Police Officer (Lateral)

The City of Oakland is an equal-opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the City’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why Join Oakland Police Department?

The Oakland Police Department is currently recruiting for the position of Police Officer (Lateral). The ideal candidate will have the education and experience that demonstrate personal motivation, interest in others, and the ability to deal effectively and fairly with residents and co-workers. The ideal candidate will be able to identify problems and resolve them quickly while under pressure, and want to work in a fast‑paced, urban environment.

After successful completion of the academy, Police Officers receive step increases on an annual basis and may reach the top step after five years. Immediate benefits include city-paid health and dental insurance for employees and dependents. Upon graduation from the academy, the benefits package includes a pension provided by the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS); vacation leave, sick leave, and holidays; education tuition reimbursement; life insurance; employee assistance program; and deferred compensation plan.

Minimum Requirements for Application

Education: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade or High School graduate or G.E.D.

Police Officer candidates must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Have been employed as a police officer for at least one (1) year in a law enforcement agency within the last thirty-six (36) months and possess a current basic California P.O.S.T. Certificate.
• Applicants who meet and are successful in the completion of the Basic Course Waiver Process administered by California P.O.S.T.
• Applicants who successfully completed a California Basic P.O.S.T. approved academy within the past twenty‑four (24) months from date of application.

Preference may be given to candidates who have been employed with a California law enforcement agency for at least two years and have an active California Basic P.O.S.T. certificate.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements

• License Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment.
• Training Applicants must successfully complete all OPD Training and the Field Training Officer program.
• Bilingual Skills The City of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department actively seek individuals with highly desirable bilingual skills. Bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin are highly desirable.
• Additional Qualifications
  • Applicants must be 21 years of age or older at the time of hire.
  • Applicants may not have any felony convictions.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legally eligible to work in the U.S. and have applied for citizenship.
  • Must pass a background investigation.
  • Compliance with department medical and psychological standards.

Desirable Qualifications

• Completion of a field training program with a law enforcement agency.
• Completion of independent patrol duties as a solo patrol officer.

This is a continuous recruitment. This recruitment may close without notice once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Candidates are only eligible to apply once every three (3) months. Candidates that earn their place on the resulting eligible list may remain active on the eligible list for up to two (2) years.

The Recruitment Process

Stage I

Stage I: The first stage in the selection process is the completion of an employment application, supplemental questionnaire, a copy of a current California Basic POST Certificate, a copy of a passing score (320 and maximum 14 minutes on the 1.5 mile run) on the WSTB Physical Agility Test from South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium. Applications received without all of the required documents will not be considered.

Stage II

Stage II: Structured Oral Interview. Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas. For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the online Structured Oral Interview (weighted 100%) which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts.

Photo identification will be required at the time of this examination. Candidates who pass the oral board interview will be placed on the eligibility list for further consideration, subject to successful completion of the remaining stages. Human Resources Management will provide OPD the names of qualified individuals in rank order for further processing. Candidates must earn a scale score of 70 in this examination process to be placed on the eligible list for employment consideration. The Structured Oral Interview will be scheduled as follows:

• For applications received between 09/29/2026 – 11/01/2026: Structured Oral Interview (virtual): The week of 11/16/2026.
• For applications received between 11/02/2026 – 11/29/2026: Structured Oral Interview (virtual): The week of 12/14/2026.
• For applications received between 11/30/2026 – 01/03/2027: Structured Oral Interview (virtual): The week of 01/18/2027.

Candidates requesting reasonable accommodations for the examination process must request accommodations no later than one week before they are scheduled to take the exam; otherwise, it may not be possible to arrange accommodations for the selection process. Please complete the Request for Reasonable Accommodation in Testing form by clicking on this link or by copying and pasting the link into your browser to open it. Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to the exam analyst: Sherry Chhom at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a "restricted" posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every part of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

Stage III

Stage III: Background Suitability Assessment. Prior to a conditional job offer, candidates will be assessed for background suitability. During the background investigation, investigators will contact references, friends, family, former and current employers, and other contacts to verify the information provided. Additionally, criminal records, driving records, and credit references will be checked. Applicants may be rejected for background factors at any step of the selection process, and omitting information and/or providing fraudulent information at any stage of the selection process may be grounds for removal from the process. Candidates will be required to submit to a polygraph and/or CVSA examination.

Stage IV

Stage IV: Post-Offer Processing. After a conditional job offer has been made, candidates will be assessed for compliance with department medical and psychological standards. The medical evaluation will include screening for use of illegal drugs. Character-related information discovered during the post‑offer stage or failure to pass drug screening may be grounds for revocation of the conditional job offer and removal from hiring consideration. In addition, candidates will be individually evaluated by a City approved Physician based on their ability to meet the physical demands of the position including vision standards.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify theselection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

What’s in it for you?

• 14 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.7% @ 57. Employees contribute 12% of pre‑tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre‑tax plan and an after‑tax ROTH 401(k) plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Additional Information

Candidates should keep copies of all documents submitted, as these will not be returned. The Oakland Police Department reserves the right to modify the selection process as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessities.

Selective Certification

Some positions may require specific bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Candidates for those positions would have to demonstrate the required skill to be selectively certified to the positions.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.