Every law enforcement officer employed by an agency in North Carolina shall:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be at least 20 years of age
- be a high school graduate or have passed the General Educational Development Test indicating high school equivalency
- be of good moral character
- Have successfully completed Basic Law Enforcement Training and passed the BLET state exam.
- satisfactorily complete the employing agency’s in-service firearms training program
- not have committed or been convicted of
- a felony; or
- a crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years; or
- a crime or unlawful act defined as a “Class B misdemeanor” within the five-year period prior to the date of application for employment; or
- four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class B misdemeanors” regardless of the date of conviction; or
- four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class A misdemeanors” except the applicant may be employed if the last conviction occurred more than two years prior to the date of application for employment.
- have been fingerprinted and a search made of local, state, and national files to disclose any criminal record.
- have been examined and certified by a licensed physician or surgeon to meet physical requirements necessary to properly fulfill the officer’s particular responsibilities and shall have produced a negative result on a drug screen.
- have been administered a psychological screening examination by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist licensed to practice in North Carolina or by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist authorized to practice in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Armed Forces within one year prior to employment by the employing agency to determine the officer’s mental and emotional suitability to properly fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
- have been interviewed personally by the Department head or a representative to determine such things as the applicant’s appearance, demeanor, attitude, and ability to communicate.
- notify the Standards Division of all criminal offenses which the officer is arrested for or charged with, pleads no contest to, pleads guilty to or is found guilty of. This shall include all criminal offenses except minor traffic offenses and shall specifically include any offense of Driving Under The Influence (DUI) or Driving While Impaired (DWI). A minor traffic offense is defined as an offense where the maximum punishment allowable by law is 60 days or less.
Documentation of Criminal Charges
When an applicant has a criminal record, he/she must list ALL charges, regardless of the disposition or the date of the charge, on the Personal History Statement and the Report of Appointment / Application for Certification. Even if the court or the district attorney dismissed a charge, it still must be listed under the Criminal Offense Record section of these forms.
Every charge listed must be accompanied by true/certified copies of the warrant for arrest, citation/magistrate’s order, etc. and the court disposition/judgment. This documentation may be obtained from the Clerk of Court’s Office in the county in which the applicant was criminally charged.
Failure to list ALL charges may result in denial of certification, or suspension/revocation of an existing certification.
Lateral Transfer
A law enforcement officer with general certification may transfer from one law enforcement agency in North Carolina to another law enforcement agency in the state, provided he or she has less than a 12-month break in service.
An officer holding probationary certification may not laterally transfer from one law enforcement agency to another. The probationary period must be completed in its entirety at the same agency. If an officer terminates employment with one agency before his or her year is up, then he or she must start a new probationary period at the new agency.
Out-of-State Transfer
Out-of-state transferees will be evaluated to determine the amount and quality of their training and experience. At a minimum, out-of-state candidates must have two years of full-time, sworn law enforcement experience and have successfully completed a basic law enforcement training course accredited by the state from which they are transferring in order to be considered for transfer to a North Carolina law enforcement agency. Out-of-state transferees cannot have a break in service exceeding one year.
Prior to employment as a certified law enforcement officer in North Carolina, out-of-state transferees must successfully complete the employing agency’s in-service firearms training and qualification program. They must also complete the Legal Unit (minimum of 98 hours) of the Commission-certified Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) Course and successfully pass the BLET state examination within their 12-month probationary period.
Persons who have completed training as a federal law enforcement officer or a military police officer will be required to complete BLET in its entirety and successfully pass the BLET state examination prior to employment.
All out-of-state transfers are considered Probationary Appointees who must meet the requirements stated above prior to being issued Probationary Certification as a law enforcement officer. After receiving the appropriate documentation, our staff will review your credentials to determine what additional training will be required during your probationary year. In addition to the above-stated requirements, you must submit the following documentation:
- A letter from your previous law enforcement agency detailing your dates of FULL-TIME, sworn service;
- A copy of your Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course certificate of successful completion;
- A topical breakdown/syllabus of the courses that you completed in BLET.
When an employing agency documents that an applicant has successfully completed a Commission-certified Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course and meets the minimum employment standards, the Criminal Justice Standards Division issues Probationary Certification, which is valid for one year.
The new officer must satisfactorily complete a probationary period of not less than 12 months. Once the probationary period is completed, the officer is issued a General Certification.
Initial Training
Applicants successfully completing the hiring process will then complete the following:
- Successful completion of the North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training Certification. (If not already certified)
- Qualify with department issued Glock 21, 45 ACP.
- Complete a minimum of eight weeks in the Field Training Officer Program. This program requires new officers to conduct regular duties under the direct supervision and guidance of a Field Training Officer, conducted over all shifts.
- Successful completion of Division of Criminal Information terminal operator certification.
- Successful completion of moving/stationary radar certification.
- Successful completion of Chemical Analysis certification.
- Successful completion of a probationary period of one year.
*New officers with previous law enforcement experience may have a reduced training regimen.
Benefit Package
- Eleven Paid City Holidays.
- Vacation: 48 – 144 Hours Per Year.
- Paid Health Insurance For Employee. Spouse And Family Plans Available.
- Sick Leave: 8 Hours A Month.
- North Carolina Law Enforcement Retirement System.
- 401K Retirement Plan.
- Individually Assigned Patrol Vehicle.
- Five percent pay increase after six months of service.
- Merit and Cost of Living increases each anniversary date thereafter.
Employment Forms
First… Check the ticker at the top of this page to ensure we are currently accepting applications. If so, download the below forms and fill each of them out completely. Pay special attention to the first document in the list. There are additional items detailed in this document that must be included with your initial application package. You can mail your application package to the Ahoskie Police Department to the attention of Major Jimmy Asbell.
If you would like to email your employment package, you are welcome to do so. Once you have completed all of the required documents, they will each need to be printed and scanned. Don’t forget to hand sign and notarize all documents that call for it. When everything has been converted to an electronic document, email your completed application package to [email protected].
- Documentation Required For Background Investigation
- Authorization and Waiver Form
- Town of Ahoskie Employment Application
- Town of Ahoskie Employment Application Continuation Page
You must also complete the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission F-3 Personal History Statement. To locate the current version of the F-3 form follow the link below, then scroll to the “Law Enforcement” section of the webpage. Click on the “F-3(LE) Law Enforcement Personal History Statement” link and complete the form. There are F-3 continuation page links as well should you need them.
