Overview
The mission of the McAllen Police Department’s Training Unit is to provide instructional programs that integrate department and community needs for sworn and non-sworn the efficient processing of prospective employees of the department.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. How do I become a Police Officer for the City of McAllen?
- Q. Is there a study guide for the Civil Service Exam?
- A. No. There are no study guides prepared or offered for this exam. General Service Exam study guides may be commercially available.
- Q. If I pass the Civil Service Exam, what is next?
- A. You must successfully pass each of the following.
- Pre-employment Physical Fitness Assessment
- Oral Board Interview
- Pre-employment Polygraph Examination
- Complete Background Investigation
- Second Oral Board Interview
- Medicals
- Selected for a Police Officer Position
- Q. How often do you test for police officer positions?
- A. The Civil Service Exam is not predetermined. It is based on current department vacancies so it is best to contact the Civil Service Director’s Office at (956) 972-7163 or the McAllen Police Department Training Unit at (956) 972-7380 for information on possible test dates.
- Q. Do you allow lateral transfers?
- A. No. All McAllen Police Officer hiring is subject to requirements in question #1.
- Q. If I have a university degree from an accredited college, does this allow me to go directly into a specialize division such as Investigations, Narcotics, C.S.I., etc?
- A. All new Police Officers are required to successfully complete a field training program after academy graduation. The field training program is a part of the Uniformed (Patrol) Services Division. Therefore, all entry level officers begin their service with the McAllen Police Department in the Uniformed (Patrol) Services Division.