Becoming a police officer is tough—but getting through the application process shouldn’t be another barrier.
That was the thinking behind a new effort at McHenry County College, where the Criminal Justice Department and the Workforce Development Division recently collaborated with local police departments to make the path to the career more accessible and efficient for students.
During recent advisory meetings—and through ongoing talks with the McHenry County Police Chiefs Association—it became clear that police departments were having trouble attracting new recruits.
One of the issues was the cumbersome entry examinations. Under the previous process, each department ran their own candidate exams, including a written examination and physical agility test known as the POWER card, or the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report.
“POWER tests determine a candidate’s physical capacity to pass the rigors of the Illinois police academies,” said Mark Krause, instructor and Criminal Justice department chair at MCC. “It consists of a sit and reach, one minute of sit ups, a one-repetition bench press, and a 1.5-mile run. The standards are mandatory to pass during the first week of the police academy.”
The written exams were also department specific, covering topics such as basic math, grammar, comprehension, retention, and memory.
In the past, the physical tests were often conducted in the morning while the written exams were done in the afternoon—meaning a long day for recruits and an arduous process for departments, as hosting the tests required a lot of manpower, time, and traveling between locations.
That’s where MCC stepped in.
In 2024, at the College’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee meeting, several members expressed the need for the POWER test to be held locally. After meeting with various stakeholders, Krause and Jake Homuth, MCC’s Executive Director of Workforce Development, figured out a way to centralize both the physical and written test on the College’s campus.
MCC hosted its first POWER test on March 15 and the written exam on May 10.
“15 applicants participated in this first-time offering,” said Homuth. “We had participants from all over the Chicagoland area and received a lot of positive feedback about being able to complete the test closer to home and within the time frame they needed.”
By hosting the POWER test and issuing POWER cards, MCC eliminates the need for candidates to travel to locations such as Glenview, Joliet, or River Grove. Test-takers can complete one set of assessments and become eligible for multiple departments, while police departments benefit from a larger, shared pool of applicants.
“It’s a clear time and cost savings for both police departments and test-takers,” said Krause. “By collaborating, departments are no longer in direct competition for recruits. For example, if a department has exhausted a spring-generated recruitment list, they can opt into the fall test as well. This allows the candidates to take just one test, in a few hours on one day, and wind up on several departments’ lists. One application, one place, one price.”
The College also offers a course, KHS 161: Personal Fitness, to help students and community members prepare for the POWER test.
“Right now, we’re aiming to host three POWER tests per year, which will help local agencies coordinate their testing/hiring cycles,” said Krause.
The consortium of participating police departments currently includes Marengo, Lakemoor, Huntley, Cary, and Woodstock—and the list is anticipated to grow.
“This is an absolutely great example of collaboration, addressing a compelling industry need, and responsiveness to our advisory committees,” said Krause.
For more on the Criminal Justice program at MCC, visit www.mchenry.edu/criminaljustice.