Police Officer

apprehension of violators, preservation of order, and related police functions.

Required Qualifications

• Associates degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Current MCOLES certification or certifiable pending academy graduation
• Possession of a valid driver's license
• Possession of the physical capabilities necessary to perform the duties of the position
• Ability to successfully complete training to become a certified LEIN computer system operator
• Demonstrated ability to accurately complete written reports
• Must possess maturity of judgment and ability to act with tact and restraint while utilizing resolutions techniques
• Demonstrated positive interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and project a positive image

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• One year of increasingly responsible work experience in public safety
• Experience working in a higher education environment

Duties & Responsibilities

The essential duties of the patrol officer are divided into nine main functional areas: communication, decision-making, staff assistance, investigation/interrogation, planning and organizing, patrolling, controlling situations, equipment used, and policies and procedures.

Communication Activities

• Interacts and communicates with the public, co-workers, staff, students, and other police departments
• Reports complaints, unusual and/or hazardous conditions, broken/damaged equipment and other emergency information
• Enters, transcribes, records, stores, or maintains information in either written form or by electronic/magnetic recording
• Completes daily logs/work records
• Dispatches personnel to calls for service
• May testify in court

Decision-Making Activities

• Reviews facts, literature, law books, etc., to draw conclusions regarding if laws have been broken or to determine if an arrest is warranted
• Observes and analyzes situations to determine appropriate responses
• Uses evidence collected at accident and emergency scenes to draw valid conclusions
• Reviews policy and procedural guidelines, manuals, and department records to determine appropriateness and conformance with rules and regulations
• Makes decisions on whether to terminate a vehicle pursuit

Staff Assistance Activities

• Provides back up for other officers
• Provides general assistance to other police officers, supervisors and other agencies
• Assists new officers in adapting to the department and instructs them in policing techniques
• Assists others in specialized areas of professional police work

Investigation and Interrogation Activities

• Investigates crimes and motor vehicle accidents
• Reviews criminal and non-criminal reports
• Collects evidence at accident and crime scenes by photographing, recording information, drawing diagrams and lifting fingerprints
• Administers blood alcohol, chemical and/or urine tests
• Fingerprints people
• Seizes and/or transports vehicles, evidence and/or property
• Applies for and verifies warrants
• Follows up on pending case investigations
• May coordinate investigation process
• Interviews victims and witnesses
• Interrogates criminal suspects and prisoners

Planning and Organizing Activities

• Develops plans to accomplish work
• Organizes time to meet assignment deadlines

Patrolling Activities

• Patrols campus
• Locates emergency scenes
• Cites for traffic and other law violations
• Completes accident reports
• Assists motorists with car problems
• Directs and controls traffic
• Controls parking at special events
• Cleans and fuels patrol car
• Provides security during transportation of large sums of cash and/or other valuables
• Maintains key control and/or access to secure and restricted locations
• Provides 24-hour escort service to students, faculty, staff, and guests of the university

Controlling Situations/Activities

• Protects property from unnecessary damage
• Calms distraught persons at emergency scenes
• Responds to violence and crime scenes
• Responds to disturbance calls
• Enforces laws and coverage of special events such as sporting events and concerts
• Restrains suspects and makes arrests when appropriate
• Provides medical assistance to the injured or sick
• Establishes barricades around event parameters
• Performs crown control activities
• Participates in building checks

Equipment Use

Patrol officers may use the following machines and equipment:

• Telecommunication equipment (e.g., phone, CB)
• Radar gun
• Handcuffs
• Video/audio recording equipment (e.g., copier, facsimile, computer)
• Emergency/first aid equipment (e.g., defibrillator, fire extinguisher)
• Gun
• Baton
• Chemical substance (e.g., pepper spray)
• Security checking devices

Policies and Procedures

In addition to the above activities, patrol officers are required to follow department rules and regulations. These include:

• Keeping appointments with interdepartmental meetings, court dates, pre-trial conferences, and training sessions
• Maintaining standards of appearance such as uniform, well groomed hair and hygiene and physical fitness
• Completing legal forms and documents
• Obeying state laws and department regulations under normal and emergency situations
• Participating in training
• Provides security and protection services to the community by patrolling assigned areas or buildings to enforce policies and procedures, which may include security of individual building/stationary locations
• Responds to emergencies by assessing the situation, employing tact, diplomacy, and individual judgment to remedy and/or maintain control
• May require incumbent to provide on-site lead supervision over student service officers who may be present
• Deters, restrains and/or arrests individuals attempting to inflict physical harm on themselves or others or to commit criminal acts
• Completes necessary administrative form/reports related to incidents and/or arrests, to include gathering pertinent information from participants and/or witnesses and organizing it in a logical written form
• Assists security director and/or lieutenant to conduct investigations or special projects as requested
• Maintains regular communication with student service officers to obtain information about unusual and/or suspicious situations
• Appears in court regarding incidents that occur in the university community when necessary
• Provides traffic control during scheduled activities or during emergency situations as necessary
• Enforces parking rules and regulations
• Provides emergency first aid and/or CPR to injured persons, or assists in the transportation of ill or injured persons when necessary
• Attends internal and/or external training courses, classes and seminars to further develop protection service skills and knowledge
• Provides basic information and directions to students, faculty, staff and/or the general public
• Provides superiors with daily activity reports/summaries related to the overall training and performance of student service officers
• Maintains positive relations with external law enforcement agencies to obtain or exchange relevant protection service information
• Provides programs and presentations which promote safety and security to students, faculty and staff
• Performs other work-related duties as requested

Supervision Exercised

None.

Employee Group: Police

Pay Range: $27.49 - $32.95

Division: Finance and Administrative Services

Department: Police Department

Position Status: Regular

Employment Status: Full-Time

FTE: 1.0

Position Type: 12 month

Weekly Work Schedule: 84 hours per pay period / 12 hour shifts

Location: Mount Pleasant, MI

About CMU

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

Central is home to 17 men's and women's Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It's part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state's largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city's central location in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

CMU Leadership Standards

Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.

Message to Applicants

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU's mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

This position will remain open until filled. The university reserves the right to close the recruitment process once a sufficient applicant pool has been identified. For best consideration, please submit application materials by May 11, 2026.

To apply, visit https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/44829