"The challenge with being a police officer is having to see most people in the worst times of their lives. You have to be able talk with that person and empathize with them to make them feel safe and secure and hopefully give them some sort of comfort depending on what it is that they are going through. This is what I believe is the hardest thing to do in police work and is the most taxing on officers as well. This is also the most rewarding thing when you show up on someone’s worst day and help them in a way they believed nobody could."
– Jordan Berry, Police Officer
Joined Merriam PD in 2020

“In 10 years at Merriam I have been: a training officer, instructor, bicycle officer, peer support team member, detective, master police officer, and now a sergeant. At three years into my career, I went to investigations. I became a member of the KC Metro Squad and worked three homicide investigations with that unit. I had the opportunity to present at the international co-responder conference in 2024. I recently gained a seat on the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council. I have assisted with the Shawnee Mission School District's Blue Eagles program and helped several students achieve law enforcement careers. I have also had the privilege of assisting in several critical incident debriefs around the metro. I have no doubt that I would not have been able to build that kind of career at any other department. I have done more in 10 years at Merriam than many officers will do in a 25 year career at other agencies.”
– Rashad Castaneda, Sergeant
Joined Merriam PD in 2014

"I stay in Merriam because the Merriam Police Department believes in me. They could've let me go, but they realized I had a learning disability, they didn't give up on me, so I can't give up on them. I love this place. If I die wearing this uniform, I will be dying for people who believe in me. I've never had anyone truly believe in me and help me the way this PD has. My favorite thing about the department is I know who everyone is, and I'm not afraid to approach anyone about any problems I'm having. I don't feel like I'm being beat down or judged for asking a question. When I was younger, I was so afraid people would think I was stupid because I wanted to ask questions so bad but didn't. When I'm here, I don't worry about that. I ask questions, I learn, and I move on to the next."
– Gary Young, Police Officer
Joined Merriam PD in 2023

"I like that everyone knows everyone and you don't get lost in the crowd. Officers are actually in a position to talk to and get to know the command staff on a personal basis. This would not happen in a very large department. Being a small department also makes it easy to apply for other duties such as investigations, bike patrol, firearms instructor, trainer, etc."
– Phil Lewis, Master Police Officer
Joined Merriam PD in 2002

Apply Now

As a Police Officer with the City of Merriam, you’ll play a vital role in maintaining a safe, welcoming community by enforcing laws, building public trust, and demonstrating the highest standards of courage, sacrifice, and compassion. This dynamic role involves both proactive and responsive policing, requiring strong communication skills, sound decision-making under pressure, and a commitment to ethical service. Officers serve as frontline ambassadors of the department and City, forming meaningful connections with residents and businesses while ensuring public safety.

Key Responsibilities:

• Proactively patrol assigned areas to protect life and property, responding quickly and safely to calls for service

• Conduct criminal and traffic investigations, interviews, and arrests while maintaining accurate documentation

• Administer life-saving aid and assist in evacuating individuals from dangerous situations

• Operate patrol vehicles in varying conditions and exercise sound judgment in high-stress scenarios

• Promote the values of the department and foster trust-based relationships within the community

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be 21 or older
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must have high school diploma or equivalent
• Must have a valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record
• Must be in good physical condition 
• Must have good moral character and ethics
• Must have acceptable background

Police Officer Job Description(PDF, 107KB)

Apply Now

If you are an experienced officer who's looking to explore new opportunities, Merriam could be right for you. Our small department allows you to make a big impact every day. You're not just a number in Merriam; you're part of a close-knit team where every officer matters. 

Merriam offers lateral pay for certified police officers from other cities, counties, or state agencies. The certification must meet the training standards set forth by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC). 

Each officer's experience is unique. Contact Captain Jeremiah Waters to learn more about how you may fit with our team. 

Military Experience

The Merriam Police Department values the leadership, discipline, and integrity learned through military service. We find that military service often translates well to civilian law enforcement. A commitment to something bigger than yourself, strong moral compass, and decision-making under pressure are assets to our small department where every officer is a leader. Please note, the KLETC only recognizes civilian law enforcement certifications, and does not recognize military police officers as eligible for reciprocity training, so successful completion of the police academy will be required. 

Apply Now

Our hiring process for police officers typically takes about a month. Applicants are subject to polygraphs, background investigations, drug screen, physical, reference checks, and psychological exams.

Merriam is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe there is strength in diversity, where in our vibrant community, every voice matters. We welcome employees from every background. We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace like the community we serve. 

1. Submit an Application

Review our Police Officer position description and click Apply Now. You must create a username and password for UKG. Once your account is created, complete and submit your application. If you meet our minimum qualifications, you'll be asked to complete a Personal History Statement before you move on to the next step. 

2. Testing and Applicant Processing

Writing Test
Report writing is an essential part of police work. Applicants must complete a 20 minute writing test to assess fundamental communication skills, including clarity, comprehension, and accuracy. 

Fitness Assessment
Applicants must complete the Merriam Police Department's standard fitness assessment to determine your readiness for duty. Successful police officers must possess the necessary strength, endurance, and agility to handle the physical challenges they may encounter on the job. The assessment takes 30-45 minutes, and there is no minimum requirement to pass.

Activities include:
– Beep Test
– Air Squats (60 sec. time limit)
– Push Ups (no time limit)
– Plank

As an added benefit, officers can earn additional paid time off by achieving high scores on the fitness assessment each year. 

Physical Ability Test
This obstacle course evaluates a candidate's physical fitness, aerobic capacity, and ability to navigate obstacles encountered during foot pursuits and other physically demanding situations. The course must be completed in 93 seconds. 

Applicant Processing

• Fingerprints and photograph: These are necessary to complete your background check. 
• Ride-a-long: Experience first hand what the officer's job duties and activities are on a daily basis.  

3. Panel Interview 

The interview will ask questions designed to help the Merriam Police Department assess your overall abilities as they relate to the field of law enforcement, your interest in and knowledge of Merriam, and how you may fit with our team. 

4. Background Investigation 

The background investigation will include pertinent facts regarding your character, work history, and any criminal or traffic records. The investigation may also include reviewing your social media and interviewing people you have lived or worked with. 

5. Polygraph, Psychological, and Physical Exams

Qualified applicants will proceed to the polygraph examination, which is administered by a qualified Polygraph Examiner at the Merriam Police Department. This test will cover criminal activity, drug usage, integrity, truthfulness and employment history, and may last about two hours.

After a conditional job offer is made, recruits must complete a psych exam with a licensed psychologist to assess your fitness for duty. This exam will take about two hours. 

Applicants must complete medical, hearing, and eye examination performed by a licensed physician, after a conditional job offer is made.

6. Job Offer

Based upon the results of the entire hiring process, the Chief of Police will make the final hiring decision. 

Onboarding & Training

If you are hired, we'll work with you to determine your start date. If you have no previous police experience, you will attend the Police Academy. You will receive full pay during your training, beginning on your first day of employment. Officers in training will complete a pre-academy program with the department. After successful graduation from the Police Academy, officers complete a post-academy program in Merriam before beginning an 18 week field training program.

If you're a lateral police officer transfer, we'll determine what training is needed. All officers new to Merriam will complete 18 weeks of department led field training before operating solo. 

Police Academy

New recruits will attend either the Johnson County Regional Police Academy, located in Overland Park, Kansas, or the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson, Kansas. Police officer basic training is a vital step in building a foundation of integrity, excellence, and professionalism in law enforcement. Through comprehensive and progressive instruction, it prepares officers to serve their communities effectively while upholding the highest standards and values of the profession. Successful completion of the 16-week academy results in certification as a Kansas law enforcement officer.

Am I qualified to be a police officer for the City of Merriam?

These are the minimum qualifications to be considered for the position of police officer:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Be at least 21 years of age at time of application.
• Possess a high school diploma or G.E.D.
• Possess a valid state driver's license.
• Not have a personal or professional history that would automatically disqualify you for the position.

What would disqualify me from the hiring process?

The Merriam Police Department will automatically disqualify any individual for the following:

General Conduct

• Has been convicted of, or took part in, a felony or any offense that would be constituted as a felony within the State of Kansas or the United States
• Has been convicted of a theft within the prior twelve months of application
• Has been convicted or been involved in a battery, assault, interference with police or a Class A or B misdemeanor within the past three years will be subject to review
• Has been convicted of, or took part in, any crime of a sexual nature
• Any domestic violence conviction
• Has had a state law enforcement certification denied, suspended or revoked
• Falsifying or lying about any information requested on a questionnaire or application as a part of the hiring process

Drug and Alcohol Usage

• Any marijuana, THC, or like-substance within the previous six months of application. Use prior to this time period will be subject to review.
• Illegal IV drug use
• Use of LSD 
• Other illegal drug use, to include illegal use of prescription medication within the past 3 years; usage outside of 3 years will be subject to review
• Manufacture, sales, or distribution of illegal drugs
• Established pattern of illegal drug use or prescription medication abuse
• Established pattern of alcohol abuse

Driving

• Driving under the influence conviction/diversion as an adult within the past 3 years. Two or more DUIs in a lifetime
• Pattern of traffic law violations that indicate disrespect for traffic laws or disregard for public safety
• Three or more chargeable or at-fault accidents will be subject to review.
• Suspended or revoked driver's license within the past 3 years, subject to review
• Does not currently possess a valid state issued driver’s license

Tattoos
At no time while the member is on-duty or representing the Department in any official capacity shall any offensive tattoo or body art be visible. Examples of offensive tattoos include, but are not limited to, those that exhibit or advocate discrimination; those that exhibit gang, supremacist, or extremist group affiliation; and those that depict or promote drug use, sexually explicit acts, or other obscene material.

Am I required to live in Merriam if I work for the Merriam Police Department?

The only residency requirement is that you must live within an approximately 45 minute drive to the Merriam Police Department. 

What happens after I apply?

From the time of initial application, the hiring process can take up to three months (but is usually completed in about a month). The following are all the steps of our hiring process. With a couple of exceptions, each step of the process is pass/fail, meaning you have to successfully complete any given step to move on to the next.

1. Application: Submit a Police Officer employment application. Once you submit your application online, you will be contacted and emailed a link to the Merriam Police Department Personal History Statement. You must complete the Personal History Statement to move on to the next step.
2. Interview Board: Once your personal history statement is reviewed and approved, you will be scheduled for an in-person interview at a later date with a board comprising of Merriam officers and supervisors. The interview takes place at the Merriam Police Department and lasts approximately 30 minutes. You must also complete a twenty-minute writing sample after the interview, then review your personal history statement with a detective. 
3. Polygraph Examination: If you advance this far in the process, you will take a polygraph exam administered by a certified polygrapher. This exam takes place at the Merriam Police Department and lasts approximately two hours.
4. Background Investigation: Upon a successful result of your polygraph exam, a detective will be assigned to conduct your background investigation. This investigation includes, but is not limited to, a review of your social media accounts, and interviews with current/previous employers, current/previous co-workers, current/previous neighbors, current/previous roommates, and current/previous spouse or significant other. This background investigation can take 2–3 weeks to complete.
5. Physical Fitness Test: The test is designed on a functional fitness model and consists of the following: Beep test (measure of aerobic capacity), push-ups until failure, squat (no weight, max reps in one minute), and plank (hold for time, max out at four minutes). You will also complete a job specific obstacle course that has a max completion time of 93 seconds. These tests take approximately 45 minutes.
6. Patrol Ride-Along: You will participate in a patrol ride-along with a Merriam officer to experience first-hand how we operate. This gives you the opportunity to see if a career with us is a good fit. The ride-along lasts approximately 4 hours.
7. Interview with Chief of Police: If you complete the hiring process to this point and have been recommended for hiring consideration, you will be scheduled for an interview with the Chief of Police. This interview takes place at the Merriam Police Department and lasts approximately 1 hour. The Chief may or may not extend a conditional offer of employment during this interview. If you are given a conditional job offer, it is not a guarantee of employment, but rather a promise to be considered in the most qualified applicant pool upon successful completion of all components of the hiring process. If a conditional offer is given, the remaining steps of the process will be scheduled.
8. Psychological Inventory: You will participate in a battery of psychological tests conducted by a licensed psychologist. This inventory takes place by completing written test and a zoom appointment with a local psychologist's office and lasts approximately 2 hours.
9. Medical/physical examination: You will be given a medical examination by a physician to check your general health, fitness and conditioning. The results will be evaluated according to your height, weight, and age, and based on procedures that are valid and non-discriminatory. As part of the medical exam, you will also take a drug screening examination to determine the recent use of illegal drugs.
10. Final Job Offer: The Chief of Police, based upon the results of the entire hiring process, will make the final hiring decision. The Chief of Police or designee will advise you of the hiring decision and provide you a final job offer.

What are the physical fitness requirements of a police officer?

The Physical Fitness Test is one of the steps of the initial application process for the position of police officer. The test is designed on a functional fitness model and consists of the following: Beep test (measure of aerobic capacity), push-ups until failure, squat (no weight, max reps in one minute), and plank (hold for time, max out at four minutes). You will also complete a job specific obstacle course that has a max completion time of 93 seconds. These tests take approximately 45 minutes.

In addition to being one of the steps in the initial application process, the Physical Fitness Test is also required to be completed twice a year for all sworn officers at the department. 

What happens after I’m hired?

If you are hired with no previous police experience, here are the training phases for our new recruits. You will receive your full salary beginning with your first day of employment.

1. Pre-Academy training: Prior to attending the police academy, you will have approximately 3 weeks of pre-academy training instructed by Merriam officers. This is to establish a baseline of skills which will assist you in successfully graduating from the police academy. Topics include firearms, equipment issue, and ensuring you are prepared for the academy.
2. Police Academy: After the pre-academy training, you will attend the Johnson County Regional Police Academy. Located on the campus of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, the police academy is staffed by full-time instructors from different police agencies in Johnson County as well as various adjunct instructors. The police academy is 16 weeks long and runs Monday through Friday, generally 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The police academy is commuter in nature, and recruits do not live on-site. You will attend the academy with other recruits from Johnson County police agencies. The topics of training include law, defensive tactics, interview and interrogation, firearms, emergency vehicle operation, physical conditioning, practical application testing and more. Upon graduation from the academy, you will be a certified Kansas law enforcement officer. Occasionally, we will send officers to the police academy in Hutchinson, KS. This is a live-in academy with the opportunity to come home on the weekends. This academy is also staffed with instructors and covers the same materials as the Johnson County Community College Academy. 
3. Field Training Program: The final and most advanced phase of your training is the Field Training Officer Program (FTO). During FTO you will be paired with specially trained officers on a rotating basis. You will have a daily assignment in one of our patrol districts and conduct "real-life" police activities such as traffic stops, crash investigations, and other calls for service. During FTO you will likely spend time on all 3 of our patrol shifts (days, evenings, nights). You will receive daily evaluations and feedback to ensure that you are successfully progressing through the FTO program. The FTO program is progressive in nature, meaning you are not expected to know everything from the start. You will be provided with training and resources to gradually learn the basic role of a Merriam Police Officer. Our standard FTO program is 15 weeks long.
4. Solo Patrol: Upon successful completion of all phases of training, and at the recommendation of the FTO supervisor, you will be released to solo patrol and assigned to one of the patrol shifts. At this point your "new officer" training is over and you are expected to handle calls for service and police activities independently. Of course, we rely on teamwork a lot! You aren't expected to know everything, and collaboration with shift-mates to problem solve is something we do regularly.

What hours will I have to work?

Police services are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Patrol officers choose their assigned shift according to seniority. The three patrol shifts are:

• Day Shift: 6 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Evening Shift: 2 – 11 p.m.
• Night Shift: 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.

Patrol officers work 9-hour shifts, meaning that every other week you will have three days off in a row. Overtime is paid for time worked in excess of the daily assigned shift.

What specialized units and collateral duties are available?

We have the following specialized units, which are assignments in conjunction with regularly assigned shifts:

• Investigations (this is a full-time assignment)
• Bicycle Unit
• Drone Unit
• Training Instructors
• Variable Power Optics Unit 
• Field Training Officer
• Peer Support
• Drone Pilot

Are there opportunities to work overtime or off-duty assignments?

Yes. We typically have opportunities for off-duty security assignments every month. You must be off probationary status to be eligible. These are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis through rotational list.

What if I’m already certified as a law enforcement officer at another agency?

We have hired many officers who were already certified as police officers and employed at other law enforcement agencies. Merriam offers lateral pay for certified police officers from other cities, counties, or state agencies. The certification must meet the training standards set forth by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC). Each officer's experience is unique. Contact Captain Jeremiah Waters to learn more about how you may fit with our team.

I’m a military veteran. Does Merriam offer Veteran Preference?

The Merriam Police Department does observe Veteran Preference laws. We recognize the values, discipline, mindset, and skills that veterans offer. We find these skills often translate to law enforcement well. Please note, the KLETC only recognizes civilian law enforcement certifications, and does not recognize military police officers as eligible for reciprocity training, so successful completion of the police academy will be required.

Do I need to purchase any equipment prior to starting as a Merriam police officer?

All uniforms and equipment will be issued to you when you start. Any equipment you carry needs to be Department approved and/or issued. 

What is your policy on facial hair and tattoos?

Members are allowed to have facial hair. Mustaches shall not extend below the corners of the mouth or beyond the natural hairline of the upper lip and shall be short and neatly trimmed. Beards may be worn by male members of the department. The beards must be neatly groomed and not exceed 1/2 inch in length.

Tattoos: Tattoos are allowed with limitations. At no time while the member is on-duty or representing the Department in any official capacity shall any offensive tattoo or body art be visible. Examples of offensive tattoos include but are not limited to those that exhibit or advocate discrimination; those that exhibit gang, supremacist, or extremist group affiliation; and those that depict or promote drug use, sexually explicit acts, or other obscene material.

I’m not from the area. Can you tell me about Merriam?

Merriam has a population of approximately 11,000 residents and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area, which has a population of over 2 million residents. Merriam is known for a thriving community and active city government, with events like Cruise Nights and the Turkey Creek Car & Motorcycle Show, the Merriam Farmers’ Market, and Flags 4 Freedom.

Merriam is one of the most affordable places to live in Johnson County. Merriam enjoys a good business base of car dealerships, restaurants, and other large retailers. New developments and construction projects are common around the City as we look to constantly improve.

Citizens and visitors alike enjoy Merriam’s established neighborhoods and thriving commercial developments, beautiful parks and trails, appealing public art, and our community center.