Application

The West Valley City Police Department accepts applications for Police Officers as the need arises; open positions will be posted through West Valley City Human Resources. You may check for open positions or sign up to be notified when positions are posted on the West Valley City Jobs website. If you are non-certified (need to go to the academy) you may take the NPOST in the interim and have your test results, as required, when you apply in the future; click here for information about the testing process and locations.

Applicants are divided into four groups:

  1. Non-Certified Candidates: Are those individuals who have not attended POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) or an equivalent police academy. This category typically includes Correctional Officers and those with only SFO (Special Functions Officer) certification.
  2. SFO/BCO Candidates: This category includes Correctional Officers and those with SFO (Special Functions Officer) & BCO (Basic Correctional Officer) certifications.
  3. Certifiable Candidates: Are those individuals who are currently attending a POST certified academy or have successfully graduated POST or an equivalent police academy (Category 1 Peace Officer certification from another state) but do not have any law enforcement experience. 
  4. Certified Candidates: Are those individuals who have successfully completed the police academy and have police officer experience with a state or local law enforcement agency or department. This may include those that have worked as an Agent with AP&P (Adult Probation and Parole) in a position that requires LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) certification. This category is also frequently referred to as Lateral Candidates.

Applicants who successfully complete the initial application will receive notification when the next step in the hiring process is scheduled.

Preference Points

Preference points are added to an applicant’s score for the following:

  • Military experience
  • College degrees from regionally accredited universities
  • Foreign language proficiency
  • West Valley City residence