Patrol Officer; Certified

PATROL OFFICER (CERTIFIED)

All Locations (New Castle, DE; Cape May, NJ; Lewes, DE)

2025 Certified New Hire Salary $67,876 (Annualized)

2025 FTO Completion $69,763 (Annualized)

Opening Date:
December 8, 2025 Closing Date:
Until Filled

The general responsibilities of a Patrol Officer include responding to calls for service, enforcing traffic and criminal laws, and operating police vehicles when on routine patrol.

• Engage in interpersonal communications with the public and co-workers by promoting a professional and courteous environment
• Participate with co-workers and supervisors in the advancement of the troop's goals and objectives
• Complete assigned and self-initiated workloads
• Required to efficiently analyze and organize information and evidence obtained during traffic and criminal investigations for prosecution purposes
• Deliver emergency services to the public by responding to calls for service safely and promptly and by providing assistance to those in need
• Protect the public, co-workers and themselves from harm and injury by following established safety and security practices and by correcting and/or reporting safety and/or security hazards or risks
• Responsible for the entire arrest procedure including examining, handcuffing, conducting a field search and guarding the arrestee to prevent escape or suicide
• Required to exercise discretion in the use of deadly and non‑deadly force
• Required to arraign a defendant, as well as testify in court
• Able to make NCIC, DELJIS, SCIC and CAD inquiries and conduct a full traffic collision investigation (i.e., interview witnesses, sketch and measure collision scenes, determine contributing factors and identify violations, etc.)
• Enforce motor vehicle laws
• Must possess the physical ability necessary to engage in physical confrontations using offensive and defensive tactics to subdue combative subjects
• Normally required to work a 12-hour rotating shift and adapt to irregular working conditions
• Required to write different types of reports, including traffic reports, summonses and arrest reports
• Able to identify public utility problems and report other road hazards
• Assist motorists in need of assistance or to perform traffic direction and control
• Utilize a variety of equipment in the performance of their job duties, including an automobile, communications center equipment, baton, breath testing instrument, computer terminal, fire extinguisher, flashlight, handcuffs, portable radio, police car radio, radar/laser unit, semi‑automatic pistol, shotgun, body armor and photographic equipment
• May instruct suspects on the process to obtain an attorney, enforce court orders, respond to civil disputes, and testify in Family Court
• Prepare search warrants, collect evidence, and inventory stolen property
• May have to stand/walk continuously for more than one-half the work shift and walk on narrow, elevated surfaces
• Prepare interdepartmental memorandums and daily operational reports, as well as maintain daily logs
• Clean and inspect firearms and perform random equipment inspections
• Provides superior customer service to everyone by responding in a courteous and efficient manner

• Knowledge of laws and departmental rules/regulations/procedures, as well as other resource materials
• Knowledge of weapon craft and must demonstrate usable knowledge of court decisions
• Skilled in the use of firearms, as well as non‑lethal weapons
• Able to drive in both emergency and non‑emergency conditions
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing, cope with stressful situations and evaluate a situation, respond correctly and apply appropriate discretion and common sense
• Ability to provide excellent customer service

• Must be a United States citizen
• Must be at least twenty‑one (21) years of age
• Minimum uncorrected vision not greater than 20/200 in each eye and correctable with lenses to 20/20 in each eye. Able to distinguish between the colors of red, green and amber
• Height and weight in proper proportion. Must be in excellent cardiovascular physical condition

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