Greenbelt, MD
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Entry Level Training
The Greenbelt Police Department does not administer its own police academy. New recruits receive their entry level training through local training academies that meet the requirements of the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission. The academy requires a commitment of approximately six month’s. Applicants attending an academy must be willing to obligate themselves minimally to a two-year commitment to work for the City.
Duty Assignment
Once a recruit has satisfactorily completed a police academy, he or she will be promoted to the rank of Police Officer. The recruit is then assigned to a field training position, which generally lasts approximately 14 weeks in duration. The probationary period for an entry level Police Officer is one year.
Duties & Responsibilities
Police work involves considerable personal risk and requires the ability to immediately respond to emergency situations utilizing sound judgment. Duties and responsibilities of police officers include, but are not limited to:
- Working rotating shifts
- Being called back to duty when emergency situations are declared
- Patrolling a designated area within the City in order to prevent crime, discover criminal activity and arrest law violators
- Working with the community to solve neighborhood problems
- Directing traffic
- Enforcing motor vehicle laws
- Conducting preliminary investigations of crimes and protecting crime scenes
- Testifying in a court of law
Full-Time Specialty Assignments
- Bicycle Patrols
- School Resource Officers
- Community Services Officer
- Crime Prevention/Media Relations
- Traffic Unit/Crash Reconstruction
- Accreditation
- Canine Unit
- Criminal Investigator
- Evidence Unit
- Narcotics Task Force
- Support Services
Part-Time Specialty Assignments
- Honor Guard
- Emergency Response Unit
- Crisis Negotiator
- Homeland Security
- General Instructor
- Firearms Instructor
- Crash Reconstruction
- Bicycle Patrols
Promotional Opportunities
Promotions are earned on the basis of various testing processes. A Police Officer Candidate automatically earns his or her promotion to the rank of Police Officer upon the satisfactory completion of an approved police academy. A promotion to the rank of Police Officer First Class (PFC) can be earned after two years served as an entry level Police Officer. Candidates compete for higher ranking supervisory positions.