QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR A DPS PEACE OFFICER
- Citizenship
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An applicant must be a citizen of the United States.
- Residency
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An applicant does not have to be a resident of Iowa to apply. Residency is required at time of graduation from the DPS Academy.
- Age
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Trooper 1 (Post #16 - Capital Complex) - an applicant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age upon graduation from the Iowa DPS Academy.
Trooper 2, Fire Inspector, Special Agent 2 - an applicant must be at least twenty-two (22) years of age upon graduation from the Iowa DPS Academy.
The maximum age for a Peace Officer is sixty-five (65) years of age.
- Education and Experience
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Trooper 1, Trooper 2 and Fire Inspector - High School Diploma/GED and no prior experience
Special Agent 2 (DCI, DNE, Intel, Fusion)
High School Diploma/GED + 5 years of law enforcement experience as a sworn federal, state or
local peace officer;OR
AA Degree + 3 years of law enforcement experience as a sworn federal, state or local peace officer;
OR
BA/BS Degree and no prior experience
Arson Investigator
High School Diploma/GED + 5 years of sworn federal, state or local peace officer OR 5 years
experience as a full-time paid, professional firefighter or fire officer with an organized federal, state,
local or military fire department;OR
AA Degree + 3 years of law enforcement as a sworn federal, state, or local peace officer OR 3 years
full-time, paid professional firefighter with an organized federal, state, local or military fire department;
OR 7 years fire-fighting experience with an organized volunteer fire department;OR
BA/BS Degree and no prior experience
- Physical Requirements
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An applicant who will become an officer is required to be in acceptable physical and mental condition to perform their duties under physically and emotionally demanding conditions. The following specific requirements must be met and maintained throughout the entire selection process:
- Uncorrected vision (without contact lenses or glasses) is no worse than 20/100 in each eye, corrected (with contact lenses or glasses) to 20/20 in each eye.
- Normal color vision consistent with the occupational demands for law enforcement.
- Normal hearing in each ear. Hearing aids are acceptable if a candidate can demonstrate sufficient hearing proficiency to perform all necessary duties of a law enforcement officer. Hearing is considered normal when hearing sensitivity thresholds are within 25 decibels measured at 1000Hz, 2000 Hz, and 3000 Hz averaged together.
Medical conditions not specified will be evaluated by the Department's physician whose decision is final.
- Good Moral Character
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- An applicant must be of good moral character, which means that they can be trusted and is considered by those who know them to be a person of good reputation and good standing in the community.
- When conduct is of a nature that, if known, would tend to discredit the applicant as a peace officer, the applicant will not be employed.
- The character of a person is determined by past behavior. Many factors are relevant in this assessment. The Department seeks applicants whose histories show good judgment, maturity, a sense of responsibility, and the respect of others.
- Driving Record
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Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Applicants will not be considered for employment if:
- Driving privileges have been suspended, cancelled or revoked in the three (3) years prior to the receipt of application due to a moving traffic violation(s). Other suspensions, cancellations or revocations will be evaluated.
- Convicted of five (5) moving violations in the three (3) years prior to the receipt of application.
- Conviction or guilty plea to an alcohol/drug related driving offense (including deferred judgment and deferred sentence) six (6) years prior to the receipt of application will disqualify the applicant. Conviction or guilty plea to an alcohol/drug related driving offense (including deferred judgment and deferred sentence) six (6) years or longer from the receipt of application will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Other conduct not specified will be evaluated.
- Automatic Disqualifiers
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- Conviction or commission of a felony and/or aggravated misdemeanor (as defined by Iowa law).
- Conviction or commission of income tax evasion, perjury or its subornation, Theft 1st, 2nd or 3rd, indecent exposure, sex crimes, conspiracy to commit a crime, defrauding the government and illegal drug sales.
- Conviction or commission of assault, domestic abuse, or other offenses of domestic violence, stalking, and any offense in which a weapon was used in the commission of the act.
- Conviction or commission of obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, or assaulting a peace officer.
- Providing false or misleading information to the Department at any time during the application process.
- Misrepresentation at any time during the application process regarding the use of prescription or illegal drugs.
- Unlawful sale of ANY controlled substance.
- Use of marijuana or any other illegal controlled substance within the past three (3) years prior to the receipt of application. Any admission of use of marijuana before this three (3) year period will be evaluated.
- Use of any illegal controlled substance while employed in any law enforcement or prosecutorial position, or while employed in a position which carries with it a high level of responsibility or public trust.
- Conviction or guilty plea to an alcohol/drug related driving offense (including deferred judgment and deferred sentence) six (6) years prior to the receipt of application.
- Suspension, cancellation or revocation of driving privileges in the three (3) years prior to receipt of application, which are due to a moving traffic violation(s). Other suspensions, cancellations or revocations will be evaluated.
- Conviction or plea to five (5) moving violations in the three (3) years prior to the receipt of application.
- Bias based on race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Factors That Will Need to be Evaluated
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- Conviction or commission of a serious misdemeanor (as defined by Iowa law).
- Conviction or guilty plea to an alcohol/drug related driving offense (including deferred judgment and deferred sentence) six (6) years or longer from the receipt of application will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- Pattern of serious traffic offenses
- Pattern of assaultive behavior
- Underage drinking
- Public intoxication
- Consistent pattern of unexplained failures to meet debt obligations.
- Pattern of vehicle collisions
- Misuse of authority or excessive use of force while employed in any law enforcement or prosecutorial position, or while employed in a position which carries with it a high level of responsibility or trust.
- Any admission of marijuana or any other illegal controlled substance use before three (3) year period prior to the receipt of application will be evaluated
- Any admission of misuse of any prescription drug.
- Pattern of underage drinking or binge drinking
- Conviction, plea, charge, or admission to supplying alcohol to minors
- Character or reputation regarding untruthfulness
- Theft 4th or 5th degree or other crime of dishonesty or breach of trust.