Carbondale Police Department

Partial profile reviewed 2026-10-25. Not proof of an opening.

Minimum requirements

• The entry route lists U.S. citizenship, a valid driver's license and age 21, with an age-20 exception whose restrictions are not specified on the page. It lists an associate degree or 60 semester hours, with reductions tied to police experience and prior academy completion. Confirm the actual age exception and education equivalencies rather than assuming a blanket waiver.
• Entry applicants must have no felony conviction; some misdemeanor or serious traffic convictions may also disqualify them. The source does not supply a complete disqualifier policy or residency rule. Ordinary entry applicants do not need previous law-enforcement employment to use the certification-training route.
• Both routes list a 36-month pre-employment agreement. The agreement itself was not reviewed. Ask for the full document and clarify service duration, departure consequences, training costs and any repayment terms before signing; no agreement is accepted on your behalf.
• Lateral applicants generally need recognized Illinois certification, or out-of-state certification accepted by ILETSB, with no more than 40 hours of required recertification training. Part-time certification does not qualify. Recognition is conditional, not an automatic interstate transfer.

Selected requirements, not a complete eligibility or disqualifier checklist.

Lateral entry

The overview describes two years of post-probationary police experience. Detailed qualifications instead specify two years of full-time sworn certified municipal/state service within the last three years, with possible consideration below two years when 60 college hours or two years active-duty military service accompany sworn experience. Ask HR how these provisions fit together; the exception does not eliminate sworn-service requirements. Good standing with current and prior departments is required. Certification recognition, seniority, rank, pay placement and assignment are not guaranteed.

Recruiting contact

Needs confirmation

Hiring outline

1. Confirm the current application and testing instructions. The entry page describes ongoing testing, while the experienced-officer page accepts applications continuously and reviews them weekly. Neither statement guarantees an available funded position, an interview or immediate appointment.
2. The entry sequence begins with pre-application contact and an application, followed by a written examination, the Illinois P.O.W.E.R. physical test, an interview with the fire and police commissioners, and an administrative interview with human resources and police leadership.
3. Entry pre-employment screening includes background investigation, psychological evaluation, medical examination and drug testing. The source does not establish a written-test provider, minimum score, polygraph requirement or complete scheduling rules; do not import these from another employer.
4. The city describes police certification training for candidates who have not previously served, followed by 15 weeks of field training with three field-training officers. This supports a beginner route but does not establish who pays academy tuition or the terms of any training-cost recovery.
5. For lateral questions, the page lists Human Resources at 618-457-3227, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Confirm current documentation and screening stages before submitting personal records. Training certificates, resume, work history, evaluations, education records and applicable military records may be requested.
6. Prepare truthful examples of communication, accountability, teamwork and learning. Entry candidates can draw on school, volunteering, sports and ordinary life experience. Neither route requires previous Carbondale specialty assignments to explain readiness.

Physical testing

The entry page names Illinois P.O.W.E.R. testing, but reviewed sources do not provide numeric cutoffs, certificate validity, scheduling or accommodation instructions. Lateral applicants must meet examination and training requirements, but a route-specific agility event list is not established. No numeric fitness preset, medical eligibility determination or individualized prescription is supplied.

Benefits

Needs confirmation

Hiring incentives

Availability and terms need confirmation.

The entry page lists starting salary $71,243 and later steps for fiscal year 2027. The lateral page lists annual five- and ten-year base figures for fiscal year 2026. These are different dated schedules, not one current guaranteed offer; no structured recruit annual rate is asserted here. Benefits described include health/dental/vision and life insurance, deferred compensation, initial uniforms, leave, holidays and pretax plans. Verify plan eligibility, pension tier and current contract terms. The 36-month agreement and application portal remain unread; academy funding, repayment and residency remain unverified.

No test preset is imported from this profile. Bring current employer instructions to your preparation.