Entry Level Police Officer

Job Summary:

The Kirkland Police Department is looking for Entry Level Police Officers! We are seeking law enforcement professionals of the highest caliber to help achieve our mission, to "protect our community with honor, integrity, and courage". Working for the Department offers a forward‑thinking environment that prioritizes community policing, safety of our students, crime reduction and proactive protection of the community. We pride ourselves on professionalism, teamwork, and the ability to respond and adapt to community needs.

Performs the functions of law enforcement necessary to maintain public peace, protect life and property, prevent crime, apprehend violators of the law, and ensure proper enforcement of the laws and ordinances of the City of Kirkland and the State of Washington.

Police Department work shifts of varied hours depending on assignment. Officers work with current technology such as in‑car computer systems and computer‑aided dispatch. Officers are generally assigned to one patrol car, but may be assigned to collateral duties or assignments depending on department needs.

• Contribute to the preservation of peace and protection of life and property by patrolling an assigned area primarily by car, and occasionally on foot, bicycle or motorcycle. Respond to a wide variety of calls and complaints, including misdemeanors, felonies and civil issues.
• Contribute to the apprehension of criminal suspects by conducting preliminary and follow‑up investigations. This involves contacting and interviewing witnesses and victims of a crime; sketching and photographing a crime scene; dusting for latent fingerprints; and collecting other evidence and preserving the chain of evidence. The position prepares criminal investigation reports and testifies in court.
• Contribute to the smooth and safe movement of traffic on city streets by performing traffic and parking enforcement functions, including operating radar speed detection units, directing traffic, and issuing traffic citations.
• Contribute to understanding the cause of traffic accidents by conducting accident investigations and determining the cause (driver error or mechanical failure) of the accident.
• Contribute to enforcement of city laws and ordinances by apprehending violators, including subduing and arresting violators up to and including the use of a firearm. Once a suspect is in custody, a complete booking procedure will be followed.
• Contribute to prevention of crime by giving talks, maintaining a high degree of visibility, knowing city streets, federal, state, and municipal law, patrolling key problem areas, and recognizing unusual activity.
• Contribute to a favorable image of the Department.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including transporting prisoners to court or medical facilities, serving warrants, and maintaining security in the jail area.

• Crime scene and accident investigation follow‑up.
• Parking enforcement, giving talks, providing citizens with information, serving warrants.
• Working at a desk, working at a computer terminal.
• Working special assignments.

• Good working knowledge of City of Kirkland laws.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to deal with the public in a fair and equal manner.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle.
• Ability to participate in the use of physical force and training for such on a continuing basis.

Starting Officer:
No previous police experience necessary.

• Must be able to move objects weighing up to 100 pounds.
• Must be able to operate a passenger vehicle and exit the vehicle quickly to effect an arrest.
• Must be physically able and willing to effect an arrest or restrain a hostile prisoner.
• Must have a valid Washington driver’s license and ability to remain insurable under the City’s insurance plan.

• Environment characterized by potential for physical and psychological assault by prisoners or individuals suspected of crime.
• Eight to eleven hours a day spent in a sitting position while operating a patrol vehicle.
• Traffic control is potentially dangerous.
• Work performed in a variety of weather conditions.
• May be assigned to special assignments.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the City of Kirkland is committed to creating a workforce that does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, color, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Persons with a disability who need reasonable accommodations in the application or testing process, or who need this announcement in an alternative format, may contact the City’s special accommodations team.