Police Officer Trainee

The City of Pittsburg in California seeks Police Officer Trainees for the Police Department.

The City is seeking candidates for Police Officer Trainee who will be sponsored for the 26-week law enforcement academy.

The Police Officer Trainee position is an outstanding opportunity for individuals with a desire to begin a career in law enforcement. The Police Officer Trainee is an entry-level, non-sworn training position in the Police Department. Incumbents are assigned to the Basic Peace Officer Academy and must satisfactorily pass all of the requirements that lead to the possession of the Basic Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Academy Certificate before becoming candidates for the sworn position of Police Officer. Police Officer Trainees are provided with medical, dental, and vision benefits while attending the academy. Assignment to Police Officer Trainee is temporary.

Ideal Candidate for Police Officer Trainee

• Ability to learn operating procedures of a public safety department
• Ability to learn various federal, state, and local laws, codes and regulations; principles of crime prevention and suppression
• Demonstrates a high level of ethical behavior
• Great interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with other City Departments, outside agencies, and members of the public
• Ability to act quickly and calmly in emergency conditions and situations
• Strong attention to detail to remember names, faces andinformationabout incidents
• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent leadership skills; values teamwork
• Ability to operate a police vehicle, firearms, and other law enforcement equipment
• Demonstrates an understanding of community-oriented policing and problem-solving strategies
• Adaptive, flexible and tolerant of the continued evolution of policing
• Is culturally competent and accepting of diverse ideas, thoughts and suggestions

For more information on the academy visit: Basic Academy | Contra Costa Sheriff, CA (cocosheriff.org)

About the Police Department

The protection of life and property is the Police Department's highest priority. The Operations Bureau is responsible for the management of the Patrol Division and the Traffic Unit. The Patrol Division represents the largest component of the Police Department. The Support Services Bureau is responsible for the management of the Investigations Division, Property/Evidence Division, Code Enforcement Division, Records Division, School Resource Officer Program, and the Gang/Vice Team. The Support Services Bureau also provides in-service training and certified courses to ensure compliance with Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and applicable educational mandates for all sworn and civilian police personnel.

About Pittsburg

The City of Pittsburg is a culturally rich and diverse community of over 76,000 residents and expected to grow to 90,000 in the next 20 years. Pittsburg is located in the Bay Area Region of Northern California and is perfectly situated for easy access to San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sacramento, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Lake Tahoe. Pittsburg City Hall is also conveniently located a short walk from the Pittsburg Center Station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), making a commute from cities throughout the Bay Area very easy. Pittsburg has waterfront homes, a performing arts theater, a variety of seasonal events, an extensive park system, a large public‑school system, and a variety of shopping centers. The recently renovated Marina is also an ideal place to visit and is located within steps of the Old Town shopping district and downtown living, with nearly 600 boat slips, a free public boat launch, fuel dock, café, bait shop, and the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Pittsburg has featured such events as the Seafood and Music Festival, car shows, movies in the park, kayaking, and fishing derbies. With its commitment to a quality community environment, Pittsburg is an ideal city in which to live, work and recreate.

The City of Pittsburg is a full-service city following the council-manager form of government. The City has approximately 300 full time employees and at times, up to 350 employees total (depending on the season). Pittsburg is currently organized into the following departments: City Management, Community and Economic Development (Building, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, and Planning), Community Services (Housing Authority, Pittsburg Power Company, and the Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency, CDBG/Housing Rehabilitation, Environmental Services, Waterfront Administration, and Property Management), Recreation, Human Resources, Finance, Police, and Public Works (Engineering, Operations/Maintenance, Utilities, Facilities, Parks, and Water Treatment). Fire Protection services are provided by the Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Department.

The City’s Priorities and Goal areas include Public Safety, Public Infrastructure, Efficiency, Economic Development, and Quality of Life. Find more information at

Competitive benefits package for regular employees includes

CALPERS retirement, medical/dental/vision insurance, paid life insurance, retirement health saving account, deferred compensation plan with employer match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, wellness activities, employee assistance program, employee development courses, and career advancement opportunities.

Incentives for Police Officer

• Shift Differential: 2% or 4.5% depending on shift
• Call out Pay: 4 hours minimum OT
• POST Certificate: 2.5% for Intermediate or 5% for Advanced
• Educational Degree: 2.5% for Bachelors
• Bilingual Pay: 4%
• Special Assignment Pay up to 5%
• Longevity Pay up to 7.5% (based on years of service with Pittsburg and outside sworn service)
• See Labor Agreement for full details at Labor Agreements | City of Pittsburg

Benefits include

• Uniform Allowance: $1000 per year
• $4,000 Tuition Reimbursement per year
• Vacation Buyback program
• Retirement Health Saving Plan
• 96% to 100% of Medical, Vision, and Dental premium paid by employer

Check out Pittsburg Police Department's Facebook Page to see PD in action:

The members of the Pittsburg Police Department are committed to improving the quality of life in this city through professionalism, excellence and trust.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

In addition to attending the Police Academy to gain training and proficiency in law enforcement terminology, concepts, and techniques, and to gain the requisite knowledge to be eligible to perform the duties of a sworn peace officer, candidates may perform the following duties as assigned:

• Ride with officers to observe and learn peace officer responsibilities and techniques.
• Operate police information equipment, including computer systems, teletypes and telephones to enter and research information at the direction of an Officer or police civilian.
• Assist in processing, packaging, labeling, storing and destroying property and evidence; may provide assistance with photocopies, files, indexes and locating police records and related paperwork.
• Perform errands for the department such as transporting information and paperwork to court and district attorney offices; perform related duties as assigned.
• Represent the City with dignity, integrity, and the spirit of cooperation in all relations with staff and the public.
• Foster an environment that embraces integrity, service, inclusion and collaboration.
• Be an integral team player, which involves flexibility, cooperation, and communication.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co‑workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of

• Oral and written communication skills; business English including vocabulary, spelling, and correct grammatical usage and punctuation.
• Effective communication and public speaking.
• Effective problem-solving techniques.
• Basic law enforcement concepts.
• Basic computer operating systems and software applications related to the work.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment including relevant software programs.
• Safe work practices.
• Principles and practices of excellent customer service.

Ability to

• Successfully complete the P.O.S.T. Basic Police Academy.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Learn, understand and interpret laws