Police Officer - Lateral Transfer Officers

Milwaukee Police Department; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Milwaukee Police Department is seeking qualified candidates for a Police Officer – Lateral Transfer position. Officers protect life and property, enforce laws, and engage with the community across a range of assignments in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Applicants must meet Wisconsin State requirements, complete the required training, and be able to operate under various shifts. Background investigation and certification steps are required for consideration.

Qualifications

• Must have United States citizenship.
• Must be physically able to perform Police Officer training and job duties.
• Must complete a paid 8-week police training course at the Police Academy.

Responsibilities

• Enforce criminal laws; identify, detain, and process wanted individuals.
• Respond to calls for service.
• Conduct investigations and prepare investigative reports.
• Interview suspects and witnesses and testify in court as needed.
• Patrol the City of Milwaukee by various means as directed.
• Provide assistance to the community in crime prevention.

Skills

Physical fitness

Citizenship

Job description

Job Announcement: POLICE OFFICER - LATERAL TRANSFER OFFICERS

City of Milwaukee

Original Requesting Department: Milwaukee Police Department

Open Date: 10/16/2026 08:00:00 AM

Filing Deadline: 12/4/2026 4:45:00 PM

HR Analyst: Jordan Hendry

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission invites qualified individuals to apply for this challenging and rewarding position with the City of Milwaukee Police Department. This unique position provides the opportunity to help Milwaukee’s citizens every day, while also focusing on the individual’s educational, physical fitness, personal and professional development.

The City of Milwaukee is dedicated to developing a diverse Police Department to serve the community’s needs.

Police Officers preserve public peace, protect life and property, work within the community to prevent crime, and enforce ordinances of the City of Milwaukee and the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

Essential Functions

Police Officers perform duties involved in the protection of life and property, including but not limited to:

• Enforce criminal laws; identify, detain, and process wanted individuals.
• Respond to calls for service.
• Conduct investigations of suspicious persons or situations and preliminary investigations of major crimes and criminal activity.
• Interview suspects and witnesses and prepare appropriate investigative reports.
• Prepare and testify in court as to the facts surrounding any criminal, departmental, or civil action.
• Patrol the City of Milwaukee in a police vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, and/or on foot as directed.
• Communicate with mentally ill persons and contact or refer additional resources as appropriate.
• Operate a police vehicle in emergency situations involving speeds in excess of posted limits, in congested traffic, and in unsafe road conditions.
• Prepare accurate and complete reports of daily activities.
• Provide assistance to the community in the areas of crime prevention.
• Enforce motor vehicle laws to promote safety and reduce accidents, expedite traffic flow, and enforce Wisconsin State Statutes.
• Attend in-service training as mandated by the State of Wisconsin, or as directed.
• Perform duties in a special assignment capacity such as Motorcycle Unit, Office of Community Outreach and Education, and Narcotics Division, as assigned.

Reasonable accommodations requested by qualified individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.

Conditions of Employment

• Required to wear a uniform and carry a department-issued firearm and assigned equipment while on duty.
• Must successfully complete a 12-month probationary period.
• Will work a 40-hour work week, with rotating off-days by assignment; will be required to work most weekends and many holidays; mandatory overtime is often required (subject to contractual guidelines).
• After recruit training, Police Officers are typically assigned to the late (12:00 midnight to 8:00 a.m.) or early (4:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight) shift; day-shift assignments are awarded to employees with seniority.
• Must earn or currently possess sixty (60) college credits within five (5) years of commencement of your law enforcement career in Wisconsin.
• Must meet and maintain all training and certification requirements established by the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board.
• Must be able to comply with the Milwaukee Police Department Uniform Equipment and Appearances Standard Operating Procedures.

Minimum Requirements

• Must have attained certification through the State of Wisconsin's 720-hour law enforcement program or completed the LESB reciprocity examination.
• Currently employed with a law enforcement agency as certified law enforcement.
• Completed probation from most recent or current law enforcement agency.
• United States Citizenship.
• High School Diploma or Wisconsin GED or a GED from a different state that meets Wisconsin GED standards.
• A Home Education Diploma will be accepted provided the applicant can provide copies of form PI-1206 filed with the Department of Public Instruction for applicants who have completed a home school program in Wisconsin, or documentation that the education program has met the requirements of the Department of Education from the state where the home school program was completed.
• Valid Wisconsin driver license, or a valid driver’s license from the state in which you reside, at the time of background investigation.
• Physically able to perform Police Officer training and job duties.
• Must successfully pass a Milwaukee Police Department Background Investigation.
• Must complete a paid 8-week police training course at the Police Academy.
• Must be in good standing with your current law enforcement agency.

DISQUALIFIERS

• You have been convicted of a felony.
• You have been dishonorably discharged from any branch of the United States Military Service.
• You have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
• You have failed a Milwaukee Police Department background investigation within the last two