• Must be 21 years of age
• Must not have had peace officer status revoked in any state
• Must not be prohibited from carrying a firearm
• Must be U.S. citizen
• Must have high school diploma or equivalent
• Must have honorable discharge from military, if applicable
• Completed application (include copies of driver’s license, birth certificate, proof of education, military discharge papers (DD-214)
• Written Examination
• Physical Agility Assessment
• Sheriff's Criteria
• Background Investigation (Criminal history check, credit check, employment history, references, no felony
  record, no use of marijuana in the last three (3) years, no use of illegal controlled substances in the last six) (6) years, misdemeanors considered on a case-by-case basis,)
• Psychological Assessment
• Polygraph examination
• Medical examination / Drug Screening
• Staff Interview

Other Useful Information

 

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APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POSITION: DEPUTY SHERIFF
The application and selection process includes several steps designed to examine your abilities, suitability and interest in law enforcement.  The following information will help you take these steps towards a career with the Jefferson Co. Sheriff's Office.

APPLICATION NOTES
Social Security Number (item 1) - Federal law (P.L. 93-579, section 7) requires that you be informed when asked for your social security number that this number must be provided and that it will be used for identification purposes in the examination, employment and payroll processes.

Other names (item 7) - This information is requested for completion of the records check and background investigation.

Police Record Check Release Form (page 4) - A conviction or pending criminal charge does not necessarily mean you cannot be considered. The nature of the conviction and how long ago it transpired is important. Honesty will be the best policy in filling out this release as the Sheriff’s Office will do a thorough records check and it is best if our findings coincide with what you report. If you cannot remember the exact date of an incident, give your best estimate. If you are not sure that you have included all convictions & citations, state that there might be others you have forgotten. Note: you cannot be considered if there is a history of a felony conviction.

EEOC Statistical Information (page 5) - The Sheriff’s Office abides by the principles of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Sheriff’s Office requests that you voluntarily answer the questions on this form relating to gender, age, race/ethnic group and disability. Your answers will not affect your potential employment in any way.

The applicant is responsible for notifying this office immediately of any change of information pertinent to the application form, e.g., address or telephone changes.


APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Before you can be considered, you must be qualified as an applicant. An application packet can be obtained from the JCSO Personnel Office or downloaded from this page. Only a complete application will be accepted. A complete application is made up of:

An application form, filled-out in a complete and legible manner. You must sign the authorization for the police records check and background investigations, including employment, credit and reference checks. The Deputy Sheriff Recruit Data Sheet must also be completed and signed.

Copies of documents which prove your educational qualifications. You must have proof of high school graduation or its equivalent. If you have education beyond high school, please provide copies of your diploma or transcripts.

Copy of your birth certificate, or confirmable verification of birth from a government agency or secondary school.

Copy of military form DD-214, if you are prior military. The DD-214 must indicate "Type of Separation" and "Character of Service" (Must have honorable discharge).

Copy of your currently valid Driver’s License from any state. You must have a Kentucky Driver’s License by time of hire.

Furthermore, the following conditions will prevent you from being or remaining employed by JCSO:If you have a felony record or criminal action actively being prosecuted (misdemeanors handled on a case-by-case basis); you have used marijuana in the past 3 years or other illegal controlled substance in the past 6 years; you do not reside in Jefferson County, or an adjacent county in Kentucky, within 90 days of hire and remain a resident in Jefferson County, or an adjacent county in Kentucky, during your period of employment with JCSO; or you are unable to pass firearms qualifications.

Once you have submitted your application, it will be immediately double checked to make sure it is complete and that you meet the minimum qualifications. If not, you will be disqualified at this point. A screening interview (brief questions concerning factual matters in person or by phone) may be conducted to determine if you meet the minimum requirements. We will accept the application by mail, but will not accept responsibility for completeness or its failure to reach us by any announced deadline. We will also accept your application from someone other than you, but you are responsible for its submission, completeness, etc. We will NOT accept FAX copies of applications or the required documentation.
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WRITTEN EXAMINATION
Applicants must take a written examination. The examination is called TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education).
Click Here for a TABE study guide.
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PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST
The physical agility test is given after you complete the written exam. The table below lists the components of the physical agility exam, along with how the test is scored:
 

If you are currently overweight or not in good physical condition you may wish to consult your physician now about beginning an improvement program. Persons whose body fat content is high in proportion to muscle may fail this test. Additionally, being overweight tends to contribute to medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol content, and reduced pulmonary capacity and stamina, which might result in failure of the medical exam.
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SHERIFF’S CRITERIA
The applicants who pass the written and physical agility examinations will be placed on the eligibility list. The eligibility list is then provided to the Sheriff in rank order based on written test scores. The scores earned, education above the minimum requirement (especially if it is related to law enforcement), job experience, military experience and any other factors that the Sheriff considers relevant are considered. The Sheriff will then select a group of candidates from the eligibility list he considers most qualified to proceed to the following steps in the selection process.
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BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
The background investigation may include verification of information on your application, obtaining and reviewing references from previous employers, interviews with some of your neighbors, a credit check, and investigation of your driving, military and police records. You will be scheduled to be fingerprinted and photographed by the Louisville Metro Corrections Department when that becomes necessary. Your fingerprints are used for the extensive national check of your police record, which is performed as part of the background investigation.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
The purpose of the psychological evaluation is to determine those candidates who are best suited to handle the stress of working in law enforcement. This assessment is un-timed but, on average, takes about 3 and one-half hours.
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POLYGRAPH
Candidates who advance further will receive a polygraph. Some of the questions posed during the polygraph examination will concern any history you have of commission of a serious crime, arrests, convictions, lying in connection with applying for this job, along with questions concerning your employment history. The specific questions will be reviewed immediately prior to the examination. A copy of the questionnaire can be Found Here under "Form I-2 Polygraph Questionnaire".

A person who has had the background investigation, psychological assessment and polygraph examination, but goes no further in the process may still be selected for a later class of Recruits appointed from the same eligibility list. Similarly, if a candidate is not among those initially selected for the background investigation and psychological assessment, he/she may be selected later if sufficient vacancies develop.
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MEDICAL EXAMINATION/DRUG SCREENING
The medical exam is comprehensive and includes a review of your medical history, lab work, X-rays, an EKG, a test of your hearing and vision, and a thorough physical examination.

Many applicants are particularly interested in the vision requirements: They are 20/100, uncorrected in both eyes, corrected to 20/30 in both.

The drug screening may be scheduled separately from the medical exam and performed earlier in the selection process depending on scheduling restrictions.
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SHERIFF’S INTERVIEW
The Sheriff’s interview is a brief face-to-face interview with the Sheriff and selected staff. This is usually the last step in the selection process.
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APPOINTMENT & TRAINING
The foregoing information is not exhaustive but should give you a good idea of what is involved in becoming a Deputy Sheriff. The information is not intended to discourage you, but rather to inform you. A very serious commitment to a law enforcement career is required to complete the extensive selection process.

Remember: Because of the large number of applicants for a limited number of positions and the very comprehensive selection process, many "good" candidates are not selected. Some law enforcement personnel had to undergo similar selection processes a number of times before being hired.


RESCHEDULING
We cannot reschedule the written exam for any applicant, but for one exception - military orders. We will consider only this one circumstance for special scheduling of the written exam if you let us know in advance. Those applicants with military orders will be scheduled so that the active duty service does not conflict with the exam date.


APPEAL PROCESS
During the application, examination and selection process, you will have occasion to have many contacts -- in person, by phone, or by letter -- with Jefferson County Sheriff's Office staff. If you have a question or comment or need additional information, please put it in writing and address to:

Jeff Prewitt, Chief Examiner
Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Merit Board
531 Court Place, Suite 701
Louisville, KY 40202

ADDRESS/CONTACT INFORMATION
If your name, address or phone number changes, or if for any reason you no longer wish to be considered, we ask that you notify us in writing at the above address immediately. We are on an extremely tight schedule and want to avoid any miscommunication on any matter due to incorrectly addressed mail, wrong phone number, etc.


POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
High school graduation or its equivalent. Must possess a valid driver’s license. Must work a varied schedule. Must wear safety equipment as mandated by OSHA. Must complete 40 hours of annual training. Must submit to a polygraph test. Must take a written and psychological examination. Must pass physical agility test & medical examination/drug screen. Must be eligible for certification as a State Peace Officer. Must be a minimum of 21 years of age by announced filing deadline. Must be a citizen of the United States. Must not have been convicted of a felony; misdemeanor convictions will be considered on an individual basis. Must reside in Jefferson County, or an adjacent county in Kentucky, within 90 days of appointment.


ORIENTATION SESSIONS
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office will arrange for these sessions, which are designed to inform you about the position of Deputy Sheriff and the selection process. You may attend any one of the several sessions, unless you have been notified that your application has been disqualified. Essentially the same information will be covered in each session. Your attendance at any of these sessions is strictly voluntary; however, YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE ORIENTATION SESSIONS.


PICKUP AN APPLICATION
JCSO Personnel Office
531 Court Place, 6th floor
Louisville, KY 40202-3305
M-F: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
 
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OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION:

For training standards, medical release forms, the polygraph questionnaire and more please visit:
Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, (KLEC), and the Peace Officer Professional Standards, (POPS)