Job Announcement

 Cape May County Police Academy

Registration and Testing Process 

ALTERNATE ROUTE TRAINING POLICE OFFICER TRAINING

Physical Agility:

Physical Agility Test is to be scheduled in early May 2024.  Testing dates and times will be scheduled accordingly and will be notified in advance.  ***You must hold this date open in your calendars, as there will be no make up exams and all fees paid are non-refundable 

Written Examination:
The Written Examination date is to be determined, for those applicants who successfully completed the physical agility testing. The time will be determined based on the number of applicants and if needed a split session will be added.   There will be no make up date.  All fees paid are non refundable. 

Alternate Route Program

The Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association and the Cape May County Police Academy sponsors the Alternate Route Training Program for police candidates. This program enables individuals to enroll in the Basic Course for Police Officers without first being hired by a police agency. Our residential based academy allows Alternate Route Candidates to live and train right alongside regular police recruits.

Graduates of this program will qualify for New Jersey Police Training Commission Certification making them more marketable to police agencies. A large percentage of our graduates are hired by police agencies within one year of their graduation from this program. Some are hired while still in the academy.

What is the Alternate Route Program?

The Alternate Route Training Program allows a civilian to enter the police academy without first being hired by a police agency. The Alternate Route Candidate trains alongside the regular police recruit and is treated as their equal during training. The Alternate Route Candidate is responsible for all costs associated with their training, presently about $4,000.00. Although this might seem like a large sum, the fee includes meals and lodging, drug testing, all required equipment related to firearms, vehicle operations, and unarmed defense training, including an issued laptop computer and a computer lab for use by the recruits. In addition to this fee, recruits will be responsible for the costs of Medical and Psychological examinations and all required uniforms and personal items for lodging.

The program is twenty-two weeks in length and requires the recruit to reside Monday through Friday at the Training Facility. Course of study includes History of Law Enforcement, The Criminal Justice System, Stress, Ethics, Community Policing, Criminal Law, Arrest, Search and Seizure, Use of Force, Communications, Vehicle Operations, Emergency Medical Care, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Chemical Agents, Patrol Concepts, Traffic Enforcement, Criminal Investigation, and Physical Fitness.

Additionally, the recruit receives certification in CPR, AED, and Red Cross Community Water Rescue. The program also includes boxing, simulation training (live fire) and survival shooting.

Program Requirements

Candidates for the Alternate Route Program must be:

1. A Citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age or older
2. Is sound in body and of good health sufficient to satisfy the Board of Trustees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement system of N.J. as to eligibility for membership in the retirement system
3. Able to read, write and speak the English language well and intelligently
4. Is of good moral character and has not been convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude
5. Minimum of 60 academic credits or individuals who have served in the military and have not earned 60 credits, but can substitute two years of full-time, active duty military service, or combination of college credits and full time active duty military service to satisfy the education requirements.    ALL EDUCATIONAL AND OR MILITARY REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY JULY 1st, 2024
   
6. Pass a rigorous selection process, including a written examination, a physical fitness test, oral interview, psychological evaluation, medical exam, and a full background check prior to attending.

Please direct questions regarding this position to monica.mack@co.cape-may.nj.us

Jobs close at 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the deadline date specified, or when the position capacity has been met, or unless otherwise specified in the announcement. If the deadline date is not specified in the announcement, the agency has sole discretion on setting the deadline and jobs may close without notice. It is the applicant's responsibility to thoroughly read and understand the deadline requirements and capacity limits as outlined by the agency.

Applicants are responsible for checking their email and logging into their PoliceApp, PublicSafetyApp, FireFighterApp or EmployementApp account to monitor for emails, scheduling and process updates.