I've went through the whole process with WPD and passed the polygraph exam (w/o using counter-measures). I passed every test with above average results and was never disqualified. The training department is recommending me to go to the Police Academy this July.  The Chief of Police still has to sign off on me though sometime in June.  I had a friend that went through the last academy and doesn't have a degree and worked the same job I did three years ago.  I have a degree in Criminal Justice, promoted up to a probation officer and he was still working the same job before going to WPD.  If the Chief doesn't sign my recommendation, I will question why because I am more qualified than the people they are hiring and was never disqualified for any reason.  I understand affirmative action could be a factor too seeing that I am a white male.  Hopefully my education and law enforcement experience will offset this factor.

As for KC PD I am not familiar with the process.  I've heard that it’s a great PD to work for and the pay is one of the highest in the state but this is just hearsay.  Keep in mind, the hiring procedures for police departments often change, especially when people get promoted out of the recruitment office.  Have you ever thought about the Kansas Highway Patrol?  They are hiring like crazy for the Kansas City area. 

http://da.state.ks.us/ps/kper210$.htm ;

 They recently received a raised by Gov. Graves too.  My best friend and my roommate are State Troopers in Sedgwick County/Wichita and they love the freedom of not being "on call" and just driving around looking for "dirt bags" on their own.  I like dealing with the community and am a big advocate for community oriented policing so my heart will always be with a city police department.

Nate,

You mention three that you are familiar with. Were you picked up by Wichita? 
Also I am curious about the Kansas City, KS PD? Any thoughts on them? 

Fred F. 

 ???

These are the three hiring processes that I am familiar with but these can also be seen on the appropriate web-sites.

KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL: The first process is the application.  You will then go to the training center in Salina to take a three hour aptitude test.  I believe you need a 60% or better to qualify.  I scored an 87.6%.  After receiving your scores in the mail, you will go directly to the polygraph test.  At this point the polygraph examiner has you and every other applicant that scored above 60% on the polygraph test to do by the end of the month.  The exam lasts only about 20 minutes with no interrogation and you are out the door.  You are out the door with no clue whether or not you passed.  The examiner says he does not know and just mails the results off to Topeka to be made sense of.  You will then be assigned a state trooper to do your background check but if you failed the polygraph exam you might meet him once but you will get a letter that says something on the matter that you are not disqualified but you application has been stopped.  I don't know if this means they are trying to say the "better qualified applicant" or not because my two friends got on they don't have college degrees or no prior law enforcement experience as I do.  The next process, if you make it past the second part, is the oral interview and physical agility test.  Completion of these parts might get you a "conditional offer of employment" if you pass the psychological test, run, etc.

SEDGWICK COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT:  Out of all three the Sheriff's Department is the most brief.  After sending the application, you get a letter to show up for a day at the training center.  On this day you will take the police aptitude test.   You then that same day go do the physical agility test, fingerprints, and background information sheet, and finally the first contact interview all in one day.  If you pass all these you will show up on a different day for the oral interview.  Passing all these will put your name on an "eligibility list".  If selected from this list for employment, you will then proceed to other test like the polygraph, cooper’s mile, psychological test, etc.  After talking with someone in the department, they add your score from your written exam plus the score from the oral interview and that is your ranking.  They take the top people of these scores and ignore any other considerations like whether the person has a college degree in Criminal Justice or not.  I was told "What does a college degree have to do with law enforcement?  It might help later on down the road for promotions but that's about it."

WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The Wichita Police Department has, in my opinion, the longest but most thorough process of all three.  Each step takes about one month to do so look at about 3-6 months during just the application process.  After the initial application you will be set up for the written exam.  Passing this will set you up for the first contact interview and fingerprints.  The first contact interview is where you admit to everything and if you haven’t committed any felonies or misdemeanors in the past two years you go onto the next step.  The next step is the physical agility test and is the same as the Sheriff’s Department.  You have to run an obstacle course “suspect chase” in 47 seconds, I did it in 31 seconds.  The next test is the polygraph over your answers during the first contact interview.  According to the Wichita Police Department the polygraph is NOT a pass fail exam but just a determining factor in hiring.  The next step is the oral interview.  I cannot disclose anything that happens during the oral interview because I have been sworn not to disclose this information and I am a man of integrity and honesty.  After the oral board, the Chief of Police selects who he wants (don’t know what factors he uses, I guess its up to him who he likes the most).  If selected into the next academy, you must past the psychological test, cooper’s mile, etc.  I was told by many that the Wichita Police Department looks at many factors when determining who will make a good police officer, not just two scores on a test.  They look highly on educated individuals, experience, leadership abilities, real life experience, and community involvement.  In my opinion, they have the best hiring procedures I have seen in Kansas.