Public Safety Officer (PSO

Public Safety Officer

Public Safety Officers (PSOs) protect and serve the community by responding to calls for service involving police, fire, and medical emergencies in a professional and caring manner, to enhance the quality of life for all people in the City of Kalamazoo. KDPS offers a meaningful career that promotes balance between life and career and has opportunities for professional development and advancement through promotion.

Balance life and career: PSOs assigned to patrol work 12-hour shifts. During a 28-day rotation, PSOs are scheduled to work 14 days and have 14 days off. Our unique schedule encourages a healthy balance between life and career with ample time off. Workdays vary during a 28-day rotation, creating two weekends off every month and a run of seven days off in a row, starting on a Friday.

This stretch of days commonly referred to as the '7-day' allows PSOs to reset, take a trip, or complete a project every month. Professional development: KDPS offers one badge, but endless career opportunities. PSOs can pursue more than forty professional growth tracks to include:
Aviation Unit, Bike Response Unit, Bomb Squad, Crime Reduction Team, Crisis Negotiator, Community Police Officer, Community Service Team, Court Officer, Crowd Management Team, Detective, Equipment Operator, Explorer Advisor, Field Training Officer, Fifth District Technical Team, Fire Marshal, Hazmat Team, Honor Guard, K9 Team, KVET (Drug) Investigator, Lab Specialist/Technician, Motorcycle Unit, Peer Fitness Trainer, Peer Support Team, Pipe and Drum Unit, Polygraph Examiner, Recruiter, School Resource Officer, Strategic Planner, SWAT Team, Task Force Officer (ATF, DEA, FBI), Traffic Unit, Training Officer, and Technical Rescue Team.

Career advancement: PSOs can advance through the ranks to include Sergeant, Lieutenant, Executive Lieutenant, Captain, Inspector, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief. KDPS provides training at each level to enhance PSOs leadership abilities. Starting wages listed below are effective January 1, 2026. Starting wages will vary depending on the Recruit's training and experience. As of 1/1/2026, Public Safety Officer top pay is $92,907.36 Recruits (no experience) and Police Academy Graduates: $55,779.36 + overtime opportunities Experienced Police Officers (full or part time/MCOLES certified or able to be certified through RPTE program) and/or Fire Fighter I & II (full time and licensed MFR): $62,418.72 (less than 1 year of service) $66,066.00 (1 year to less than 2 years of service) $69,101.76 (2 years to less than 3 years of service) $72,181.20 (3 years or more of completed service) Paid to Train:
From the date of hire, Recruits are paid fulltime hourly wages to attend all basic training including the Police Academy, Fire Academy, MFR Academy, Advanced Police Academy, and Field Training Officer Program. All tuition, fees, uniforms, and equipment are provided/paid for by KDPS. Additional training for future assignments is also provided from KDPS staff and outside vendors. Residency Bonus:
Recruits receive an annual $5,000 residency bonus for living within the City of Kalamazoo;
Restrictions apply. Military On-the-Job Training Benefits:
Military on-the-job training benefits are available while attending the Police Academy, Fire Academy, MFR Academy, Advanced Police Academy, and Field Training. Additionally, military personnel may buy back up to three years of credited service toward a full pension. Student Loan Forgiveness Program: KDPS is an eligible employer for the federal student loan forgiveness program. Lateral Transfer Hiring Bonus:
Certified police officers and fulltime firefighters with MFR licensure are eligible for a $15,000 lateral transfer hiring incentive. KDPS also allows reciprocal service time under Public Act 88. Defined-Benefit Pension Plan:
Recruits are eligible for a normal retirement benefit after 25 years of credited service (4.5% employee contribution). Additional Benefits:
Spanish language bonus, longevity payments, shift differential pay (starting at 12 pm), 13 paid holidays, assignment bonuses, and more!

PSOs perform a wide range of duties specifically related to providing police, fire, and medical services in the City of Kalamazoo. Some of the duties are listed below. However, the list is not exhaustive of every duty that a PSO may be required to perform:
Responds to calls for service that require police, fire, or medically trained professionals. Police:
Patrols an assigned zone, responds to calls for service to include high risk situations and those involving mental health crisis, enforces traffic laws, conducts criminal investigations, and makes lawful arrests. Fire:
Responds to working fires, investigates fire alarms and smoke, provides vehicle extrication, conducts traffic control during vehicle crash investigations, and mitigates hazardous material incidents. Medical:
Responds to medical calls for service including heart attacks and trauma, assists advanced life…