The Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Patrol Officer. Applicants are not required to possess Act 120 Certification or an out-of-state equivalent.
We provide police coverage to the municipalities of Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township. The department currently serves approximately 20,000 residents. Patrol Officers provide a full range of police service while assigned to specific geographic or contracted areas. Patrol Officers are held directly responsible for handling law enforcement problems, calls for service, citizen requests, police-citizen relations, and department customer service issues. Patrol Officers shall be responsible for the effective and efficient performance of their duties in conformity with the policies and procedures of the department.
Employment Highlights
- Competitive Wages
- Top Pay after Four Years of Service
- Five Year Prior Police Service Buy Back
- Permanent 12-hour Shifts
- Vacation, Holiday, Personal, and Sick (Family) Days
- Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
- Numerous Specialties Offered (SERT, Drone, DUI Task Force, K9, MCSAP, etc.)
- Five Year Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP)
Prospective applicants must meet the following requirements:
- 21 years of age (at the time of appointment)
- Must be a United States Citizen
- Must possess a valid High School Diploma or Equivalent
- Must possess a valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License
- Applicant must be able to pass an extensive background investigation, to include a criminal history check
- Applicant must be physically fit
- Prior use of illegal drugs will factor into the applicant’s background investigation and could result in disqualification
- Applicant must provide truthful and non-misleading information on every part of the employment application
The Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to qualified persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, veteran status, marital status or non-job related physical or mental handicap or disability.
All applicants will be required to pass the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC) Physical Fitness Test. The fitness standards are available for review here. The physical fitness exam will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 0800 hours. The address is the Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola Law Enforcement Complex at Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), One HACC Drive, Gate 5, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to register for the Physical Fitness Test. To register, please visit this link. The cost to take the test is $40. You must release the records to the Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department when completing the paperwork on the day of testing. You are not required to take the Physical Fitness Test if you have taken one at HACC since July 11, 2026. If you have successfully completed the Physical Fitness Test since July 11, 2026, please contact HACC to have those results released to our agency. Results must be received from HACC to be accepted. Results submitted on your own will not be accepted.
For those applicants who do not possess Act 120 Certification, the police academy is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 11, 2027, which will be located at the HACC.
Applications can be picked up in person at the Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department, 8855 Elizabethtown Road, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, or by requesting an application.
The deadline for applications is Friday, October 02, 2026, by 1600 hours.