Police Department Recruitment

Buda PD

Thank you for your interest in employment with the City of Buda, review the information presented about the requirements for police officers, the application process, benefits and incentives. Please read these sections very carefully as they contain helpful information about the hiring process. If you have any questions, please contact our HR Department at: Budahr@budatx.gov


Minimum Requirements:

  1. High School diploma/graduate or GED;
  2. Applicants must hold a Basic TCOLE license or be enrolled in a TCOLE Police Academy with a nearing graduation date. We do not currently send applicants to a police academy to become licensed.
  3. Valid State of Texas Class "C" drivers license
  1. Hiring Process
  2. Lateral Entry Program
  3. Police Officer Compensation & Benefits Summary
  1. Minimum Requirements - Ensure you meet all requirements above before submitting the registration application. 
  2. Application / Personal History Statement - The process involves first completing an online employment application, which includes the Personal Background History Statement. Review and read ALL instructions before starting to complete the application/statement.  When this process is complete, you will be provided with a confirmation email. Until you receive this email, the process is not complete. Qualified applicants will be selected to move on to the next phase which is a formal interview.
  3. Oral Interview Board - The interview panel is composed of 5 or more individuals from various assignments around the department including the Chief or his representative and Human Resources. The candidate will respond verbally to questions asked by the members of the panel which are designed to allow the panel to determine the communication skills, qualifications, and character of the candidate. Questions asked during the interview will range from situational-based topics to questions arising from the background packet. 
  4. Physical Readiness Assessment - The duties of law enforcement officers require a high level of physical fitness and readiness to meet the demands of the job. The City of Buda PD has adopted one of the methods used by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to assess officer and candidate fitness and readiness.

    To perform this assessment, we use Concept 2 Rowers. Candidates must complete a 2000- meter row during this phase. This activity measures the candidate’s VO2max, which is used to determine the ability of the candidate to meet this fitness requirement. During the assessment, the candidate will be required to row 2000 meters at maximum effort of at least 60 percent based on the candidate's gender, weight and age.  At the conclusion of the test, candidates will be ranked from highest to lowest based on their performance.  Candidates are encouraged to put forth their best efforts and are advised that this portion of the process is highly competitive. The DPS has validated the percentile at which we assess both officers and candidates. Note: The row machine tension damper (or level of resistance) will be set at a five (5). It may be helpful for candidates to use the Texas DPS Concept 2 Rower Calculator to determine what time range is required for them.  https://www.dps.texas.gov/ETR/FitnessWellness/concept2RowerCalc.htm.
  1. Background Investigation - At this point, the candidate will be assigned to a Background Investigator. The Personal History Statement or Background Packet that was completed earlier in the process is the primary document used for the background investigation of police applicants. Family members, references, acquaintances, past employers and co-workers are interviewed, and a review is conducted of military and school records, driving records, credit history, and any other area the investigator deems appropriate. 
  2. Review by the Chief of Police.  The Chief of Police will review all documentation and findings of the candidate's progress through the hiring process.  The Chief will make the determination of a candidates eligibility for lateral entry if applicable. Upon a successful review by the Chief, the candidate will move forward in the process.  
  3. Conditional Offer of Employment - A conditional offer of employment will be made to applicants who pass the background investigation. At this time we may ask for Birth certificate, naturalization documents, high school transcripts, diploma or GED, College/university transcripts and diplomas for all schools attended, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, peace officer license, driver’s license and military discharge DD-214. 
  4. Psychological Exam and Interview - A psychological examination is a TCOLE requirement. We use an independent psychologist for this examination.
  5. Medical Exam / Drug Screen - A pre-employment physical is required for this position. The examination will be performed by a city selected licensed physician.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please email:   BudaHR@budatx.gov