Residents looking to join Victoria Police as police custody officers were put through their paces during a physical test at Churchill on Saturday.
About 50 applicants of all ages and backgrounds were examined on their agility, stamina and grip during the physical examination, before moving onto a computer-based application test.
Morwell police Senior Sergeant Howard Jones said about 80 per cent of the applicants made it through to the next stage, which would involve psychological testing and interviews.
Successful applicants will then be deployed to either Morwell or Sale police stations.
Snr Sgt Jones said PCOs were a valuable police asset.
“Every PCO we employ allows us to put nearly the same number of sworn officers back onto operations duties,” he said.
PCO responsibilities range from transporting prisoners to tending to their medical and health needs.
