Police Officer Recruit (General) (Bilingual)

City of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Paid holidays

Parental Leave

Job summary

City of Philadelphia Police Department is seeking a Police Officer Recruit. This open-competitive examination leads to active recruitment for a career protecting life and property, enforcing laws, and investigating crimes. Trainees receive formal academy training and on-the-job experience under supervision.

Eligibility includes high school completion, age 20+, and PA police certification within tenure. Excellent benefits are provided; after academy, the salary increases to $72,651, with

Qualifications

• Education equivalent to high school completion.
• Must be Twenty (20) years of age at appointment.
• Must obtain and maintain a Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Certification during tenure of employment as a Police Officer Recruit.
• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within 60 days of establishing residency and during tenure of employment.

Responsibilities

• Protect life and property and enforce laws.
• Receive formal training at the Police Academy and on-the-job experience.
• Work under supervision of a police supervisor and meet physical requirements.
• Participate in orientation, fitness tests and examinations as part of the hiring process.

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

Who We Are

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel.

What We Offer

Impact - The work you do here matters to millions.

Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?

Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.

Benefits - We Care About Your Well-being.

The City of Philadelphia is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer.

Learn more here: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

Equal Access to Civil Service Testing

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [e-mail]. For more information, go to: www.phila.gov/humanrelations

The City of Philadelphia is committed to ensuring access to Civil Service examinations by providing appropriate accommodation for candidates with documented medical or religious reasons. Candidates may request accommodation for a Civil Service examination by contacting the Office of Human Resources (OHR) at 215-686-2350 or by email at [e-mail]. The accommodation process is interactive and requires cooperation and communication between the applicant and OHR. Decisions will be made on a case‑by‑case basis using the required documentation that is submitted. Requests are to be made in a timely manner prior to the scheduled date of the Civil Service examination.

Computers are available in the 3-1-1 Walk‑In Center located in Room 167 of City Hall (Weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM) and at your local Philadelphia Free Library branch.

For inquiries regarding City employment, contact the Office of Human Resources Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 4 PM by telephone at 215-686-0880 or by email at [e-mail]

Information concerning employment with the City of Philadelphia may be found at:

• work.phila.gov
• https://www.phila.gov/departments/office-of-human-resources/jobs/civil-service-faqs/
• www.facebook.com/PhilaOHR
• www.twitter.com/PhilaOHR
• www.youtube.com/@PhilaOHR
• www.linkedin.com/showcase/philahr

General Definition

This is training level work in general duty police activities involving the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws, and the investigation of crimes. An employee in this class receives formal training at the Police Academy and on-the-job experience preparatory to assuming full patrol duties. Work is performed under the supervision of a police supervisor and requires regular exposure to uncontrolled and/or unpredictable conditions. The work requires frequent exercise of moderate physical effort.

ABOUT THE ORIENTATION PROCESS & EVALUATION OF FITNESS FOR DUTY

Candidates who have their names placed on the eligible list will be evaluated for their fitness for duty. Eligible candidates will be notified to appear for evaluations of fitness in such numbers and at such times as the Director may determine to be necessary or convenient. The number of candidates referred to the evaluation of fitness will be based on an estimate of the number of candidates who will be successful in the evaluation of fitness. Evaluations of fitness shall be related to the requirements of the job.

Failure to pass any of these evaluations may disqualify the candidate for appointment and may result in the removal of the candidate’s name from a certification or from an eligible list.

You are welcome to visit the joinphillypd.com website for a detailed description of the orientation and physical fitness test. In the Hiring Process Overview section, you are able to review the step-by-step orientation process which includes the completion of the Nelson Denny Reading Comprehension Test and a Physical Fitness & Agility Test.

You are encouraged to begin preparing yourself to be successful at orientation. You are welcome to review the resources below to begin your preparation. Please be advised the suggested resources are NOT the actual test but will give you an idea of what the test is like.

View the Nelson Denny Study Guide.

Click on the link below for an inside look of what it will take to complete the Physical Agility Test:

Philadelphia Police Department Recruit Physical Agility Requirements

You must pass all tests at orientation to move on in the hiring process and to be admitted to the Philadelphia Police Training Academy.

Questions? Please reach out to the Police Department Recruitment Unit.

Phone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Additional Salary Information

After successful completion of the Philadelphia Police Academy, the salary increases to $72,651.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The analyst responsible for reviewing applications and additional documentation for this job opportunity is:

• Brittany Perez
• City of Philadelphia – Office of Human Resources
• 1401 JFK Blvd., Room 1530
• Philadelphia, PA 19102-1675
• Phone: [phone]
• Fax: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]

INDEBTEDNESS NOTICE

As a condition of employment with the City, any person offered employment shall be required to certify that such person either is fully current on any and all debts, taxes, fees, judgments, claims, and other accounts and obligations due and owing to the City; or has voluntarily entered into a payment agreement with the City. For so long as the person is employed by the City, the amount of the payment as set forth in the payment agreement (not to exceed, for any pay period, twenty percent (20%) of the person’s gross pay for such period, without the person’s consent) shall be withheld from each paycheck until such payment agreement is fully satisfied.

Such person shall also be required to certify as a condition of employment that he or she is fully current on any and all debts, taxes, fees, judgments, claims, and other accounts and obligations due and owing to the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) or has voluntarily entered into a payment agreement with PGW. Failure to enter into a payment agreement shall result in the cancellation of the appointment and removal from the certification. The name of the eligible candidate will be returned to the eligible list.

TYPE OF ELIGIBLE LIST: OPEN-COMPETITIVE

Only an Open-Competitive eligible list will be established as a result of this examination. Permanent City employees will receive no promotional preference in this examination. Candidates who pass the exam and are placed on the civil service list will be retained on the list for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years after the establishment of the Eligible List.

RESIDENCY WAIVER

The Civil Service Commission has waived the usual requirement that candidates must be residents of Philadelphia for one year prior to appointment/hire. Instead, establishment of residency in Philadelphia will be required no later than 18 months after appointment.

PREFERENCE POINTS FOR CANDIDATES FOR OPEN-COMPETITIVE EXAMS

Candidates who pass Open-Competitive exams may be eligible for additional points added to their final score. Preference Points may be claimed from the time of application until 30 days after the eligible list is established. The required documentation for the preference must be provided to receive the points.

U.S. VETERAN'S PREFERENCE

Ten points will be added to the scores of eligible veterans. You must be honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces. Attach a DD214, member 4, or NGB-22 to your application if you wish your eligibility to be reviewed. Spouses of disabled or deceased veterans may also be considered. Veteran’s Preference may be claimed at any time before the list expires.

LEGACY PREFERENCE

Ten points will be added to the scores of the children or grandchildren of Philadelphia Firefighters or Police Officers who were killed or died in the line of duty. Documentation is required. Legacy Preference may be claimed at any time before the list expires.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE PREFERENCE

• Successfully completed a term of volunteer service with Peace Corps, AmeriCorps NCCC (including FEMA Corps), or AmeriCorps VISTA and are eligible for additional points.
• Successfully completed at least 450 hours of service with AmeriCorps State and National (including Teach for America).
• 1 point added to their final score if they have completed 450 Hours of the above service.
• 2 points added to their final score if they have completed 675 Hours of the above service.
• 3 points added to their final score if they have completed 900 Hours of the above service.
• 5 points added to their final score if they have completed 1700 Hours of the above service.

FLUENCY IN A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE / AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

The Police Department will notify you to schedule an interview to determine fluency in a Non-English Language or in American Sign Language. If the Police Department verifies your ability to communicate fluently in any Non-English Language or in American Sign Language, three (3) points will be added to your score.

You should only request the additional points if you are fully fluent in a Non-English Language or in American Sign Language.

If you indicate that you are fluent in a Non-English Language or in American Sign Language and you do not report for this interview, you will be removed from the eligible list and you will not be eligible for appointment as a Police Officer Recruit. If it is determined that you submitted a fraudulent claim for additional points and are not fluent in a Non-English Language or in American Sign Language, the Police Department will notify the Office of Human Resources and your name will be removed from the Police Officer Recruit eligible list.

Only those competitors who have a passing grade in an examination shall receive additional credits to which they may be entitled. The following requirements must be satisfied for a candidate to receive additional credits for examinations.

Other Additional Points

• Successfully completed the Philadelphia Police Explorers Cadet Program – Such candidates will be awarded three (3) points for the completion of a minimum of two years service with the Philadelphia Police Explorers Cadet Program, which has included 672 hours training offered by the Philadelphia Police Department and an additional 298 hours of community service or external training.
• Successfully completed a course of study at an accredited college or university – All course work must have been successfully completed no later than target list date for this announcement. Such candidates will have: 1 point added to their final score if the highest degree received is an Associate’s Degree or if the candidate has at least 60 college credits 2 points added to their final score if the highest degree received is a Bachelor’s degree 3 points added to their final score if the highest degree received is a Master’s degree

Requirements

• The degree or credential must have been conferred, or the education or experience must have been completed no later than the target list date for this announcement.
• An applicant may claim the additional credit at any time after the date that the examination is announced until 30 days after the eligible list is established by the Director or his/her designee. If an eligible candidate does not request additional credits or does not submit a transcript or other required documentation until after certifications and appointments have been made, the granting of additional credits shall have no effect on prior certifications and appointments.
• An applicant must submit adequate documentation as required by the Office of Human Resources. See the Other Requirements section of this announcement for detailed information.

Candidates must successfully pass all parts of the examination before any preference or additional points are awarded.

TYPE OF EXAM: MODIFIED TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EVALUATION

Approved applicants will receive a score of 70 and any additional preference points and be ranked on the eligible list. Applicants will not be asked to appear to take a scheduled examination.

An Eligible List will be established the week of November 9, 2026. Please note that this date may change.

CERTIFICATION RULE

Rule of List

TEST REVIEW PROCESS

In accordance with Civil Service Regulation 9.091D, candidates may review their answer sheets and other test papers to determine if they have been scored correctly or if there has been an irregularity in the administration of the examination. Candidates will have 30 days after the results have been mailed to review their test and to file a written appeal. Call 215 686-0880 if you wish to schedule a test review.

Level of Education Required

High School/GED

Minimum Acceptable Training And Experience

• EDUCATION: Education equivalent to the completion of high school.
• AGE REQUIREMENT: Must be Twenty (20) years of age at the time of appointment (hire) which is the date on which a person enters the Police Training Academy.

Additional Requirement For The Bilingual Specialty

Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to understand and speak fluently and clearly in English and the designated non-English language.

Physical And Medical Requirements

• Ability to meet the physical and medical standards approved for this class.
• Age - Must have reached the following birthday as of the date of appointment. The date of appointment is the date on which a person enters the Police Academy for Training: Twentieth (20th) Birthday

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CERTIFICATES

• Must obtain and maintain a Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Certification from the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission during tenure of employment as a Police Officer Recruit.
• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by any state at the time of appointment to the Police Officer Recruit class.
• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within 60 days of establishing Pennsylvania residency and/or prior to the expiration of the residency waiver and during tenure of employment as a Police Officer Recruit.

Documentationrequirements

In order to get additional points applied to scores, candidates MUST submit a copy of their DD-214 Member-4, official college transcript, Police Cadet Explorer certificate, legacy documentation, and/or volunteer service letter.

It is an absolute requirement that you provide this documentation within 30 days after the eligible list is established.

It Is Optional Whether You Provide This Documentation By Attaching It To This Application Or Submitting Via Email, Mail Or Fax. Your Options Are Further Explained Below

RECOMMENDED Option 1

Upload an official copy of your documentation and attach to this application. You may upload the documentation into your account and attach to this application. Once uploaded to your account, the documentation may be attached to all future applications. This will save you time and money if you apply for an examination in the future. This also ensures that your documentation will not be misplaced.

Your documentation should be uploaded and attached to your application before it is submitted. It cannot be uploaded or added to your application electronically after your application has been submitted.

RECOMMENDED Option 2 – Submit an official copy of your documentation via email, mail or fax

If you submit the required documentation via email, mail or fax, it will be used for this application only. You will have to submit the documentation again whenever you apply for an examination in the future. Copies of the documentation will not be retained and will not be returned to applicants.

Email: [e-mail]

Fax: [phone] with ATTN: Brittany Perez

Mailing Address

City of Philadelphia

Office of Human Resources

1401 J.F. Kennedy Boulevard, Room 1530

Philadelphia, PA 19102

Attention: Brittany Perez

City Of Philadelphia Benefits Includes

• Medical
• Dental
• Prescription
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Hybrid Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Plan
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation Plan
• Employee Assistant Program
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid sick leave
• Vacation leave
• Paid personal days
• 8 weeks paid Parental Leave
• Backup Child and Adult care
• Wellbeing platform and programs
• Retiree Health Benefits
• Qualified Student Loan Forgiveness Employer
• Tuition Discounts for City Employees