A full list of qualifications can be found by searching Montana Code Annotated(MCA) 7-32-303, however, here are a few of them:

• Must be a citizen of the United States
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Not have been convicted of a crime for which the person could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary
• Have a high school diploma or have been issued a high school equivalency diploma
• Must possess or be eligible to possess a Montana driver’s license
• Visual acuity of, or corrected to, 20/20
• Ability to pass a color vision test
• College coursework in law enforcement or related fields is helpful but not required

• The Great Falls Police Department requires an applicant to be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. 

Phase 1

• Application/Testing
• 4-part written test covering basic math, reading comprehension, grammar, and report writing
• Montana Physical Abilities Test (MPAT)
• Personal History Statement
• Oral Board Interview
• Background Investigation–takes about 3 weeks

Phase 2

• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Physical Exam/Drug Screening
• Psychological Exam
• Police Commission Review
• Prep Week
• On-boarding with Human Resources
• Swearing-In Ceremony
• On-line Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) coursework
• MPAT for current score prior to leaving for MLEA

Phase 3

• Academy–Helena, MT
• 12 weeks Monday–Friday with occasional weekend trainings. 
• Recruits will meet at the GFPD and car-pool to Helena in an assigned PD car

Phase 4

• Post-Academy
• Two weeks of hands-on training building on MLEA
• 16 weeks Field Training with an experienced Field Training Officer (FTO)
• Divided into 4 phases
• Daily grading/evaluation of performance

• The written test consists of 4 tests covering basic math skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and report writing. All tests require the knowledge gained at the high school level and do not require any previous law enforcement training or experience. Applicants will be provided with an internet link to a study guide specific to the test we are using once they have applied.

• The Great Falls Police Department conducts its interviews in such a way that no law enforcement training or experience is necessary. The questions are generally behavior based to challenge an applicant’s morals and ethics. General knowledge of the Great Falls Police Department and the City of Great Falls as organizations is also helpful.

• The hiring process generally takes 3-4 months to progress from testing to date of hire. 

• The MPAT is a circuit of obstacles intended to simulate a ¼ mile foot pursuit followed by a physical struggle with a suspect. Several videos detailing the course can be found on YouTube. The GFPD generally holds 2 practice MPAT sessions leading up to test day for current applicants. Details are provided upon submission of your application.

• No. All entry level law enforcement officers in the state of Montana are required to attend the state’s academy (Montana Law Enforcement Academy) in Helena. Officers are paid their salary by the GFPD while they attend the 12-week course. All lateral police officers that are Montana POST certified do not have to attend any part of the academy. Lateral police officers from outside the state of Montana will have to attend the legal equivalency and breath test specialist certification portions of the academy.

• Yes, all officers are hired prior to attending the academy and will be paid their wage while in attendance.

• No. You will need to be very flexible, especially while going through field training. Your shift, days off, and patrol team will all likely change several times during your first year. Once you have completed training, you will be assigned to a patrol team and work a 10 hour and 40-minute shift. Patrol officers work 5 days on, 4 days off, 5 days on, 4 days off, 5 days on, 5 days off. After completing this cycle three times, all shifts rotate forward (i.e. days to afternoons, afternoons to nights, nights to days).

• All newly hired officers are on probation for one year from their date of hire.

• Patrol officers work a 10 hour and 40-minute shift. Shifts and schedules vary outside of patrol and are dependent on assignment.

Patrol Services Bureau

• • Directed Enforcement Team (DET)

Investigative Services Bureau

• • General Case Detective
  • Special Victims Unit (SVU)
  • School Resource Officer
  • High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)

Support Services Bureau

• • Municipal Court Bailiff
  • Great Falls Housing Authority Officer
  • Special Projects Officer

Non Bureau Specific

• • High Risk Unit (HRU)
  • Field Training Officer (FTO)

• There are currently three academy classes per year. We average onboarding 2-3 officers every hiring period.

• There is no maximum age limit for police officers in Montana. 

• The GFPD does not currently offer any sign-on bonuses. 

• We recognize that maintaining one’s health in a demanding and stressful career field such as law enforcement is important. We believe that being “healthy” means taking care of your physical health and mental health. Participating officers can earn up to 2 days off per year under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Those 2 days off are in addition to all other paid leave. The purpose is to give officers additional time off away from the stresses of the job to promote a healthy work/life balance.