Join the Summerset Police Department and become a crucial part of our community's safety and well-being. If you're passionate about protecting and serving, apply now to start a rewarding career with us.

To apply, download and print the application packet by clicking here. Submit the completed packet along with your resume to policeinfo@summerset.us.

Open Positions

Job Title:             Sergeant

Reports To:         Lieutenant

Location:            Summerset Police Department, 7055 Leisure Lane

FLSA Status:       Non-Exempt

Updated:            January 2026

POSITION OBJECTIVE:

The Sergeant will be responsible first and foremost for the duties of a Patrol Officer (general law enforcement functions and service to the courts).  In addition, the Sergeant is responsible for performing general and administrative duties in law enforcement and in activities of the Police Department.  The Sergeant assumes the responsibility of general and direct supervision of all Patrol Officers under him/her and direct supervision of all officers assigned to his/her shift.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:  

Supervisory duties

Provide supervision and direct officers of the department.

Responsible to supervise all functions assigned to his/her shift.

Ensure documentation is properly handled and completed by Patrol Officers on his/her shift (including but not limited to end of shift reports, use of force reports, etc.).

Responsible for dissemination of information to patrol staff in a timely and efficient manner.

Responsible for conducting or ensuring training is conducted for shift as required by Chief.

Responsible for ensuring officer and citizen safety.

Ensure that protocols, standard operating procedures, and other department policies are followed by Patrol Officers.

Ensure proper conduct by Patrol Officers towards citizens, other employees, and other agencies.

May be responsible to supervise and organize one or more functions of the police department as assigned

Review and authorize officer’s leave/ training requests.

Maintains law enforcement officer training certificates and reports officer training to South Dakota Law Enforcement Training Commission.

Assists, installs, and maintains communications systems and recording devices in patrol vehicles.

Taser Axon Administrator; maintains video recordings and Taser inventory.

Maintains and checks calibration for department issued preliminary breath testers (PBT).

Evidence technician; receives, maintains, and evidence for criminal investigations; packages and ships evidence to State health laboratory.

Sex Offender Registry Manager; registers sex offenders within the City of Summerset, maintains SOR records, and verifies sex offender locations.

General Law Enforcement Functions

General patrol.

Enforce federal and state laws as well as local ordinances.

Preserve peace and protect life and property.

Respond to calls for service or emergency assistance.

Traffic enforcement, including taking action to correct potential problem areas (road hazards, defects and environment hazards);

Observe and investigate persons, situations or matters that require attention.

Prevent crime.

Control public gatherings.

Receive and process complaints by citizens.

Arrest offenders.

Investigate traffic accidents.

Enforce animal regulations and ordinances; Respond to animal complaints in coordination with Animal Control Officer.

Secure crime scenes to identify and collect any physical evidence present and obtains descriptions of suspects and vehicles involved in crimes or criminal activity.

Carry out public services to include business escorts, property checks, foot patrol, and other community policing functions.

Perform and work in specially assigned units and functions.

Service to the Courts

Prepare incident and accident reports, affidavits, citations, legal

Testify in court.

Transport prisoners to jails, medical and mental facilities and other locations as needed.

Prepare reports.

Carry out orders and enforce directives from state and federal court systems.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

Performs community policing assignments as required or in support of organized policing efforts in concert with members of the community to address specific problems.

Assist in vehicle maintenance and upkeep of another department owned property.

Perform public speaking and presentations to public and/or targeted audiences.

Attend training sessions and meetings as required.

Instruct training classes when needed.

Perform other such duties and functions as deemed necessary.

Perform miscellaneous services relative to public health and safety.

At all times, Sergeants are required to wear all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and to perform their duties in a manner consistent with safe practices and department operating procedures and guidelines.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

General (Education and/or Experiences)

Must be twenty-one (21) years of age

Possess high school diploma or G.E.D. certification

Required a minimum of 5 years’ experience as a Patrol Officer, either with the Summerset Police Department or other outside law enforcement agency.

Required Certifications

Certified law enforcement officer by South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer’s Training Academy or another State’s law enforcement agency.

• If certified, must obtain reciprocity with South Dakota within twelve months of hire date.

Certified and able to maintain certification with firearms, less-lethal devices, C.P.R., radar and all other required certifications deemed necessary by the department and the State of South Dakota.

Successfully attend a 1^st Line Supervisor training or similar supervisory training.

Successfully attend a Field Training Officer (FTO) training.

Certifications must be achieved within one (1) year of hire date. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrated history of successfully taking on additional or new tasks, either on a short term or long-term basis

Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions

Able to supervise people

Able to analyze complex police problems and issues and to adopt effective and reasonable courses of action with due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances

Possess (or able to quickly obtain) comprehensive knowledge of department policies and procedures of the Summerset Police Department

Possess a comprehensive knowledge of pertinent federal and state laws and municipal ordinances

Operate and use all job-related equipment, including but not limited to lethal and non-lethal weapons, radios, handcuffs, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, crime scene kit, photography equipment, radio, and computer.

Must be a highly self-motivated individual.

Able to self-direct and work independently, achieving goals without supervision.

Must be proficient in operating office machines (such as a computer, copier, and fax) as well as common software programs utilized by the Summerset Police Department.

Ability to demonstrate good written and oral communication skills, including mastery of basic spelling, grammar and writing techniques.

Must have (or be able to build) and maintain a good rapport with the public.

Ability to deal with the public in a friendly and courteous manner, at all times, and especially under stressful conditions.

Must be able to communicate effectively with persons of all backgrounds and cultures

Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relations and a positive attitude with other city employees, other law enforcement departments, other agencies, and public organizations.

Must present good appearance and attitude and conduct oneself professionally regardless of provocation.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job as listed above.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Be physically able to perform the routine task required of a law enforcement officer

Regularly required to lift object weighing fifty (50) pounds

Drag or pull an object (i.e., human) twenty-five (25) feet and weighing up to one hundred-eighty (180) lbs. in an emergency

Occasionally required to reach and pull oneself up a six-foot obstacle (i.e., scale a fence)

Frequently use force to move or drag objects

Frequently required to stand, sit, run, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and squat

Frequently required to reach with hands and arms

Frequently required to use hands to finger, handle and feel

Vision’s requirements include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, distance vision and ability to adjust focus

Occasionally must talk and hear in environments with high degree of background noise (i.e., highway, public events, etc.)

Frequently must talk and hear in environments with medium degree of background noise (i.e., public street)

Constant utilization of telephone, radio, and/or pager for coordination of law enforcement and/or emergency services

Frequently required to sit in vehicle for 1 hour without break

Always able to safely operate a motor vehicle

Must be able to work in inclement weather conditions and other varied work conditions

Must be able to work in indoor, outdoor and/or undeveloped (natural) work environments; Outdoor environments can include all types of inclement weather, unstable footing, etc.

Patrol Officer risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens.  Patrol Officer may be exposed to diseases such as Hepatitis-B and HIV/AIDS.  Patrol Officer may be exposed to violence from persons who are under the influence of controlled substances, alcohol, or drugs and/or are mentally unstable. 

The work is not only physically strenuous but is also emotionally and/or mentally stressful.  It can involve dangerous situations. 

Other

Must have valid S.D. Driver’s License and acceptable driving record

Must agree to and have acceptable results of law enforcement background checks for criminal history, driving record and job history; Must be free of any felony convictions

Must be fingerprinted for South Dakota standards and training application processes

Able to work weekends, morning, nights and/or non-predictable shifts

RELATIONSHIPS

The Sergeant works under the direct supervision of the Lieutenant.

  The following positions report to this position while on shift:

Patrol Officer

This position works very closely with Patrol Officers and the Administrative Assistant for the Summerset Police Department. 

This position interacts constantly with the public.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Job Title: Police Officer
Department: Summerset Police Department
Reports to: Sergeant
Dated: 1/1/2026

Position Objective
The Police Officer will be responsible for the duties of general law enforcement functions and service to the court.

Essential Duties
To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

General Law Enforcement Functions

- General patrol
- Enforce federal, state and local laws and ordinances
- Preserve peace and protect life and property
- Respond to calls for service and emergency assistance
- Traffic enforcement
- Observe and investigate persons, situations or matters that require attention
- Receive and process citizen complaints
- Arrest offenders
- Investigate traffic crashes

Service to Courts

- Prepare incident and crash reports, affidavits, citations and legal documents.
- Testify in court
- Prepare reports
- Carry out orders and enforce directives from state and federal court systems.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

- Perform community policing assignments as required or in support of organized policing efforts.
- Assist in vehicle maintenance and upkeep of other department owned property
- Perform public speaking and presentations to general public and/or targeted audiences.
- Attend training sessions and meetings as required
- Instruct training classes when needed
- Perform other such duties and functions as deemed necessary.
- Perform miscellaneous services relative to public health and safety.

General (education and/or experiences)

- Must be twenty-one (21) years of age
- Possess high school diploma or GED certification

Required Certifications

- Certified by or ability to obtain certification by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer’s Training Academy within twelve (12) months of hire date.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- Ability to perform effectively under stressful conditions.
- Possess comprehensive knowledge of department policies and procedures of the department
- Possess a comprehensive knowledge of pertinent federal, state and local laws and ordinances
- Must be a highly self-motivated individual.
- Able to self-direct and work independently, achieving goals without supervision.
- Ability to demonstrate good written and oral communication skills including mastery of basic spelling, grammar and writing techniques.
- Must have (or be able to build) and maintain a good rapport with the general public.
- Ability to deal with the general public in a friendly and courteous manner at all times and especially under stressful conditions.
- Must be able to communicate effectively with persons of all backgrounds and cultures
- Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relations and positive attitude with other city employees and other law enforcement departments and public organizations.
- Must present good appearance and attitude and conduct oneself regardless of provocation.

Physical Demands

- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job as listed above. Be physically able to perform the routine task required of a law enforcement officer.

- Police Officers risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens. Police Officers may be exposed to diseases such as Hepatitis-B and HIV/AIDS. Police Officers may be exposed to violence from person who are under the influence of controlled substances, alcohol or drugs and/or mentally unstable.

- The work is not only physically strenuous but is also emotionally and/or mentally stressful.

Others

- Must possess a valid South Dakota Driver License and acceptable driving record
- Must agree to and have acceptable results of law enforcement background checks for criminal history, driving record and job history and not have any felony convictions
- Must be fingerprinted for South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards and Training applications
- Able to work weekends, mornings, nights and unpredictable shifts

Hiring Process Overview

The Summerset Police Department hiring process consists of multiple steps and requires time to complete. Applicants will be notified as they progress through each phase. The process includes an initial application review, a brief phone interview, a written entrance examination, an oral board interview, a comprehensive background investigation, and post-conditional offer requirements.

Initial Application

The hiring process begins on the City of Summerset job opening page. Applicants must locate and select the Police Officer posting and submit all required materials. A completed application, resume, and personal history statement are required for an application to be considered. Application materials are reviewed by department staff. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule a brief phone interview.

Phone Interview

The brief phone interview is used to confirm the applicant’s interest in the position and provide an overview of the Summerset Police Department and the hiring process. Applicants who successfully complete the phone interview may be invited to participate in the written entrance examination.

Written Entrance Examination

Applicants who advance in the hiring process will be required to complete a written entrance examination. The examination is designed to assess skills and abilities necessary for successful performance as a police officer.

The written examination may include, but is not limited to:

- Reading comprehension
- Written communication
- Basic reasoning and problem solving
- Decision-making and judgment

Applicants must achieve a passing score on the written entrance examination to continue in the hiring process.

Applicants are encouraged to prepare by reviewing basic reading and writing skills, practicing clear written responses, and ensuring they understand how to follow written instructions. No prior law enforcement experience is required to successfully complete the examination.

Interview

Applicants who successfully pass the written entrance examination will be invited to an in-person oral board interview. The interview panel consists of representatives from the Summerset Police Department and the City of Summerset.

Following completion of all interviews, the panel will identify the top candidates based on current and anticipated staffing needs. Selected candidates will advance to the next phase of the hiring process.

Background Investigation

Pre-Conditional Offer
Applicants who successfully complete the interview phase will be provided several forms to initiate the background investigation process. The background packet requires detailed personal history information and supporting documentation such as a driver’s license, birth certificate, and other records.

Applicants selected to continue will be assigned a background investigator. The investigator will review the submitted materials and schedule a comprehensive background interview. The background investigation includes verification of employment and personal references, review of criminal justice databases, social media accounts, and a credit history check.

Applicants who successfully complete the background investigation may be extended a conditional offer of employment.

Post-Conditional Offer Requirements

After receiving a conditional offer of employment, applicants must successfully complete the following:

- Psychological evaluation
- Occupational health examination
- Drug screening

Law Enforcement Academy and Field Training

Newly hired officers begin employment and training with the Summerset Police Department on their first day. Non-certified officers will attend the 13-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre to obtain South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer certification.

Following graduation from the academy, officers will complete a 12-week Field Training Program with the Summerset Police Department. This program provides structured, hands-on training to ensure officers are prepared for independent patrol duties. Upon successful completion of field training, officers will be assigned a permanent patrol shift.

Applicants who are already certified as law enforcement officers in the State of South Dakota will complete an in-house Field Training Program. The length of training will be determined on a case-by-case basis.