PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - POLICE SERGEANT

City of Cathedral City; Cathedral City (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Cathedral City is seeking a Police Sergeant to supervise a shift under general supervision, directing officers and support staff in protecting life and property, enforcing laws, and conducting investigations.

The ideal candidate will hold a current California POST certificate and meet all licensure requirements.

Qualifications

• Three years of law enforcement experience as a sworn Police Officer.
• Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice or related field, or completion of 60 semester units.
• Must possess a valid California driver license and meet physical, psychological and background standards; maintain firearms qualification.
• Willing to work evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
• Must possess a P.O.S.T. basic certificate and an Advanced P.O.S.T. certificate.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a shift or section and direct a group of officers and/or support staff.
• Participate in a wide variety of peace officer duties involving protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances and crime prevention and investigation.
• Direct and perform specified staff assignments; perform related work as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Decision making

Education

Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice

60 semester units of college coursework

P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate

P.O.S.T. Advanced Certificate

Job description

The City of Cathedral City is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the citizens we serve. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented individuals from a diverse candidate pool.

The ideal candidate,

under general supervision, supervises a shift or section and directs a group of officers and/or support staff and participates in a wide variety of peace officer duties involving the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances and crime prevention and investigation; directs and performs specified staff assignments; performs related work as assigned.

Training and Experience

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the qualifying knowledge and abilities may be qualifying. A typical way to obtain these qualifications would be:

• Three years of law enforcement experience as a sworn Police Officer
• Possession of an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice or related field, or completion 60 semester units of college level course work.
• Must possess a valid California driver license, must be able to meet physical, psychological and background standards and be able to maintain firearms qualification.
• Must be willing to work evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
• Must possess a P.O.S.T. basic certificate and an Advanced P.O.S.T. certificate.

To be considered for this opportunity, candidates must attach all required certifications listed in the Training and Experience section as well as proof of degree and/or semester units. Based upon the information presented on the applications, a limited number of candidates who possess qualifications most pertinent to the position will be invited to participate in the selection process. Candidates must be successful in each step of the examination process to advance to the next step.

Tentative Dates:

Nov 1 - Application period close

November 12 - Written Examination

December 3 - Panel Interview

SELECTION PROCESS

WRITTEN EXAMINATION:

Candidates must meet minimum requirements for the position in order to be invited to take the written exam. Candidates passing the written examination will be invited to participate in a oral interview. The written exam is pass/fail.

The Police Sergeant written exam is divided into the following content areas:

• 1 PROBLEM SOLVING, DECISION MAKING, AND PLANNING (15)
• 2 SUPERVISION (20)
• 3 FIELD OPERATIONS (20)
• 4 LEGAL PRINCIPLES (15)
• 5 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (10)
• 6 GENERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PRINCIPLES (20)

The sources for this test include:

• Hess, K. and Wrobleski H. (2008). For the Record: Report Writing in Law Enforcement, 6th Edition. Innovative Systems.
• Adams, T. (2014). Police Field Operations, 8th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall*
• Garner, Gerald W. (2025). Basic Handbook of Police Supervision: A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Supervisors, 2nd Edition. Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd.
• California Department of Justice. California Peace Officers Legal Sourcebook. CopWare

*NOTE: For the Record: Report Writing in Law Enforcement, 5th Edition and Police Field Operations, 7th Edition can also be used as sources for this test.

ORAL INTERVIEW:

Placement on the eligibility list will be established based on the results of the oral interview. The eligibility list will remain in effect for a period of (six) 6 months from the date of establishment.

All notifications will be sent by email only (regardless of the notification preference selected during the on-line application process). Notifications will be sent to the email address listed on your on-line application.