Cheatham Sheriff's Office - Apply for Employment
The Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is responsible for the protection of the lives and property within the boundaries of the county since 1856. The Sheriff’s Office also enforces all federal, state and local laws along with a multitude of other duties.
CCSO is committed to “SERVE and PROTECT”, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Sworn personnel must agree to work irregular hours, rotating days off, and special assignments involving compensatory or overtime. All assignments of personnel, both sworn and non-sworn, are solely at the discretion of the Sheriff or his designated employee.
The Cheatham County Sheriff's Office is a Full Service Law Enforcement Agency.
The office employs both sworn Deputy Sheriffs and non-sworn civilian employees.
- NON-SWORN PERSONNEL: The Sheriff’s Office employs civilians who do not have power of arrest. Job categories for Non-sworn Personnel include; secretaries, clerk typists, records and jail (intake /booking) clerks and maintenance technicians.
- SWORN PERSONNEL: Sworn personnel are those employees who: have the power of arrest, enforce the laws of Tennessee and are commissioned as Law Enforcement Officers. Deputy Sheriffs are certified by the State of Tennessee, Police Officer Standards and Training Commission, (POST) after successfully completing an Officer Basic Training Course. Sworn Personnel are required to train annually with a minimum of 40 POST certified hours.
- SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CORRECTION OFFICERS are certified by the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) after successfully completing their Officer Basic Training Course. Annual POST certified training is also required.
- COURT OFFICERS are required to attend and successfully complete the Court Officers and Courtroom Security Course provided by the State of Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy.
The Sheriff’s Office strives to keep all employees up to date in training, information, Officer Safety, Criminal Law, etc. and provides annual in-service training in POST accredited courses.
Applications are accepted for positions from all individuals regardless of race, creed, sex or religious beliefs.
Former employees of the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office may be considered for re-hire after a review of previous performance, employee practices, personnel file and the Exit Evaluation Forms.
Employee background, performance and evaluation information will be provided to future employers.
Employment Mission Statement
The Cheatham County Sheriff's Office maintains a commitment to recruit and retain the most qualified applicants in various staff positions.
Cheatham County is ethnically and culturally diverse serving many communities. The Sheriff's Office takes every opportunity to be reflective of this diversity in the makeup of its personnel.
Each member of the Sheriff's Office is held accountable and consistently seeks to find ways to affirmatively promote, preserve and deliver safety and security for each citizen in the county.
Cheatham County Employee Benefits
*Employees of the County Sheriff’s Office are paid bi-weekly.
*Employees are enrolled in the Tennessee State Retirement System.
*Employees may participate in Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance coverage for health and dental benefits in the individual, 2 parties or family plan.
*Full-time employees shall accrue sick leave at the rate of one day for each month of employment, with unlimited accumulation. Sick leave may be used for illness of the employee or for illness within his/her immediate family.
Cheatham County recognizes several holidays per year. Due to the nature of twenty-four hour shift work, employees may be required to be on duty on various holidays. Officers are entitled to another day off or another day’s pay as compensation if scheduled to work a National or State Holiday.
Note: All hiring procedures shall comply with all state and federal laws, including but not limited to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination Act, Equal Pay Act, Title VII, OSHA, Sexual Harassment/Federal Register, Religious/Federal Register, Wage and Hour, and Federal Fair Employment Practices as promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Cheatham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, the County may provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
Promotional Opportunities
Positions above Deputy such as Field Training Officers, Corporals, Criminal Investigators, and School Resource Officers, occasionally become available.
Promotions to the rank of Sergeant and Lieutenant may be based on written promotional exams, oral interviews, years of service and past performance evaluation. Some or all of these requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Sheriff.
Conditional Offer of Employment
After a Conditional Offer of Employment has been made and accepted, the applicant must successfully pass the following requirements:
- A physical examination
- A drug screening test
- A psychological evaluation
- A thorough background investigation:
All applicants shall be subjected to a thorough background investigation, which, at a minimum, include a fingerprint check with state and federal agencies, verification of personnel data, claimed education and employment experience, neighborhood and reference checks. False statements or willfully withholding information will be a basis for denial or termination of employment from the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office and may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes resulting prosecution.
- Qualification with a departmental issued weapon (Deputy positions only) In order to provide the citizens of Cheatham County with quality law enforcement, a thorough background investigation will be completed. This part of the hiring process, along with waiting for results on the medical and psychological tests and interview, can be very time consuming. The employment process may take in excess of six weeks depending on the number of applicants to be processed.
New employees may begin working for the Sheriff’s Office prior to all results of the Conditional Job Offer being completed and reviewed. The applicant understands that if they do not satisfactorily complete the above listed requirements, whether it is before or after their date of employment, it could result in the employee being terminated.
Introductory Period
All appointments are introductory for a period of one year at the discretion of the Sheriff. Employees are subject to the rules and regulations set forth by the Sheriff’s Office. If performance is unsatisfactory, the introductory status may be extended at the discretion of the Sheriff. At any time during the introductory period, an employee may be terminated if in the best interest of the County Sheriff’s Office.
