Police Officer - Lateral

Police Officer - Lateral

Current Base Salary:$97,656 - $118,768 annually

Scheduled Salary Increases:

July 2025 - 3% COLA - $100,588 - $122,324 annually

In addition to a competitive salary, CalPERS Retirement and a generous benefits package this position offers opportunities for special assignments including K9, Hostage Negotiation, FTO, Traffic Motorcycle Officers, SRO, Gang Enforcement Team, Investigations and SWAT. There are also opportunities for career advancement and department funded training opportunities.

Hiring Bonus and Incentives
:

• $10,000 signing bonus upon successful hiring process
• $5,000 upon completion of probationary period
• $10,000 upon completion of three years of service
• Vacation accrual rate that matches the total years of service as a Police Officer
• A bank of 40 hours of sick leave at the time of hire
• A bank of 80 hours of vacation leave upon successful completion of the Field Training Program

Lateral Applicant Requirements
To be considered as a lateral applicant you must:

• Be currently employed as a peace officer in good standing by a California-authorized jurisdiction.
• Have successfully completed your Field Training program in your current agency.
• Must possess Basic P.O.S.T. certification.

Special Pays

• Uniform Pay: 1.5% of Step 5 of Police Officer annual salary
• POST Certificate Pay: 5% for POST Intermediate Certificate, 7% for POST Advanced or Supervisory Certificates.
• Bilingual Pay: up to $200 per month
• Field Training Officer, Traffic Officer, Detective, K-9 Officer: 5% as assigned
• SWAT: 2.5% as assigned
• Shift Differential: 3% if assigned to swing shift, 5% if assigned to graveyard shift
• Longevity Pay (eff. 1/1/2024): 2.5% after 5 years, 5% after 8 years, 7.5% after 11 years, 10% after 15 years of service with the City

Benefits

• CalPERS Retirement:3% at 55 for "classic" members, 2.7% at 57 for new members.
• CalPERS Health Program:City pays 95% of Bay Area Kaiser rate premium for employee and eligible dependents
• Dental/Vision/EAP/Life/LTD Insurance:paid 100% by City
• Holiday Pay:156 hours per year
• Sick Leave:earn
  96 hours per year with unlimited accrual
• Compensatory Time Off Bank:earn hours at 1.5 times actual hours worked up to 240 hours
• Vacation Time:earn 80-200 hours per year depending on years of service as a Police Officer
• Cash in Lieu of Medical/Dental Benefits:receive 50% of Kaiser Bay Area premium and Dental premium as cash payment (with proof of other insurance for employee and eligible dependents)
• Paid Parental Leave –up to 8 weeks (or equivalent hours) of paid time for qualifying family bonding

For more information regarding the benefits associated with this position, visit our website and look at the Memorandum of Understanding and Employee Benefits.

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A City that Works for Everyone

Our City has an enormous amount of civic pride which celebrates multiple approaches and points of view. When we say we are a City that Works for Everyone we mean everyone. To do that well, we’re creating a workforce that is inclusive and listens to the multitude of voices and views of our employees. Diversity is an integral part of our organizational identity.

Inclusion is the way we treat and perceive our differences. Equity is treating all our employees fairly and acknowledging that everyone has value. This drives our innovation, motivation and connects us even closer to our community.

Police Department
Petaluma Police Department is dedicated to providing the best law enforcement services to the community and it prides itself on community involved programs. Petaluma has a population of approximately 59,000 and encompasses nearly 13 square miles situated 40 miles north of San Francisco Bay Area on U.S. 101, and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The Police Department staffing includes 84.5 full time employees, including one Chief, one Deputy Chief, four Lieutenants, nine Sergeants, forty-seven Officers, and other support staff.

In addition, the department has three K-9 Officers, Traffic Unit, Motorcycle Patrol, SWAT Team, Investigations Unit, FTO Program, and Reserve Community Service Officer Program (Volunteer). The Petaluma Police Department is proactive in Community Oriented Policing Philosophy.