The state of Texas is now accepting applications for the B-2022Trooper Trainee School, but do you know what it takes to be a trooper? You should know many things about becoming a trooper; these include the requirements, including age, education, fitness, and vision. You should also know who a trooper is. A trooper can be described as a private soldier or an armored or mounted police officer. The Texas state trooper duty is a position you have to be prepared for.
So How Can You Become a Texas State Trooper?
The best way to become a Texas state trooper is to enroll in a Trooper Trainee School and be trained.
What You Should Know About Texas Trooper Benefits
Becoming a Texas trooper comes with excellent remuneration. In addition to this, top performers have the opportunity to receive Police Challenge Coins and a Medal of Honor from the Police Department each year. The Texas state legislature has made it mandatory for troopers to work for about 50 hours a workweek.
The monthly salary for a Texas trainee trooper is $45,255, and this can increase to $62,226 yearly with overtime pay. A probationary trooper, upon being commissioned, will earn up to $67,981, including overtime pay. A trooper Grade 1, which is offered 12 months after the probationary period, can get to $82,108, including overtime pay.
The Trooper 2 level is a position you get after 4 years in service, and the salary is roughly $100,115, including overtime payments. A trooper level 3 is one wo have spent 8 years in service, and the salary for this level could reach $107, 243 including overtime payment.
Trooper 4 level is for a trooper who has spent 12 years in service, and the salary plus overtime payment could be as much as $111 981. Trooper 5 with 16 years of service will earn a basic salary with overtime pay of about $117,156. A trooper level 6 is a person who has worked for at least 20 years in service and will earn a basic pay plus overtime pay of about $122,328.
Troopers may also be entitled to some other things, including an education or peace officer certificate stipend. They can also be entitled to a bilingual proficiency stipend at different ratios per month.
Those with associate certificates will earn a $50 stipend monthly, while those with Bachelors and Masters degrees will earn $100 and $150 a month stipend as troopers. The proficiency stipend of $50 for a second language also applies.
What Are The Requirements For Becoming A Texas Trooper?
There are five requirements you must meet to become a Texas trooper, these are;
- Age/basic requirements
- Education
- Fitness
- Preparation
- Vision and Physical
1. Age and Basic Requirements
Applicants for Texas trooper should be at least 20 years of age and must be at least 21 years at the time of graduating from the department’s trooper trainee academy.
The essential requirement to become a Texas trooper is to apply online at https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/training-operations-tod/trooper-trainee-recruit-schools.
If you meet the minimum requirements, the academy will notify you by email of the next available test date. You have to complete a physical readiness test and a written test within 30 days of your online application submission.
You need to contact your tester and arrange for the submission of all documents. You may have to travel to Texas a minimum of three times to complete all required tests.
2. Education
Applicants for Texas state trooper must have a minimum of 60 college hours from any regionally accredited college or university. Some prior law enforcement or military experience of the following may also substitute for the primary 60 hours of college hours;
Up to 15 hours plus 24 months or 16-30 hours plus 18 months, or 31-45 hours plus 12 months, or 46-59 hours plus 6 months, if you are a member of a law enforcement group.
Suppose you are a military reserve member or national guide interested in becoming a Texas trooper. In that case, you must have at least 0-15 hours of college education plus 550-729 points or spend 6 years in service.
You may also qualify to be a Texas trooper if you have between 16-30 college hours plus 367-549 points or have spent up to 4 ½ years in service. You may also have between 31 and 45 hours of college plus 184-366 points or have spent 3 years in service. You may qualify to be a Texas trooper if you have between 46 and 59 college hours plus 184 points or a minimum of 1 ½ year in service.
3. Fitness Requirements for Trooper Trainees and Recruits
All potential trooper trainees must pass the department’s physical readiness test to continue their application process. This physical readiness test comprises two components: a timed 1.5-meter run and a 500-meter row sprint.
The scores from both tests will be averaged, and each candidate must attain a total of 70 percentile at least. The minimum score you must attain at the physical readiness test is therefore 70 percentiles. The application process can be quite competitive, and only the top performers are selected.
All successful applicants from the physical readiness tests are admitted into the trainee school for the final training. The physical readiness test will only take a part of the recruitment process. You may end up with 70 percentile of the physical readiness test and still not qualified when other requirements are considered.
It is also important to note that a conditional job offer may be rescinded if a candidate does not pass the physical readiness test.
Candidates that are rejected for not passing the physical readiness test and those that resigned from the recruit school will have to wait until the next application season to reapply if they wish to become Texas troopers in the future.
Other Requirements For Becoming A Texas State Trooper
Other requirements a candidate must fulfill to become a recruit for the Texas State Trooper position are;
The department has recommended certain preparatory exercises for potential troopers into its recruit program. The department expects all personnel to pass two physical fitness assessments per physical year. The training topics include the following;
- Cross-training sample exercises
- Crushes and pushups
- Samples of how to prepare
- Hot weather safety
- Proper hydration techniques
- Fitness requirements
- Concept 2 rowing
- Fitness workouts for the day.
- Vision and Other Physical Requirements
All applicants for the Texas state trooper position will be required to undergo some physical examination, including an eye test, once they have completed and passed the board’s assessment examination. The applicants that successfully move to this stage will be given a set time and date to report for such physical examination.
Since all candidates will be first given conditional offers of employment, they will be directed to the appropriate physician designated by the department for a free physical examination.
What Can Cause Disqualification Of A Candidate?
These are several ways through which a candidate for the Texas State Trooper academy can be disqualified, and these are not limited to the following;
- Online application errors
- Not Following Instructions Properly
- Disqualification Chart
- Illegal Drug Use
- Military Discharges
- Traffic and Criminal Records.
In addition to the essential things listed above, candidates for the Texas state trooper position must be of good character and habits. Investigations are always conducted as regards the character of each candidate. It is important to establish good character, honesty, veracity, and truth.
The credit history and the financial standing of each application may also be considered during background checks. It is, however, important to note that credit history can’t be the sole basis for disqualification.
All applicants are expected to answer all questions asked truthfully and correctly; any misrepresentation or omission of information can lead to outright disqualification. In most cases, the department conducts background checks during the recruitment process. False misrepresentation or deliberate omission of information can lead to disqualification and permanent ban even from future applications.
Not all criminal activities can earn outright disqualification from the recruitment exercise, but any applicant committed to long-term criminality will be disqualified and banned from future applications. Dismissal from any military organization can also earn an outright disqualification and permanent ban.
Occasional road traffic offenses may be overlooked in most cases, but drunk-driving charges may count seriously against an applicant. Having committed a detected or undetected crime of serious aggravated nature may also lead to disqualification and a permanent ban. These offenses are not limited to sexual assault of adults or a child, kidnapping, indecency with a child, criminal homicide, and felony assault.
Other crimes such as domestic assault, class A misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, repeated misdemeanor offenses, and other violent crime of up to 10 years prior to an application can lead to outright rejection and a permanent ban from the future application.
Undetected crimes beyond ten years prior to application for Texas State Trooper may be subjected to further investigation before an applicant is judged. Based on the outcome, a candidate may be allowed to pursue his application further if they are absolved from any wrongdoing or permanently banned from the future application if found guilty.
