feet has also been completed. The agency is focusing on increasing skills/training in investigations, interview skills, narcotics expertise, sexual assault investigations and defensive tactics certification training. Additional agency projects include:

  • Creation of a Bicycle/ATV Unit to support ‘Hot Spot Policing.’
  • Speakers Bureau to enhance community interaction.
  • Free tuition to attend Labette Community College to complete an Associate degree in Criminal Justice.
  • The agency places emphasis on developing staff to become subject matter experts(instructors) in a host of specialties from Defensive Tactics, Firearms Instructors, Crime Prevention Specialists, De-escalation, EVOC, and others.
  • Dispatch Center underwent a significant upgrade in 2021.
  • Enhanced capital replacement and upgrading of vehicle fleet and officer safety equipment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Duties include patrolling areas of city to prevent commission of crime, preserve law and order, respond to general service calls, investigate misdemeanor and felony complaints and enforcement of laws and traffic ordinances. Officers are required to perform technical and administrative functions serving the public and police department and function independently for most of the work shift.

TESTING:
Written testing and Oral Board interview can be conducted the same day for recruit candidates. Lateral candidates require only an oral board interview.

Candidates must also pass the background check, physical, drug screen, psychological exam, and polygraph. A physical ability may be required of recruit applicants..

For more information, contact jludwig@parsonspd.com or visit www.parsonspd.com.

OBTAINING AN APPLICATION:
Visit www.parsonspd.com to complete an on-line job application and to learn more about Parsons PD or contact jludwig@parsonspd.com.

All related application material must be submitted on-line, or applications can be sent to Charlotte Lamb either at 217 N. Central Parsons, KS 67357, fax 620-421-7081 or by email jludwig@parsonspd.com.