Mission Statement

Promoting Safety and Justice to Improve the Quality of Life in Our Community.

Who We Are

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office serves over 100,000 citizens spread across Pennington County’s 2,776 square miles. We also serve a high number of visitors and tourists to our area as Pennington County is home to Mount Rushmore National Monument and Ellsworth Air Force Base. Our Office employs over 400 employees with an annual budget of approximately $30 million.

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Testing & Hiring Process

Step 1: Fill out the online application for employment with City Human Resources.

Step 2: Qualified candidates will be invited to test. After you fill out your application, you will receive further information about testing dates. Candidates who participate in the testing process should plan to spend a full day in Rapid City, unless otherwise noted by the Training Administrator.

Step 3: Tests will include:

Written Test. This computer-based exam is timed, and consists of both multiple-choice and observational questions. Candidates must pass the written test to move on to the physical fitness test. Study for the written test here.

Physical fitness test. Exercises include push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. Candidates should bring proper athletic attire for this test. (The physical fitness test will take place immediately after the written test. It is acceptable for candidates to come to the written test already wearing their athletic attire. Those that choose to bring their athletic attire will have a place to change after taking the written test, if they prefer.) Candidates must pass both the written and physical fitness test to move on to the oral interview.

Oral interview. Candidates will be questioned individually by the Interview Board. After all of the interviews are complete, the Interview Board will determine the top candidates, who will move on to the next phase in the hiring process.

Step 4: A number of top candidates (dependent on the number of current or projected openings) will receive contingent offers of employment and move on to an extensive background investigation, psychological exam, medical exam, and possible polygraph.

We will stay in touch with you through all steps of the hiring process, and we work hard to make it as expedited as possible.

The Rapid City Police Department serves the nearly 80,000 citizens of Rapid City, the citizens of nearby suburban areas, and the estimated 2 million tourists that visit our community and the Black Hills region every year. We are continually working to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the people we serve.

We offer a variety of services, and are especially proud of our proactive programs to keep our community safe, such as the School Liaison Program and our civilian traffic investigators. We also see ourselves as a leader in quality training throughout the region, with outstanding recruit training and Field Officer Training programs to cultivate committed, courteous officers for our department.

Mission Statement

Community First, Service Above Self, Integrity-Driven. One Interaction at a time.

Vision Statement

Striving for a safe and crime-free Rapid City.

Purpose

Provides law enforcement patrol and investigative services.