Recruitment Process Explained | Police Custody Officer

1. Application Form

In the first stage of the recruitment process, you will be required to submit an application online. The application form will consist of:

Personal details
Education history
History of prior offences and dealings with police
Key Selection Criteria
Location preferences
Resume

Victoria Police conducts extensive background checks on Police Custody Officer applicants during the selection process. Your previous history will be continually checked and assessed and failure to declare information may result in automatic cancellation of your application.

DOWNLOAD THE PRIOR OFFENCE GUIDELINES HERE

DOWNLOAD THE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE FORM (VDF) HERE

If you have any prior convictions, cautions, diversions, good behaviour bonds or driving offences and are unsure, then it is advisable that you contact the PCO Employment Team prior to submitting an application to find out whether your prior history is likely to disqualify you from being considered for the role. All offences, including those that were committed as a juvenile must be disclosed in your application.

All costs associated with travel to and from assessment venues/stages will be the responsibility of the applicant, including costs to conduct a sum of skin folds test (if required), medical appointments, a working with children check and first aid certification.

In addition, if you have any contact with police during the selection process, you must inform the PCO Employment Team immediately via e-mail: pcoemployment@police.vic.gov.au

For further information regarding the recruitment process, you may be interested in attending an information session. To view details regarding these sessions, visit the Information Session page.

NOTE: Uniform and Appearance Standards

Victoria Police employees are required to project an image that is consistent with a professional and disciplined law enforcement agency. Therefore employees’ clothing, grooming and personal accessories: must project a favourable image of Victoria Police as a professional and disciplined organisation; and must not be extreme or detract from the need to present as employees of a professional and disciplined organisation.

Applicants with tattoos/body art on the head, face, neck or hands should contact PCO Employment Team for further information regarding eligibility, prior to submitting an application.

Members are permitted to wear the following items of jewellery: wrist watches, minimal rings of conservative style and emergency medical alert bracelets or pendants. Wearing of other jewellery, ornaments, adornments or accessories is not permitted. This includes, earrings, spacers, any facial/body piercing, plugs, tunnels, bars, chains, dental grills, etc.

2. Preliminary Checks

Once your application is received, Victoria Police will perform background checks on your prior offences and dealings with police. Any other official background checks completed previously will not be accepted. For more information about the Police Custody Officer prior history policy, please click HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE FORM (VDF) HERE

3. Assessment Day

Once your application is assessed, you may be shortlisted to attend an assessment day. The assessment day will comprise of:

Fitness testing
Cognitive and job skills testing (For more information on this element of testing review the PCO Assessment Booklet)
Psychological screening

NOTE: Prior to attending the Assessment Day, applicants will need to visit their General Practitioner and get them to sign a form that confirms that the applicant is physically able to undertake the fitness testing.

You could be invited to attend the fitness testing of the recruitment process soon after applying. Therefore, it's important to ensure that you meet the BMI standard, have watched the fitness test video and are ready to pass the fitness test on submitting your application.

FITNESS TESTING

Beep test (5.01) - DOWNLOAD BEEP TEST HERE (Right-Click, Save Target As)
Illinois agility run (20 seconds)
Grip test (30kg in each hand)
Push ups (5 successive push ups on toes)
Prone bridge (hold for 60 seconds)

WATCH THE FITNESS TEST VIDEO HERE - Please note: the swim component is for Police applicants only

DOWNLOAD THE FITNESS TEST PREP GUIDE HERE

COGNITIVE AND JOB SKILLS TESTING

Cognitive Skills Assessment (verbal, abstract and numerical)
The Verbal and Numerical Reasoning tests are designed to measure verbal and numerical abilities as demonstrated by the capacity to see relationships and solve problems. The tests are primarily intended as a measure of general ability for selection into occupations that involve a moderate to high level of demand on reasoning ability, and for other purposes where the ability to think clearly with words and numbers is involved. While the questions involve the use of words and numbers, the level of knowledge required is within that of most people who have completed Year 10. The Abstract Reasoning test is included in order to give a balanced measure of general cognitive ability.

Literacy skills test
Assesses reading comprehension and ability to recognise correct use of grammar and spelling. For this assessment, applicants are required to answer 50 multiple choice questions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING

Psychological Test Battery

Applicants will be required to undertake a psychological test battery comprising of two separate tests:

First Test: 60 questions
Second Test: 344 questions

It will take applicants approximately 1.5 hours to 2 hours to complete both the tests.

Height (cm):

Weight (kg):

4. Psychological Interview

On review of the results from the psychological test battery and psychological questionnaire that are completed as part of the Assessment Day, applicants may be invited to attend a one on one interview with a Victoria Police psychologist. It is not uncommon for this to happen and so applicants are advised to try and be as relaxed and open as possible when speaking to the psychologist.

5. Medical Assessment

After applicants have been deemed suitable / competitive following on from the Assessment Day, they will be issued with a medical booklet.

Applicants will be given 2 weeks from receiving the medical booklet to return it and therefore we advise that any applicant being invited to the Assessment Day pre-empts this by setting up their medical appointments 1 week after. All costs associated with this stage will be incurred by the applicant.

DOWNLOAD THE MEDICAL GUIDELINES HERE

If you have any concerns regarding your eligibility based on a medical condition, please consult the medical guidelines in the first instance and if your question is still unanswered, please complete the PRELIMINARY MEDICAL CONDITION FORM

6. Comprehensive Checks

The comprehensive checks are completed to create a more in-depth analysis of each applicant’s prior history and associations. We will also perform employment checks at this point in time which will include some referees from past employers. A final referee check with your current employer won’t be completed until after the interview stage of the selection process.

7. Interview Process

The interview will be the final part of the recruitment process for the Police Custody Officer position. The interview will be conducted at the location where you are being considered for the role. There will be 2 to 3 people who will sit on the panel and the interview questions will comprise of:

Motivational questions
Behavioural questions (based on the VPS capability framework)
Scenario based questions

For tips on how to prepare for your interview, please click on the following HERE.

8. Offer

The Police Custody Officer Employment Team will aim to make provisional offers 4 weeks prior to the squad start date.

Final offers will be made after checks have been conducted to confirm that applicants are still deemed of good character and reputation.