About Minneapolis Police Department Test

Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Minnesota – with over 800 full-time sworn officers and 300 civilian employees. In 2008, a review team from Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) found Minneapolis Police Department to be compliant with all the nationally accepted policing standards and best practices and thereby made it the first police department to be accredited in the state. Here, we review some must-know facts about the Minneapolis police department test and the process by which you can train in the police academy.

Motto: “To Protect with Courage, To Serve with Compassion!”

History: MPD was formally established in 1867, making it the second-oldest law enforcement agency in the state. The department has been proactive and innovative since its initial years, being one of the first departments to possess fingerprint records of all criminals and defectors of the law – as early as the beginning of the 1900s. Since the department’s founding, 49 police officers have laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Size: Minneapolis Police department covers an area of nearly 60 square miles, which is home to a population of just over 425,000 people. The city is divided into 5 police precincts. Each precinct has its own substation and a standalone patrolling unit. Each precinct is also assigned a Community Response Team (CRT) that carries out an undercover patrol. Due to this decentralized nature of the department, quick decision making and action is made possible.

Headquarters: 19 N 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, United States

Divisions: The department is divided into 3 major bureaus: Patrol bureau – which carries out thorough patrolling in the city’s 5 precincts. It also overlooks the functioning of the specialized units; investigations bureau – carries out investigations into report cases of violation of federal and state laws. It also maintains records of cases; professional standards bureau – which is responsible for training and recruitment of officers, allocation of finances, and taking disciplinary action.

How to become an officer: At present, candidates are expected to take the MPD test, which comprises a POST-certified written examination, a physical agility test, and a background test. The written examination contains multiple-choice questions that are designed to assess candidates’ cognitive ability, problem-solving skills, behavioral and attitudinal component, grammar, and vocabulary. The physical ability test (PAT) tests candidates’ physical endurance, stamina, and strength. Candidates who successfully pass both these tests will take up an oral exam and interview with a panel from the Human Resource division of the department.

Average salary: $54,500-$69,000 annually, rising with experience and responsibility.

Police academy: Candidates who successfully pass the Minneapolis police department test applicants are enlisted into the academy. Training imparted by the department is divided into 2 phases: A basic program conducted at the academy and a field training program. The basic program is for a duration of 14-16 weeks – where candidates are equipped with all core competencies required to fulfill the duties of a job enforcement officer, such as report writing, defensive tactics, operation of firearms, community relations, crime scene investigation, community-orientated policing, traffic enforcement, law enforcement best practices, etc., The second phase is a mandatory 6-month field training program, that is an on-the-job training program.

Registration: Further information on the Minneapolis police exam can be found on their website. The department scrutinizes candidate performance in the selection tests and only the best will be admitted into the academy.