Police Officer (Lateral)

Job Overview Continue your career in law enforcement with the Town of Los Gatos. New Salary: July 2025: $63,650.80-$77,368.00 per hour. July 2026: $66.19-$80.46 per hour. Placement within the range depends on experience. Plus excellent benefits. The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department is dedicated to serving and protecting the community with professionalism, integrity, and compassion. We are accepting applications from lateral police officers who are equally committed to providing the highest quality of service to our community and thrive in a fast-paced work environment. Grow your career with us! The Police Officer classification series offers career growth opportunities for both new professionals and those with more work experience. The Department has a culture of promoting from within and offers different opportunities to broaden and gain specialized experience. About the Department The Town of Los Gatos and the City of Monte Sereno have a combined population of about 34,000 residents who enjoy a high quality of life with low crime rates. The LGMS Police Department is budgeted for 39 sworn and 21 civilian personnel and has over 50 community volunteers. Members of the LGMS Police Department work hard to provide a full range of services and are committed to providing residents, businesses, and visitors with the highest quality service. The Police Department’s vision includes: Building a highly competent, professional police department. Building community relationships. Engaging in community problem solving. About the Town The Town of Los Gatos is a general law city operating under the Council/Manager form of government. The Town Manager and Town Attorney report directly to the Town Council. The Town’s 200 full- and part-time employees are organized into Parks & Public Works, Community Development, Police, Library, and Administrative Services. The Town’s fiscal year 2023/24 General Fund budget is $56.1 million. About the Position Under general supervision, police officers perform various peace officer duties involving protecting life and property, enforcing laws and ordinances, criminal investigation, traffic control, crime prevention and suppression. Duties may include but are not limited to: Identify problems or issues that are important to the community, and seek resolution of such problems through the resources of the Police Department, other Town Departments, and/or governmental agencies. Conduct preliminary or follow-up investigations of burglaries, thefts, robberies, deaths, accidents, and other disturbances. Collect and present evidence and testify at hearings and in court in connection with criminal prosecutions. Answer calls for protection of life and property in the enforcement of Town, County and State laws. Initiate or maintain the custody of prisoners and transport to jail. Officers must be available to work nights, weekends, and holidays. There is an 18-month probationary period. Required Education, Experience and Training Lateral Eligibility: Must possess a California P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate and have successfully completed probation with a California law enforcement agency. Graduation from high school or equivalent, and at least one of the following criteria: 60 semester college credits or 90 quarter college credits from a U.S. accredited college or university at time of graduation from academy (Police Academy credits are accepted as part of the education requirements). Military Veteran with four or more years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, or the National Coast Guard and an honorable discharge. Three years experience as a Police Officer. Desired Qualifications A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Ability to fluently speak and understand a foreign language. Application and Selection Process To be considered for this career opportunity, complete the online application and attach copies of: California P.O.S.T Basic Certificate or P.O.S.T. Basic Course Waiver, or proof of completion of the P.O.S.T. Requalification process. Current WSTB (Agility Test) score dated within one year. Resumes may be attached but are not accepted in place of a complete online application. Only complete applications will be accepted. Applications will be screened in relation to the criteria in this job announcement. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee continuation in the process. Only the most qualified applicants with the most relevant experience and education will be invited to continue in the selection process. The testing process may include, but is not limited to, a phone interview, personal history questionnaire, and oral panel interview. Final candidates for the position will be subject to a thorough background investigation, including but not limited to criminal history; Department of Justice fingerprinting; medical exam, including drug screening; polygraph; and psychological exam. The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement The Town of Los Gatos is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, medical, physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by law. Qualified individuals with a disability will receive reasonable accommodation, as required by the California Family Rights Act, and federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, during any phase of the selection process, providing such request is made to Human Resources at least five working days in advance. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation. Under federal law, all employees must provide documents that authorize the right to work in the United States. #J-18808-Ljbffr