Police Cadet

The Police Cadet is a non-sworn position that serves as a support role to the basic operations of the police department. The job duties will familiarize the Police Cadet with the general field of law enforcement and may include directing traffic, parking enforcement, report writing and administrative duties, as well as support for the department's community policing efforts.

Under immediate supervision, assist with a variety of line and staff functions in a para-professional capacity while in an on-the-job training situation.

Police Cadet is intended to be a career development opportunity for qualified applicants seeking a law enforcement career. You must be selected as a Des Moines Police Officer in one of the first two recruitments following your eligibility to apply for Police Officer after your appointment to Police Cadet. If you fail any phase of the second recruitment which includes not being hired as a Police Officer, you will be terminated from the position of Police Cadet no later than two weeks following disqualification from the process.

This recruitment requires the review and completion of the 2026 Police Cadet Recruitment Packet.

Your application must be submitted online by 4:00 PM (CST), Monday, February 9, 2026. All items listed below must be attached to your online application or submitted separately to and received by Human Resources no later than Monday, February 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM (CST).

• Photocopy of driver's license
• High school diploma (or other proof of high school graduation) or G.E.D.
• Authority for Release of Information (Must be notarized)
• College transcripts, if any
• DD214 Form for military service, if applicable
• All of the above documents must be legible.

Required documentation may be hand delivered, mailed, emailed, or faxed to Human Resources.

City of Des Moines

Attn:
Human Resources Dept.
1551 E Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Des Moines, IA 50317

Email: human resources

Fax:

Please note:

The Human Resources office will be moving! Effective February 12, 2026, our new office will be located at T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building, 1200 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309.

• Graduation from high school or GED.
• Age 18 by the Final date to receive applications.
• Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license issued by the State of Iowa or another state with the ability to obtain an Iowa operator’s license.
• Police Cadet is intended to be a career development opportunity for qualified applicants seeking a law enforcement career. You must be selected as a Des Moines Police Officer in one of the first two recruitments following your eligibility to apply for Police Officer after your appointment to Police Cadet. If you fail any phase of the second recruitment which includes not being hired as a Police Officer, you will be terminated from the position of Police Cadet no later than two weeks following disqualification from the process.

Police Cadets are required to take and pass the Police Officer Selection Test (POST) as part of the application process. The POST exam is scheduled for March 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM. Invitations will be emailed to eligible candidates which will include the testing location at a later date.

POST Study Guide (written exam)

• Assists in office functions such as typing and maintaining files.
• Assists in receiving, storing and cataloging lost and stolen property.
• Takes police reports from the public both by telephone and in person in accordance with departmental policies.
• Provides relief in the communication center by answering the telephones and taking complaints from the public.
• Performs duties related to the promotion of the department's community relations, conducting station tours, representing the department at meetings, and speaking to organizations on the subject of community relations.
• Assists in the field with traffic control and answering calls for service which do not require the presence of a sworn police officer.
• Does related work as required.