Police Officer - Lateral

Serve with pride. Live with purpose. Join Moorhead PD

The City of Moorhead Police Department is a highly respected regional law enforcement leader seeking qualified and motivated individuals who are ready to serve and protect in a dynamic and supportive environment. Experienced lateral candidates are encouraged to apply and become part of a department that values integrity, innovation, and community engagement. Officers have opportunities to specialize, advance, and make a real difference.

2026 Salary Range: $35.93/hour - $50.60/hour ($74,742 - $105,267)

• Hiring Incentive – $5,000 for qualified lateral hires. See bonus eligibility and employment requirements on the City of Moorhead Human Resources Benefits page.
• Salary Increases: 6% COLA increase January 2027 + yearly anniversary date increases.
• Accelerated field training program
  .
• Hours: Enjoy 12‑hour shifts. 5 days on, 5 days off, followed by 2 days on, 2 days off, with every other weekend off for a consistent work/life balance.
• Career development opportunities: SWAT, K9, School Resource Officer (SRO), Investigations, and other specialty positions as well as ongoing training and professional development.
• State‑of‑the‑Art equipment, technology and new fleet vehicles
  .
• Strong support from department leadership, city leaders, and the community.
• Physical fitness incentive with on‑site workout facility.
• Generous vacation and sick time accrued paid time off
  • New hires accrue 80 hours of vacation per calendar year. Increase accruals with years of service. Unused vacation can carry over to a maximum of 240 hours.
  • 12 paid sick days per year. Accrue up to maximum of 960 hours.
• Comprehensive benefits including 100% paid health insurance premium for single, single‑plus‑one, and family coverage depending on plan selection. Also dental, vision, life, flex spending plan, HSA, MN Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) pension, deferred compensation plan, wellness program, including employee assistance program, and more. Visit our benefit page for additional information.
• 11 Floating paid holidays
  .

Moorhead is the largest city in northwest Minnesota, with a population of 46,000. As part of the vibrant Fargo‑Moorhead metropolitan area (population 290,000), it is a vibrant and growing community where you can build both a rewarding career and a fulfilling life. Moorhead offers the perfect balance of small‑town charm and big‑city amenities. Just 45 minutes from the beautiful Minnesota lakes area, you’ll have easy access to year‑round outdoor recreation.

Enjoy affordable housing, short commutes and a variety of entertainment options that make Moorhead an ideal place to call home. Our community supports law enforcement, making it a welcoming atmosphere for law enforcement professionals and their families.

63 sworn officers. Learn more by reviewing our department website page:
Who We Are.

This protective service position performs intermediate/difficult work enforcing laws, investigating criminal activity, ensuring public safety, maintaining records and files, testifying in court, preparing reports, and related work as required.

• Performs patrol functions; operates a patrol vehicle or rides a bicycle to preserve the peace and enforce the law; controls vehicular traffic; prevents or detects and investigates misconduct involving misdemeanors, felonies, and other law violations; differentiates between civil and criminal matters.
• Investigates and assists at scene accident and/or crime; interrogates suspects and interviews witnesses and victims; conducts searches; collects, processes and provides follow‑up related to evidence.
• Makes arrests and testifies in court, occasionally with little scheduling notice.
• Prepares reports and records including accident reports, traffic citations, investigation reports, breathalyzer checklist, vehicle impoundment form, etc.
• Prepares presentations and performs public education and public speaking on police service and crime prevention topics.
• May be assigned specific duties, including K‑9 Officer, SWAT Operator/Sniper, Field…