Hiring Process & FAQs

detective dusting for fingerprints

Minimum Qualifications

  • Be 20 years of age at the time of application (Police Officer)
  • Be 18 years of age at the time of application (Telecommunicator)
  • Be a citizen of the United States
  • Have a high school diploma or GED
  • Have no felony convictions or serious misdemeanor convictions
  • Satisfactorily pass a comprehensive background investigation to include a truth verification examination, medical & psychological evaluation, and drug screening

 

Police Officer & Telecommunicator Candidate Hiring Process and Timeline

All persons seeking employment as a Police Officer with the City of Hendersonville must submit a completed City of Hendersonville employment application. Resumes alone are not accepted as a replacement for a completed application. Applications must submit online using the link provided in the current vacancy announcement.

Projected Hiring Process Timeline:

  1. Vacancy announced and applications accepted 1-7 days
  2. Submission of a complete and notarized North Carolina Criminal Justice, Education and Training Standards Commission, form F-3(LE) – Personal History Statement; 1-7 days*
  3. Oral interview before a panel of assessors; 7-14 days*
  4. Pre-background screening interview; 7-14 days*
  5. Full background investigation; ≈ 14-45 days
  6. Review and recommendations by Police Department Executive Staff; 45 days
  7. Final interview with the Chief of Police; 45 days
  8. Conditional offer of employment; 46 days
  9. Medical and psychological testing to include a 9-panel drug screening; 46-60 days
  10. Firearms qualification; 46-60 days and (does not include Telecommunicator)
  11. Final offer of employment. ≈ 60 days

Applicants should reasonably expect the hiring process to take up to 60 days, or more, before an offer of employment is finalized. Applicants may not reapply or retest during the hiring process related to a job posting. Applicants may reapply during any subsequent job posting. 

Ineligibility for Employment:

Any of the following may render a candidate ineligible for employment as a Police Officer with the Hendersonville Police Department, at the sole discretion of the City.  Eligibility will be determined at the time of hire.

  1. Dishonesty at any point in the application and/or hiring process.
  2. Conviction(s) of Driving While Impaired (or equivalent crime)
  3. A history of domestic violence
  4. Other personal, drug, and/or criminal history (evaluated on a case-by-case basis)

Ineligibility for certification as a North Carolina Law Enforcement Officer under the North Carolina Department of Justice Criminal Justice Training and Standards Division (which may be found here) will render an applicant ineligible for employment as a Police Officer for the City of Hendersonville.

Above all else, applicants should be honest throughout the hiring process.

 

⃰ Usually completed the same day

Are out-of-state Police Officer candidates required to go to BLET?

Yes. Out-of-state candidates with law enforcement experience are encouraged to contact joinhpd@hvlnc.gov.

Does HPD permit employees to display tattoos or wear facial hair while on duty?

Yes, the department permits the display of tattoos and facial hair with a few stipulations.