Application for O.P.O.T.A. Certified / Lateral Transfer

Civil Service Commission Application for O.P.O.T.A. Certified and/or Lateral Transfer Application

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Civil Service Selection Process

Tasks	Date/Deadline
Completed application along with required documentation submitted to the City’s Human Resources Department.	Friday November 8, 2024 – Friday December 6, 2024
If necessary, applicants take physical ability test at Malabar Middle School, 205 W. Cook Rd.	December 14, 2024 @ 9:00 am
Oral Interview/Assessment of Applicants.	To Be Announced
Applicants meeting all application criteria are placed on a civil service list of eligible candidates, in descending order of assessment score, inclusive of extra credit.	Certified list is good for one (1) year from the date of certification.
For vacancies within the Police Division, the Safety-Service Director requests a list of the ten (10) candidates then standing highest on the appropriate certified civil service list.
The Police Division performs a background check on each of candidates from the certified eligibility list. The check involves: • employment history • education history • financial history • polygraph exam/CVSA • motor vehicle & traffic history • criminal background check • employment & personal history • reference check
After background check, eligible candidates are subject to a second interview by the City’s Oral Review Board.
All candidates are either rejected or recommended for further consideration to the appropriate Chief, who then recommends candidates for hire to the Safety-Service Director. Approved candidates must pass medical, drug and psychological examinations before offer of employment is made.
Length of process is dependent on vacancies approved to be filled not to exceed the one (1) year limit of the certified list.

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Civil Service – Extra Credit

The Mansfield Civil Service Rules & Regulations allow for extra credit to be granted to candidates applying for positions within the City’s Safety Forces. Those credits include veteran’s credit, educational credit and a residency credit. The credit allowed by each of these is as follows:

• Veteran – 20%
• Educational
  • Bachelor’ Degree – 10%
  • Associates Degree – 5%
    • *Maximum educational credit is 10%.
• Residency – 10%

Total credit allowed is no more than 20% (i.e. If a veteran, with a Bachelor’s degree, the maximum credit will be 20% as a veteran, not 30% for both. If not a veteran, but possess a Bachelor’s degree and are a graduate of a high school in Richland County, the credit will be 20% [10 + 10])

Proof Required To Obtain Credit:

Note: This MUST be attached to application when submitted.

Veteran – a certificate of satisfactory military service or honorable discharge [DD-214].

Educational – an official certified transcript or record.

Residency – an official certified transcript from the high school, located in Richland County, from which you graduated or certification of graduation. You may also submit a certified copy of a recorded deed for the property which you own and you reside or a notarized copy of a lease for the property at which you reside, which is in the City of Mansfield.

• Even if both reside in the City of Mansfield and graduated from Richland County High School, maximum extra credit is 10%.

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Lateral Transfers

4.14 Lateral Transfer – Police Officers

A. Individuals who meet the qualifications set forth herein may apply for placement in the Patrol Officer Lateral Transfer Pool. The following prerequisites are required to apply for and be placed in such pool:

1. Possess a current Ohio Peace Officer Training Association certificate or be currently seated in a police academy with a letter from your Academy Commander stating you are on track to graduate, and
2. Be not more than 53 years old at the time of application, and
3. Be a United States citizen, able to read and write the English language, possess a valid Ohio driver’s license and possess a high school diploma or GED, and
4. Pass a physical fitness test, within the last twelve (12) months or as scheduled by the City, equivalent to the requirements of that given to entry level candidates, and
5. Undergo and pass a structured oral interview conducted by an assessment board as set forth herein.

B. Application forms for inclusion in the lateral transfer pool shall be separate from those for the written entry level examination and shall be compiled by the Human Resources Department and approved by the Civil Service Commission.

C. The assessment board set forth in §4.14(A)(6) shall be comprised of four members as follows: the Safety-Service director or his designee, the Chief of Police or his designee, the Human Resources Director or his designee and city resident as designated by the Commission.

D. All lateral transfer applicants shall be assessed by the assessment board, utilizing an interview rating sheet compiled by the Human Resources Department and approved by the Commission.

E. Utilizing the interview rating sheet, the assessment board will compile an overall score for each applicant interviewed and submit to the Commission a list of said applicants from highest scored one to the lowest scored one.

F. The Commission will then certify the lateral transfer pool based on the overall scores from highest to lowest.

G. A certified lateral transfer pool shall remain in effect for one year.

H. The City may, depending upon operational needs, request an eligibility list from either the lateral transfer pool or the certified entry level list. However, upon designating what list it desires, the City is limited to using that list until ten (10) names or, if less than ten (10), the designated list is exhausted.

I. Any individual on the lateral transfer pool list, if chosen for appointment to the Department, shall enter the Department as a patrol officer and shall be subject to a one year probationary period.

J. In the event an applicant for lateral transfer is unsuccessful, the applicant may, if he/she meets the age requirements, elect to apply under the civil service entry level process. In that event all rules and regulations relative to entry level application, examinations and credits would be in force. At no time shall an individual be commensurately on a certified lateral transfer pool list and a certified entry level list.

K. All provisions of the Civil Service Rules and Regulations, not contrary to those set forth in this section, are applicable to any individual appointed to the Department under this provision.

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The City of Mansfield – Civil Service Commission Application for O.P.O.T.A. Certified and/or Lateral Transfer Appointment

Division of Police

The City of Mansfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, except where such criteria constitutes a bona fide occupational requirement.

Instructions

Please complete this application in its entirety.

If you have any questions regarding this application please contact the City HR Department at (419) 755-9695 or email at hr@ci.mansfield.oh.us.