Lateral Police Officer *Incentive Bonus*

Sumner Police Department; Sumner (WA); On-site; USD 63,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hiring bonus $20,000

Sick leave bank 40 hours

Management leave bank 40 hours

Vacation accrual varies by experience

Job summary

The Sumner Police Department invites qualified candidates to join its dedicated team as a Police Officer. This full-time Civil Service position offers a $20,000 lateral hiring bonus paid in two increments, generous leave banks, and a competitive hourly pay range during 2026.

Applicants must hold a current Peace Officer Certification or meet out-of-state equivalency requirements, and be in good standing for rehire.

Qualifications

• Must possess a current WSCJTC Peace Officer Certification or meet out-of-state equivalency requirements of WAC 139-05-210.
• Must be in good standing or eligible for rehire by former agency.

Responsibilities

• Patrols designated areas to preserve law and order and enforce laws.
• Answers calls involving traffic accidents, domestic situations, robberies, and other incidents; takes action as needed.
• Conducts preliminary investigations; gathers evidence and testifies in court.
• Prepares forms, reports, and charges; coordinates with prosecutors for case filing.

Job description

INCENTIVE BONUS FOR LATERAL OFFICERS!

• $20,000 dollar hiring bonus paid in two increments (50% at hire and 50% upon successful completion of 12 month probationary period)
• 40 hour starting sick leave bank
• 40 hour starting management leave bank
• Variable annual vacation accrual rates depending on qualifications
• Must be in good standing or otherwise eligible for rehire by former agency.
• Must possess a current WSCJTC Peace Officer Certification or meet the out of state equivalency requirements of WAC 139-05-210.

2026 Pay Range: $45.61-$58.36 per hour plus potential for education premiums.

The City is establishing an Initial Eligibility List.

This position is a full-time, Fair Labor Standards Act position. The incumbent in this position is a Civil Service employee. This position is eligible for representation through the Police Guild.

Police Officer Position Hiring Levels

• Entry Level Police Officer: 0 years' experience as a fully commissioned law officer.
• Exceptional Entry Police Officer: Less than 2 years' experience as a fully commissioned law officer, with no more than a 24 month break in service.
• Lateral Police Officer: 2 or more years' experience as a fully commissioned law officer, with no more than a 24 month break in service.

About Sumner

The City of Sumner’s vision is to set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city. In working to achieve that vision, Sumner prioritizes and celebrates diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The City actively seeks and encourages people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics to apply and all come together with a goal of continuing to learn and improve to better serve the residents, businesses and visitors of our community. Sumner remains a traditional city of just over 10,000 residents with agricultural roots, known for decades as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World. At the same time, its compact, walkable layout aligns perfectly with progressive planning trends, as its classic Main Street becomes repurposed for boutiques, independent restaurants and daily services such as legal offices, financial advisors and doctors. While Sumner retains historic neighborhoods of Craftsman houses and an active high school right on Main Street, it also offers over 10,000 manufacturing and distribution jobs for companies such as REI, Keurig Green Mountain, Amazon.com, and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. With a downtown Sound Transit station with buses and trains, it is well connected to the Puget Sound region while striving to be a full service city with the largest YMCA facility in the state of Washington as well as a link trail system that will connect the Foothills and Interurban trails. Like the community, the city government is large enough to be professional but small enough to be creative. The City has won a variety of awards from the Governor's Smart Planning Award to recognition at the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its groundbreaking police work on victims' assistance. With a strong mayor format, the City has just over 100 employees who operate a cemetery, wastewater treatment facility, accredited police department, parks, full service public works and administration.

GENERAL PURPOSE

Performs a variety of duties related to the suppression and prevention of crime, the protection on life and property and the preservation of the public peace; responsible for the enforcement of laws and for giving aid and information to citizens in the community.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

This position reports to the Police Sergeants.

SUPERVISION RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises the community and ensures that laws and regulations are being followed.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The job duties and responsibilities represented in this job description in no way imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by a supervisor. While requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty with proficiency.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Patrols designated areas of the City, either in whole or in part, during an assigned shift, to preserve law and order, to prevent and discover the commission of crime, and to enforce Federal, State, and City of Sumner laws and regulations;
• Answers calls and complaints involving traffic accidents, domestic situations, robberies, and other misdemeanors, disturbances, and felonies; takes necessary police action;
• Observes, reports, and acts on conditions conducive to crime and danger; checks buildings for security; observes residences, schools, sports fields, banks, and vacant areas; checks suspicious persons and vehicles;
• Issues infractions and citations, makes arrests, transports persons taken into custody, or takes other action as appropriate under the circumstances;
• Prepares all forms, reports, and follow-up reports necessary to file felony and/or misdemeanor charges;
• Prepares criminal cases for prosecution with either the City or County Prosecutor; interacts with prosecutors, attorneys, and court officials; testifies in court as required;
• Conducts preliminary investigations at the scenes of crimes and accidents; gathers evidence; locates and questions witnesses; testifies as a witness in court;
• Patrols an area of the City as directed in a patrol vehicle, bicycle, or on foot; interviews witnesses and/or complaints; collects material evidence and performs crime scene work; performs sur