Employment Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the protection of the lives and property within the boundaries of the county.  We enforce all federal and state laws, and carry out the duties enumerated in the state constitution.  We are a Full Service Law Enforcement Agency.

We serve and protect citizens on a 24 hour basis.  All personnel accept the fact that the Sheriff’s Office functions around the clock.  Applicants must be agreeable to shift work, irregular hours, rotating days off, and special assignments involving compensatory or overtime.  All assignments of personnel are solely at the discretion of the Sheriff, or designee.  To accomplish this, we employ both sworn and non-sworn personnel.

1. Non-Sworn Personnel: We employ civilians who do not have power of arrest. Among the job categories for non-sworn personnel are; secretaries, clerk typists, records and jail (intake /booking) clerks and maintenance technicians.

2. Sworn Personnel: Sworn personnel are those employees who have the power of arrest, enforce laws, and are commissioned as law enforcement officers.

• Patrol Deputies are certified by the State of Tennessee and the Police Officer Standards and Training Commission after successfully completing Basic Police Academy.
• Jail Deputies are certified by the Tennessee Corrections Institute after successfully completing their Officer Basic Course.
• Court Deputies are required to attend and successfully complete the Court Officers and Courtroom Security Course provided by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Our standards are set high as we strive to maintain a high degree of proficiency and professionalism among our employees.  Only individuals who meet these standards are considered for employment.

We strive to keep our personnel updated on current trends, procedures, and laws.  We provide initial and annual in-service training which all officers are required to attend and successfully complete.

Promotions up to the rank of Sergeant may be based on written promotional exams, oral interview, longevity and past performance evaluation.  Some or all of these requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Sheriff.

Employment Procedure

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office maintains a commitment to recruit and retain the most qualified applicants when filling staff positions.  Montgomery County is an ethnically and culturally diverse area, and we take every reasonable measure to be reflective of this diversity in the makeup of its personnel.  All personnel regardless of rank or assignment are professionals and must be worthy of public trust.  Because of this, we seek to hire people with good moral character and integrity.

We accept applications from all individuals.  Those previously employed by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office may be considered for rehire after a review of previous performance, employee practices, personnel file, and the exit evaluation.   Employee background, performance, and evaluation information may be provided to future employers.

In our hiring practices, we comply with all state and federal laws, including but not limited to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination Act, Equal Pay Act, Title VII, OSHA, Sexual Harassment/Federal Register, Religious/Federal Register, Wage and Hour, and Federal Fair Employment Practices as promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.  In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, we may provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, and we encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with us.

SELECTION PROCESS

Once received, applications are kept on file for a period of six months.  As job vacancies arise, we typically look to the applications to identify those applicants best suited to the public safety profession.  Our Background Investigator will then contact the applicants and ask if they wish to begin the selection process.

The selection process involves aptitude testing, an in-person background interview, criminal history checks, and a credit check.  We then select the best-suited applicants for a hiring interview before a member of our command staff.   Applicants selected in the hiring interview receive a conditional offer of employment.  We will then conduct a background investigation on the conditional hire.

CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

After a Conditional Offer of Employment has been made and accepted, the applicant must successfully pass the following requirements:

• Physical examination.
• Drug screening.
• Psychological evaluation.
• Background investigation.
• Firearms qualification, if sworn.

In order to provide the citizens of Montgomery County with quality law enforcement personnel, we are very thorough in our background investigations.  This shall, at minimum, include a fingerprint check with state and federal agencies, verification of personnel data, claimed education and employment experience, and neighborhood and reference checks.  This part of the hiring process, along with waiting for results on the medical and psychological tests and interview, can be very time consuming; and the employment process may take weeks depending on the number of applicants to be processed.  In some instances, applicants may have started working for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office prior to all results of the requirements in the Conditional Job Offer being completed and reviewed.

Applicants are hereby advised and must agree that if they do not satisfactorily complete the above listed requirements, whether it is before or after their date of employment, it will result in the employment being terminated

False statements or withholding information will be a basis for denial or termination of employment from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and may constitute a violation of the law.

INTRODUCTORY PERIOD

All appointments are introductory for a period of one year at the discretion of the Sheriff, subject to the rules and regulations set forth by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.  If performance is unsatisfactory, the introductory status may be extended at the discretion of the Sheriff.  At any time during the introductory period, an employee may be terminated if in the best interest of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.