Police Officer (Entry Level)

City of Puyallup; Puyallup (WA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking dedicated individuals to join their police force as entry-level officers. This role offers a unique opportunity to serve the community, ensuring safety and upholding the law. As a police officer, you will engage in various duties, from patrolling neighborhoods to responding to emergencies and conducting investigations. The City of Puyallup offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including a significant hiring bonus and opportunities for career development. If you're passionate about making a difference and committed to community service, this position is an excellent fit for you.

Benefits

Hiring Bonus of $10,000

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Longevity Pay

Education Incentive Pay

Premium Pay for Specialized Roles

Deferred Compensation Plan

Wellness Program Incentives

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively and maintain cooperative relationships.
• Must meet physical fitness standards and complete required training.

Responsibilities

• Patrol designated areas to enforce laws and maintain order.
• Conduct investigations and gather evidence at crime scenes.
• Respond to emergencies and assist the public as needed.

Skills

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Physical Fitness

Teamwork

Emergency Response

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Computers and Software

Job description

ENTRY LEVEL OFFICER INCENTIVE

Hiring Bonus: $10,000 for entry level officers hired by the City of Puyallup. The incentive is paid $5,000 at completion of Police Training Officer (PTO) program and $5,000 paid at completion of probation.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

$7,085.00 - $9,446.00 Monthly Salary. Note: Salary listed is the 2024 rate. Will update to 2025 rates upon finalization of the bargaining unit contract.

Puyallup Officers have opportunity to receive additional pay, including:

• Patrol Shift Differential: Patrol officers working twelve (12) hour shifts under the 24-day work cycle will receive a patrol shift differential of 5.77%.
• Education Incentive Pay: Bachelor Degree 4% and Associate Degree/90 Credits 2%.
• Premium Pay: ISU Detective 7.5%; Police Training Officer 5%; Canine Officers, Metro SWAT Team, School Resources Officer and Motor Officer 3%; Metro Cities Collision Response Team certified as Recon 5% and Tech 2%; and Bilingual Premium 1%. Employees are allowed to stack multiple premium pays.
• Longevity Pay: Beginning at 5 years of service.

Puyallup Officers have the opportunity to contribute to the qualified, deferred compensation plan, with the City matching contributions up to 4% of the employee's base wage. The City of Puyallup offers highly competitive, well-regarded Group Insurance. Medical premiums are modest the first year, and when an employee meets the wellness program incentive one calendar year then the next year's premiums are 100% paid by the city. Group insurance includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents, plus life and long-term disability insurance coverage for employees.

HOW TO APPLY: Entry-Level Candidates must apply through Public Safety Testing. Please visit www.publicsafetytesting.com for qualifications, and testing locations and processes.

ABOUT OUR WORK AND DEPARTMENT

Puyallup Police Officers work in a supportive community, performing a variety of duties related to the suppression and prevention of crime, the protection of life and property, and the preservation of the public peace. Police Officers are responsible for the enforcement of laws, and for giving aid and information to citizens in the community.

The Puyallup Police Department is a growing, mid-sized law enforcement agency, which is committed to problem-oriented policing. The department is divided into four divisions: Patrol, Investigations, Professional Services and Administration. The department has achieved a high level of automation in recent years and continues to seek modern and innovative service enhancements. The City enjoys the advantage of operating its own 365-day Detention Facility.

Career Development Opportunities

Our career development plan provides opportunities which include: Problem Orientation Policing unit, bicycle, detective, SWAT, K-9, traffic unit and regional drug enforcement task force. The department values training and takes full advantage of courses and certifications offered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and other learning institutions.

ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY

The City of Puyallup is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier in the beautiful Puget Sound region, and the department serves a primary population of 43,000 residents within about 14 square miles. The city is a prominent regional commercial and service center for Eastern Pierce County, and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy.

The Puyallup Valley and its surrounding hillsides were once the exclusive home of the Puyallup Indians, in which their name means the people who give more. The city's founding father, Ezra Meeker, was known as one of the early blazers of the Oregon Trail and became a prominent hop grower. Though hop production in the valley declined in the late 1880s, its early success gave the town stability and on August 18, 1890, Puyallup was incorporated as a bona fide city. Popular annual events for the community include the Washington State Fair and the annual Daffodil Festival. Puyallup has transformed into a booming scenic community with an interesting and profound history.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Patrols a designated area of the City during an assigned shift, to preserve law and order, to prevent and discover the commission of crime, and to enforce traffic regulations.
• Answers calls and complaints involving fire, traffic accidents, domestic situations, robberies and other misdemeanors, disturbances and felonies and takes necessary police action.
• Conducts preliminary investigations at the scenes of crimes and accidents; gathers evidence; locates and questions witnesses.
• Apprehends, interviews, and arrests suspects; restrains suspects if necessary.
• Interviews witnesses and/or complainants; collects material evidence and performs crime scene work; performs surveillance; testifies as a witness in court.
• Prepares and submits reports; operates computers utilizing a variety of software programs, including database, word processing, and other applications, to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Assists other jurisdictions and agencies.
• Participates in undercover investigation of narcotics, gambling, vice, and other activities, violations and crimes.
• May be called on at any time for emergency duties.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Ability to:

• Work in partnership with the community to solve law enforcement issues and to improve the quality of life for Puyallup residents;
• Meet the minimum standards of strength, agility and endurance as specified in the Cooper Test (or other approved test) conducted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission;
• Learn pertinent State and local laws and departmental policies and procedures;
• Think and act quickly and appropriately in emergency situations;
• Maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers;
• Deal with the Public in a tactful, pleasant and courteous manner;
• Follow verbal and written instructions;
• Communicate effectively in English, to include speaking, reading and writing;
• Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work;
• Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 21 years of age at time of testing.
• United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a deferred action for childhood arrivals recipient.
• Speak, read, and write the English language.
• Possession of or the ability to obtain, and maintain throughout employment, a valid Washington State driver's license.

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

As a condition of employment, the employee must successfully complete an 18-month trial service period; and obtain breathalyzer and radar operator certifications within department requirements. Maintaining a level of physical fitness necessary to perform the duties of a Police Officer is also a condition of employment. It is department policy that there shall be no visible offensive tattoos or body art on any Police Officer when they are in uniform. Police Officers are required to maintain necessary physical fitness, health and conditioning at all times to allow them to perform all essential functions of a Police Officer.

EXAMINATION PROCEDURES

Entry-Level applications are accepted via Public Safety Testing on a continuous basis so that a pool of applicants are available for testing as openings occur or to establish an eligibility list in anticipation of potential openings. Those candidates receiving the highest scores on their written test and having passed the physical ability test are invited to compete in the examination process. In order to be placed on the eligibility register, candidates must successfully complete competitive oral interview. The minimum passing score for the examination process is 70.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Hours of Work: Once an officer graduates from the Academy and is assigned to the Patrol Division, the work schedule is four 12-hour shifts followed by four days off. The shifts are 0600-1800hrs, 1200-0000hrs, and 1800-0600hrs. Officers assigned to other positions within the department work either a 4-10 schedule or a 5-8 schedule.

Union Affiliation: This is a Puyallup Police Association bargaining unit position.

Trial Service Period: Regular-status employment as an Entry-Level Police Officer is currently subject to successful completion of a trial service period of 18 months.

Drug-Free Workplace: The City of Puyallup is a drug-free, tobacco-free workplace.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The City of Puyallup is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate in any employer/employee relations based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran's status or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination laws.