Police Officer Pre Service

Salary : $106,813.41 - $123,871.07 Annually
Location : City of Pasadena, CA
Job Type: Full -Time
Job Number: 26-094
Department: Police
Opening Date: 01/08/2026

APPLICANTS MUST HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A CALIFORNIA POST BASIC POLICE ACADEMY WITHIN THE LAST 36 MONTHS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-SERVICE STATUS.

Start your career in law enforcement with the Pasadena Police Department! We are looking for dedicated and ambitious individuals who are committed to protect and serve our vibrant, beautiful and diverse community! The Pasadena Police Department is founded upon a culture of community service in proactively solving problems with an emphasis on fairness and personal engagement. Working in partnership with our residents and the business community we endeavor to protect and enhance an environment of safety by listening with respect, being approachable, and responding unfalteringly to the challenges we face together.


Pasadena is a great place to be a Police Officer - big enough to offer a range of different assignments and opportunities, but small enough for you to really feel part of a strong, cohesive team. Get involved with Rose Bowl events such as major sporting events, Old Town, movie and TV filming, and many more diverse and active events that continually take place in Pasadena. You'll be part of it all - come build a rewarding and exciting career

Essential Functions


For a list of the responsibilities of this position, please view the job description for

Qualification Guidelines
To qualify for Police Officer (Pre-Service), you must have successfully completed a California POST basic police academy within the last 36 months. Please upload your certificate of completion as an attachmentwhen you apply. Must be at least 21 years of age at the time of appointment and legally authorized to work in the United States.
COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrates honesty and high moral character: must meet our high standards for background.
• Strong moral and physical courage to enforce the law and deal with a variety of challenging situations.
• Analytical skills to be able to evaluate sensitive and/or dangerous situations quickly and take effective and reasonable action.
• Reading comprehension needed to read and understand departmental policies, rules, instructions, laws, regulations, and police literature.
• Strong oral communication skills to interact and communicate tactfully and effectively with a culturally diverse population.
• Good written communication skills to write clear and accurate reports.
• Demonstrates respectful community policing through considerate behavior for people and neighborhoods.
• Highly flexible and able to adapt to frequent change.
• Service oriented and strongly motivated to serve our citizens.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS OVERVIEW
The selection process may consist of a training and experience evaluation, department-level interview, background investigation, and Chief of Police interview.

1. PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST - (Qualifying) - The physical fitness test consists of the following: 30 Push-Ups: Complete 30 push-ups within 2 minutes. (Pass/Fail)30 Sit-Ups: Complete 30 sit-ups within 2 minutes. (Pass/Fail )1.5 Mile Run: Complete one and a half (1.5) miles on a flat surface within 14 minutes. (Pass/Fail). Lift and drag a 165-pound lifelike dummy, 32 feet within 10.0 seconds (Pass / Fail). Wear appropriate attire, such as running shoes, running shorts, T-shirts, sweats, etc. At the completion of the physical agility test, you will be notified onsite if you passed or failed the examination. Those who do not qualify will not be eligible to continue in the selection process.
2. ORAL INTERVIEW EXAMINATION (Weight 100%) - Applicants will be asked 5-10 questions from current Pasadena Police Sworn Personnel on knowledge such as demographics of the city, interest in the Pasadena Police Department, which ends with a scenario question. If you successfully pass the Physical Agility Test, you will then proceed to an on-site interview which will be held after the Physical Agility Test.
3. ELIGIBLE LIST - Your score on the structured interview will determine your placement and ranking on the eligible list. If you received a qualifying score, you will remain on the eligible list for one year. Qualified candidates on the eligible list may be certified to the Police Department for background investigation. Depending upon the number of vacant positions available and the number of candidates in background, the top qualified candidates on the eligible list will be referred first.
4. VETERANS PREFERENCE POINTS - Three points will be added to the final qualifying score for veterans who served at least one year of active military duty and submit documentary evidence of honorable discharge with their application.
5. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION - The background investigation will include a comprehensive investigation of your background, education and employment history (including a credit, criminal and DMV review), and a polygraph examination.
6. POLICE CHIEF'S BACKGROUND FILE REVIEW AND ORAL INTERIVEW - (Qualifying) Contents of the background file and results of the background investigation will also be evaluated by the Police Chief.
7. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION - (Qualifying) - Candidates will take a polygraph examination designed to determine truthfulness of the candidate's responses about his/her qualifications and suitability as a Police Officer.
8. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION - (Qualifying) - Candidates will be interviewed by a licensed psychologist to assess the candidate's behavior and character to determine if an individual is at significant risk for employment problems as a Peace Officer. NOTE : Prior to appointment, a medical examination will be conducted
9. VACANCY INFORMATION There are currently several vacancies in the Police Department that may be filled from this selection process.

Candidates selected for this position are subject to an eighteen (18) month probationary work period.

Special Requirements


Possession of a Class C California Driver's License at the time of appointment and as a condition of continued employment.

Vision for candidates wearing glasses must be at least 20/100 correctable to 20/30; free from color blindness; for candidates who have successfully worn soft contact lenses for a least one year, vision must be 20/200 uncorrected, correctable to 20/30; free from color blindness.

Conviction of any felony offense, certain misdemeanor offenses, or any offense reflecting lack of character, judgment, or morals, or any other than honorable military discharge may be cause for disqualification.

Found to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition, including bias against race or ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer.


Shift and overtime work will be required.
Retirement:

The City of Pasadena contracts with the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) to offer a defined benefits program for eligible employees.
"New" CalPERS members are subject to the provisions of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) and receive the following benefit formula: 2.7% at 57


"Classic" members of CalPERS receive the following benefit formula: 3% at 55


Deferred Compensation:

The City offers a 457(b) deferred compensation plan to help employees save for their retirement and supplement their CalPERS pension. Employees can defer salary with pre-tax or Roth after-tax deductions.


Health Insurance:

The City contracts with CalPERS to offer several comprehensive health plans that include Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).


Other Benefits include:

• Dental Insurance (HMO and PPO plans offered)
• Paid leave (holidays, sick leave, vacation leave)
• City-paid Life insurance
• Voluntary vision, life, accident, and critical illness insurance
• Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Free Employee Assistance Program

01


Have you successfully completed a California POST basic police academy within the last 36 months?

• Yes
• No

02


I acknowledge that to be eligible for this position, I must possess a certificate of completion for a California POST basic police academy completed within the last 36 months. I have attached a copy of this certificate to my application as an attachment.

• Yes

03


How did you hear about this job opening?

• Governmentjobs.com
• Pasadena Police Recruitment Booth
• California POST website
• Social Media
• Community outreach effort
• Friend or relative
• Other

Required Question