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Newport News Police Department
ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL
ADM-290 – EMPLOYMENT PROBATION
Amends/Supersedes: ADM-290 (04/19/2018) Date of Issue: 02/05/2024
I. POLICY
A. Probation is a period of time during which an employee must meet prescribed objectives in order to
continue employment with the Department (see PAM 400 Employee Status).
B. Each employee of the Department is required to serve an employment probation period for a prescribed
time following the employee’s date of hire with the City of Newport News. The purpose of this
probationary period is to enable supervisors and management to assess each employee’s adjustment to
the work situation and to assess the employee’s potential for satisfactory performance if appointed to
regular status.
II. PROCEDURE
A. Probationary Period
a. The employment probation period for police officers and public safety specialists hired is
eighteen months unless they are hired with a valid Virginia Department of Criminal Justice
Services (DCJS) law enforcement officer or dispatcher certification. In those cases, the
probationary period is twelve months.
b. Officers/specialists reinstated with a break in service of less than six months and who had been
appointed to regular status will not be required to serve another employment probationary
period.
c. Individuals promoted to or transferring to the position of a police officer from other city positions
must meet the requirements of an employment probation period, except they do not lose benefits
already allowed concerning issues such as grievance rights and tuition reimbursement. (See also:
PAM 315 Re-Employment of Retirees and Former Employees Policy)
d. The employment probation period for civilian personnel, except for non-certified public safety
specialists, is 12 months.
B. Probation During Academy
1. Employees attending the department’s Basic Law Enforcement or Basic Telecommunicator Academy
are subject to the rules and regulations established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services
(DCJS). Successful completion of all mandatory training objectives and competencies is a standard
for continued employment. Academy staff will document all attendance, testing, performance
evaluations and remedial training as prescribed by the DCJS and department policy.
2. When an academy attendee is unable to meet DCJS requirements for graduation, notification is made
to the Chief of Police through the probationary employee’s chain of command. Unless a DCJS waiver
is obtained, the separation process is initiated.
C. Probationary Evaluation [35.1.3]
1. Schedule of Evaluations
a. When police officers and public safety specialists enter the communications/field training phase,
probationary employee performance is continuously documented per OPS-250 Field Training
Programs and COM-510 New Hire Training Program. Once these programs are completed:
1) Police officers are evaluated monthly until the conclusion of their probationary period.
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