Faq
Find answers to common questions about joining, serving, and supporting the Lynchburg Police Department in our FAQs section.
Police Officer
- $50,502.40 starting salary for Police Officers
- (Starting salary may be higher with creditable law enforcement experience and/or Virginia certification.)
Vacation
- 0 – 60 months of service = 8 hours per month
- 61 – 120 months of service = 10 hours per month
- 121 – 180 months of service = 12 hours per month
- 181 – 240 months of service = 14 hours per month
- 241+ months of service = 16 hours per month
Holidays
- 12 paid holidays and two paid personal days per year.
Sick Leave
- One day per month – accruable to 120 days.
Medical Insurance
- Employee, family, and dependent group plans are available for health, dental, and prescription drug insurance.
Life Insurance and Retirement Benefits
- Paid Life Insurance (included in the Virginia Retirement System.)
- Police Officers become eligible for full retirement benefits after a combination of 50 years of age and 25 years of service.
Education
- Paid in-service training.
- College courses relating to law enforcement may qualify for tuition assistance.
Other
- Uniforms and equipment, except footwear, are provided.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Periodic physical examinations.
- Patrol Officers work 12 hour shifts.
All officers have the option to receive a $5000 bonus by signing a 3-year contract.
A Lynchburg Police Department Officer Candidate for Employment must meet the following criteria:
- Ability to act without direct supervision and exercise considerable independent judgment at all times.
- Be willing to sign an agreement waiving the right to use all tobacco products both on and off duty.
- Possess a valid Virginia operator’s license at the time of employment.
- 20/30 vision or correctable to 20/30 in each eye.
- Applicant must be a high school graduate or possess a General Education Degree Certificate (G.E.D.)
- One may apply for Police Officer at 20 years of age and must have reached their 21st birthday at the time of projected graduation from the police academy basic school.
- A high moral standard is required of all officer applicants; a conviction for any felony is grounds for disqualification.
- Be a U.S. Citizen.
- Ability to analyze a variety of crisis and non-crisis situations quickly and objectively and respond appropriately.
- Ability to carry out oral and written instructions.
- Ability to develop skill in the use and care of firearms.
- Skill in the operation of an automobile and a good driving record. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence clearly and concisely.
- Ability to deal with people in a polite, courteous, and firm manner.
- Ability to work varied shifts.
Lateral Program
Current Virginia Law Enforcement Officers Only. The Lynchburg Police Department is currently offering a lateral transfer program for Virginia DCJS certified officers.
- $50,502.40 starting salary for Lateral Officers.
- 100% of Law Enforcement Officer credit will be used to determine salary and rank. (Jail officers, courtroom security officers, sworn security officers, and any other sworn officer that has not conducted policing similar to the responsibilities of a Lynchburg Police Officer are not eligible.)
- A minimum of 2 years to obtain POII ($53,006.80 – $55,723.20)
- A minimum of 4 years to obtain POIII ($57,512.00 – $79,185.60)
Vacation
- 0 – 60 months of service = 8 hours per month
- 61 – 120 months of service = 10 hours per month
- 121 – 180 months of service = 12 hours per month
- 181 – 240 months of service = 14 hours per month
- 241+ months of service = 16 hours per month
Holidays
- 12 paid holidays and two paid personal days per year.
Sick Leave
- One day per month – accruable to 120 days.
Medical Insurance
- Employee, family, and dependent group plans are available for health, dental, and prescription drug insurance.
Life Insurance and Retirement Benefits
- Paid Life Insurance (included in the Virginia Retirement System.)
- Police Officers become eligible for full retirement benefits after a combination of 50 years of age and 25 years of service.
Education
- Paid in-service training.
- College courses relating to law enforcement may qualify for tuition assistance.
Other
- Uniforms and equipment, except footwear, are provided.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Periodic physical examinations.
- Patrol Officers work 12 hour shifts.
All officers have the option to receive a $5000 bonus by signing a 3-year contract.
- Must be a VA Certified Law Enforcement Officer.
- High school diploma or GED required. Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree or higher education preferred.
Out of State Lateral Program
The Lynchburg Police Department is currently offering a lateral transfer program for out of state Certified Police Officers.
- $50,502.40 starting salary for out of state lateral officers.
- 100% of out of state lateral hires will be placed into the rank/level based on their out-of-state certified years of experience (Jail officers, courtroom security officers, sworn security officers, and any other sworn officer that has not conducted policing similar to the responsibilities of a Lynchburg Police Officer are not eligible.
Years of service an out-of-state Certified Officer must have before obtaining rank is:
- A minimum of 2 years to obtain POII ($53,006.80 – $55,723.20)
- A minimum of 4 years to obtain POIII ($57,512.00 – $79,185.60)
Vacation
- 0 – 60 months of service = 8 hours per month
- 61 – 120 months of service = 10 hours per month
- 121 – 180 months of service = 12 hours per month
- 181 – 240 months of service = 14 hours per month
- 241+ months of service = 16 hours per month
Holidays
- 12 paid holidays and two paid personal days per year.
Sick Leave
- One day per month – accruable to 120 days.
Medical Insurance
- Employee, family, and dependent group plans are available for health, dental, and prescription drug insurance.
Life Insurance and Retirement Benefits
- Paid Life Insurance (included in the Virginia Retirement System.)
- Police Officers become eligible for full retirement benefits after a combination of 50 years of age and 25 years of service.
Education
- Paid in-service training.
- College courses relating to law enforcement may qualify for tuition assistance.
Other
- Uniforms and equipment, except footwear, are provided.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Periodic physical examinations.
- Patrol Officers work 12 hour shifts.
All officers have the option to receive a $5000 bonus by signing a 3-year contract after completion of VA DCJS Law Enforcement Academy.
- High school diploma or GED required. Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree or higher education preferred.
- Must have at least 3 years/36 months of continuous law enforcement experience commensurate with those of a Lynchburg Police Department law enforcement officer (i.e. respond to calls for service, take reports of crime, conduct traffic stops, issue summons, make arrests).
- Be out of law enforcement employment for less than 24 months.
- Must be in good standing with former employers.
- Must meet all requirements of 15.2-1705 Code of Virginia – https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter17/section15.2-1705/
Recruiting
The Lynchburg Police Department now hires continually for positions of police recruit, Virginia certified, and out of state certified lateral officers. Police recruits will attend a police academy that starts in January or June of each calendar year. Occasionally there is a police academy that starts in September. Visit here to submit your application.
For successful applicants, the hiring process can take three to five months, depending on when the application is received, the start of the police academy, and the number of anticipated vacancies. The Lynchburg Police Department has a multi-staged process that has proven to be effective for our agency. We conduct numerous hiring events which consist of a physical agility test and an oral interview panel. After the application process and if you are offered employment, police recruits will attend the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy located in Lynchburg. The academy lasts approximately 22 weeks and you are paid a full salary with benefits while attending. Virginia certified officers are exempt from attending the academy; and, out of state certified lateral officers will attend a Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services approved Option 5 academy that lasts approximately 8 weeks. Officers will be placed with a Field Training Officer (FTO) for up to 12 weeks once you complete the academy.
The Personnel and Recruitment staff typically holds at least six hiring events each year from which applicants are selected to eventually become hired to attend the police academy. The events are held at the Lynchburg City Armory and Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy when available.
Yes, we do not share or obtain test results from other police departments.
Stage 1:
- Submit an online application to the Lynchburg Police Department
- Preliminary background check (DMV, Criminal History, and Credit History)
Stage 2:
- Physical Agility Test
- Oral Review Board
Stage 3:
- Submit Personal History Statement
- Polygraph Examination
- Background Investigation
- Conditional Offer of Employment
Stage 4:
- Medical Examination
- Psychological Examination
- Applicant Review by Command Staff
- Receive Appointment Letter
An arrest for a drug related offense will make you an ineligible candidate. Experimental drug use may be a disqualified depending on the circumstances. We evaluate all experimental drug use on a case-by-case basis.
The minimum age to become a Lynchburg Police Officer is 20 1⁄2 years old. There is no maximum age.
Even though college education can be an asset, it is not required to apply.
Our Personnel & Recruitment Office is located in the West Building at 3405 Odd Fellows Rd Lynchburg, VA 24501. You may contact us at (434) 455-6048.
For officers to be eligible to pursue career progression from the rank of Recruit Police Officer, Police Officer, Police Officer II, and Police Officer III, they must meet established eligibility requirements and criteria’s that are job-related and nondiscriminatory; and they must apply when they have met the established criteria for each rank. For officers to be promoted above rank of Police Officer III or transferred into a specialized unit, they must go through a competitive process that involves written tests, interviews, assessments centers, and performance evaluations. Promotions and transfers to specialized assignments include: Bike Patrol, Community Action Team, Crime Scene Unit, Criminal Investigations, Crisis Negotiations, Digital Forensics, Gang Unit, Intelligence Unit, K-9 Unit, School Resource Officer, Tactical Unit, Traffic Unit, and Vice/Narcotics Unit.
- Felony drug usage (Methamphetamine, Heroin, Ecstasy, etc) in the past 4 years
- Conviction or commission of a felony
- Conviction of Misdemeanor Domestic Violence
- Negative points on your driving record
- DUI within the past three years
- Bills currently in collections
- A pattern of poor driving
There are many things that may terminate your application process. These include (but are not limited to):
- Failing any of the required tests for employment
- Failing to attend any scheduled test or appointment in the process
- Misdemeanor arrests or activities
- Poor driving record – poor driving history
- Any false or misleading information in your application paperwork
- Any criminal conviction involving lying, cheating, or stealing
- Drug use and/or distribution
New Police Officers will start their training in the Field Operations Bureau. Most Field Operations Officers work 12-hour shifts with every other weekend off which rotate every six weeks between daylight and midnight hours. There are some positions that work a Monday – Friday 8-10 hour cycle as well.
Ready To
Apply
Apply today and get started on your career with the Lynchburg Police Department.