Job Details

Police Officer Lateral

Thank you for your interest in becoming a police officer with the City of Alameda. There are many law enforcement agencies in the area and we are excited that you are interested in working with the Alameda Police Department. A Police Officer performs a variety of law enforcement activities during an assigned shift. Major duties may include crime response, patrol, investigation, traffic enforcement, crime prevention and public safety, case presentation and testimony in court. Officers may work weekends, overtime, holidays, and variable shifts. All officers are afforded excellent training and career development opportunities.

The City of Alameda is offering a $75,000 HIRING INCENTIVE for qualified lateral candidates while funds are available.

A little bit about APD:

The Alameda Police Department has 88 sworn staff (Police Officers, Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and Police Chief) and 36 non-sworn staff (Public Safety Dispatchers, Records Clerks, Animal Control Officer, Police Technicians, etc.).

As a Police Officer with APD you will have the opportunity to work in the following specialized areas: K9, Motors/Traffic Enforcement, Marine Patrol, Community Resource Unit, Peer Support, Critical Incident Response Team (which includes SWAT and Crisis Negotiations), Honor Guard and Detectives.

We offer excellent pay, benefits, opportunities for promotion, and the opportunity to serve a great community that values the services we provide.

The following highlights some of our pay/medical benefits:

Step 5 Pay Rate: $68.43/hour Holiday In-Lieu Pay Rate: $4.74/hour Total Top Step Pay: $73.17/hour or $152,193.60 Annual Salary with Incentives up to $181,810.47

In addition, you will also be eligible for the following:

• Uniform allowance: $2,000/year
• Initial equipment allowance: $750
• Bilingual Pay: $1,200/year
• Education Incentive
  • Intermediate POST Certificate: $1,000 bonus
  • Advanced POST Certificate: 4% of Base Pay
  • Bachelor's Degree: 5% of Base Pay
  • Master's Degree: 6% of Base Pay
• 1.5% Retention Pay after 5 years or 3% after 10 years of service, additional 4% after 15 years, and an additional 5% after 20 years
• Pension
  • 3%@50 CalPERS formula for Classic Members
  • 2.7%@57 CalPERS formula for PEPRA Members
• Employer paid medical benefits for you and your family

LATERAL HIRING INCENTIVES: The City of Alameda offers hiring incentives for Lateral Police Officers. Incentives may include: $75,000 cash incentive paid out as follows: $25,000 upon swearing in $50,000* upon completion of Field Training Program * To be eligible for the 50,000 payment, hired personnel must commit to five years of service with the City of Alameda Police Department. Reduced probationary period from 24 months to 12 months (must have at least two years experience as a Police Officer) Advanced starting salary step Vacation accrual rate commensurate with years of experience 80 bonus hours of vacation for Laterals with 5+ years of service Up to 10 years of service credit towards retention pay incentives Front loaded sick leave

If this interests you, please keep reading to learn more about our application process.

Qualifications to Apply for Police Officer Lateral:

• You must be currently employed as a peace officer by a law enforcement agency.
• If out of state, you must meet California POST Peace Officer Standards. Please visit for more details.
• You must be in excellent physical condition and demonstrate a state of physical and mental health consistent with the ability to perform assigned duties and the requirements of California Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Do you meet those qualifications? If so, read on and after you finish reading, please click the "Apply" button to apply online today!

Application Process for Police Officer Lateral:

• Complete and submit the application and supplemental questionnaire. We will review your application and questionnaire responses and if you receive a passing evaluation, these are the next steps:
  • You will be required to complete and submit a Personal History Statement (PHS).
  • If your application and PHS meet qualifications, the department will reach out for a departmental interview.
  • You will need to enter and pass the background process (which includes a polygraph).
  • After a conditional offer of employment is made, you will need to successfully complete a medical and psychological evaluation.

Selection Process - Review and Evaluation of the Job Application and Supplemental Questionnaire. Personal History Statement (PHS) Review: Qualified applicants will be invited to submit a Personal History Statement for review. Initial Interview: Applicants who pass the PHS review will be invited in for an initial interview. Background Investigation: A thorough investigation of a personal history, including but not limited to work history, education, military, arrest record, etc. will be conducted on candidates certified to the Police Department. A polygraph is a part of the background examination. Medical/Psychological Evaluation: After passing all components listed above and receiving a conditional offer of employment, candidates must successfully complete a required medical/psychological examination prior to appointment.

The examination process may test for, but is not limited to, the essential knowledge and abilities listed in the job specification and announcement and will be designed to provide a comprehensive review of each candidate's technical knowledge and overall suitability for the position. Qualified applicants will be notified of the exact date, time, and location of examinations approximately two weeks in advance. Candidates passing all components of the examination process will be placed on an Eligible List. A list of names is certified to the department(s) having vacancies based on the type of examination conducted pursuant to the provision of the City's Civil Service Rules. Final selection will be made from the Eligible List by the Department Head subject to approval by the City Manager. The Department Head may utilize additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision. Placement on an Eligible List does not guarantee employment. Tie scores will be broken by giving priority to the candidate with the highest rating on the most heavily weighted portion of the exam or if weighted 100% on any given portion, based on the earliest application date and time. The selection process may be evaluated and revised based on the number of qualified applicants. Federal law requires that prior to employment, you must furnish proof of your identity and eligibility for employment in the United States, as required the U.S. Department of Justice. E-VERIFY: The City of Alameda utilizes the Federal government's E-Verify program and new employees must provide documentation to establish both identity and work authorization, which includes showing a valid United States Social Security card at the time of hire (photocopies not accepted).

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE CREDIT: A job applicant qualifies as a veteran if honorably discharged from active military, reservist, or National Guard duty of at least 18 consecutive months within the past five (5) years of the date of application. In case of discharge attributable to service-connected injuries or illnesses, the 18 months active duty requirement need not be fulfilled. An applicant claiming veteran's preference credit must attach to their application, a legible copy of their DD-214 verifying the type of discharge and date(s) of active service. NO OTHER DOCUMENTATION WILL BE ACCEPTED.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The City of Alameda encourages minorities, women and the disabled to apply. It is the City's policy that all aspects of employment and promotion shall be without regard to sex, marital status or disability (except where dictated by requirements of the position), race, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious creed, color, national origin or age. Qualified disabled persons must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. No individual may pose a direct threat to the health or safety of himself/herself or other individuals in the workplace. Barring undue hardship, reasonable accommodations can be made in the application and examination process for disabled individuals or for religious reasons. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be made in advance to the Human Resources Department. Hearing Impaired TDD (510) ###-#### The information contained herein is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.