Forms

In order to be considered, you must completely fill out and sign an Application Form.  All requested information must be provided unless otherwise specified.  The information you provide is subject to the data privacy policies of the City of Minneapolis.

The form is available by U.S. Mail by calling the Minneapolis Police Reserve recruiting officer at 612-290-5060.  Be sure to include your full name, address, and telephone number in your request.  Alternatively, the form may be downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the link below.

Qualifications

To be eligible for membership in the Minneapolis Police Reserve, you must be a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age, have no criminal history, and meet other criteria set forth by the Minneapolis Police Reserve and the Minneapolis Police Department.  Residence in the seven-county metropolitan area is strongly preferred.

All applications will go thorough a background investigation which is conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department.  Failure to disclose material information will result in removal from the application process.  The Minneapolis Police Reserve reserves the right to reject any application and deny membership to any individual that does meet the objective and subjective qualifications set forth by the Minneapolis Police Reserve and the Minneapolis Police Department.

After receiving your Application Form, we will begin the selection process by submitting your application to the Backgrounds Unit of the Minneapolis Police Department.  The Backgrounds Unit will contact you to make arrangements for you to go to their office to fill out a Tracker Form and get fingerprinted. The Tracker Form authorizes the Backgrounds Unit to conduct an extensive criminal background check using state-of-the-art technology.  You will be asked on the Tracker Form to list and explain all convictions, citations, summons, arrests, and any instances in which you may have been questioned by law enforcement authorities at any time in your history.  Keep in mind that the Backgrounds Unit has access to criminal records nationwide.  Providing false information or failure to provide any requested information will result in the denial of your application and ineligibility to apply to the Minneapolis Police Reserve in the future.

The Backgrounds Unit may check your employment history and/or contact the references you have provided on your Application Form.

For the position of Police Reserve Officer (non-sworn), the Minneapolis Police Reserve does not request a check of your financial or credit history.

You may be disqualified at any time during this process at the sole discretion of the Minneapolis Police Reserve.  The most common reasons for disqualification during this step are dishonesty and the discovery of facts that would clearly make an applicant unqualified for the position of police reserve officer.

After your written application has been reviewed and the determination of the Backgrounds Unit received, a recruiting officer will notify you of your eligibility to participate in an oral interview.  Failure to attend the oral interview, or arrival after the scheduled time without advance notice, will result in disqualification from the selection process.

You will be interviewed by a panel of reserve officers from the patrol and service divisions.  Evaluation of your performance during the oral interview is completely subjective, that is, without regard to any predetermined formal criteria.  The evaluations of individual interviewers are combined and a final decision is made using all available information obtained about you from the beginning of the application process.

You will be notified by mail of our decision.  Applicants who do not pass the subjective evaluation may request an explanation in writing.  However, the release of information regarding applicant evaluations shall be at the sole discretion of the Minneapolis Police Reserve.

Applicants who wish to withdraw their application to the Minneapolis Police Reserve with the intention of reapplying in the future must notify a recruiting officer of their intentions; a telephone call followed by written correspondence is recommended.  Failure to respond in a timely manner to notices from recruiting officers will result in disqualification and ineligibility to apply to the Minneapolis Police Reserve at any time in the future.

If this sounds tough, IT IS.  We want only the best in Minneapolis.

Once you've passed the subjective evaluation phase and have been notified of your conditional acceptance to next Recruit Class you will be scheduled to participate in the next Minneapolis Police Reserve Pre-Service Training Course.  The spring course begins in January and ends in April.   Classes are given on Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays.  Attendance at pre-service training classes is required unless other arrangements are made.

Topics covered in the Pre-Service Training Course include: Officer Safety, Use of Force & Defensive Tactics, Handcuffing & Chemical Agents, Police Reserve Operations, Radio Communications, Powers of Arrest & Legal Considerations, Interpersonal Communications (Verbal Judo), Weapons of Mass Destruction, First Aid & CPR/AED, Minneapolis Street/Landmark Familiarization, Traffic Control, and Organizational Policies & Procedures.  At the beginning of the course you will be issued a Student Handbook with instructional materials that correspond to class topics.  You will enjoy lessons from some of the finest regular and reserve police officers in Minnesota.

Course participants will be subject to evaluation throughout the Pre-Service Training Course.  Satisfactory scores on written examinations and performance of practical skills will be requisite for continuation in the course and graduation from the Pre-Service Training Course.  The training is intensive and the exams challenging.  Course participants who take their training seriously and make a solid effort stand a very good chance of passing with high marks.  The Minneapolis Police Reserve Pre-Service Training Course is designed to be a positive experience and instructors want course participants to succeed.