Police Officer (Lateral/Experienced)

Lateral Officer Incentives

Hiring Bonus of $30,000 for Lateral Police Officers hired by the City of Puyallup. The incentive is paid $10,000 at time of hire, $10,000 at completion of Police Training Officer (PTO) program and $10,000 paid at completion of probation. Vacation Leave Bank New lateral officers will receive 100 hours of vacation leave in their vacation leave bank upon completion of the Police Training Officer (PTO) program. Sick Leave Bank New lateral officers will receive 100 hours of sick leave in their sick leave bank upon completion of the Police Training Officer (PTO) program. Salary and Benefits $10,221.00 - $10,759.00 Monthly Salary. Puyallup Officers have opportunity to receive additional pay, including: Patrol Shift Differential: Patrol officers working twelve (12) hour shifts under the 24-day work cycle will receive a patrol shift differential of 5.77%. Education Incentive Pay: Bachelor Degree 4% and Associate Degree/90 Credits 2%. Premium Pay: ISU Detective 7.5%; Police Training Officer 5%; Canine Officers, Metro Cities SWAT, School Resources Officer, Community Outreach Officer and Motorcycle Officer 3%, Metro Cities Major Collision Response Team certified as Recon 4% and Tech 2%; and Bilingual Premium and Accreditation Premium 1%. Employees are allowed to stack multiple premium pays. Longevity Pay, beginning at 5 years of service. Puyallup Officers have opportunity to contribute to the qualified, deferred compensation plan, with the City matching contributions up to 4% of the employee's base wage. The City of Puyallup offers highly competitive, well regarded Group Insurance. Medical premiums are modest the first year, and when an employee meets the wellness program incentive one calendar year then the next year's premiums are 100% paid by the city. Group insurance includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents, plus life and long-term disability insurance coverage for employees.

About Our Work and Department

Puyallup Police Officers work in a supportive community, performing a variety of duties related to the suppression and prevention of crime, the protection of life and property, and the preservation of the public peace. Police Officers are responsible for the enforcement of laws, and for giving aid and information to citizens in the community. The Puyallup Police Department is a growing, mid-sized law enforcement agency, which is committed to problem-oriented policing. The department is proud to have been awarded accreditation status by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs in 2023. The department is divided into four divisions: Patrol, Investigations, Professional Services and Administration. The department has achieved a high level of automation in recent years, and continues to seek modern and innovative service enhancements. The City enjoys the advantage of operating its own 365-day Detention Facility. Our career development plan provides opportunities which include: Problem Orientation Policing unit, bicycle, detective, SWAT, K-9, traffic unit and regional drug enforcement task force. The department values training, and takes full advantage of courses and certifications offered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and other learning institutions. The Police Department is proud to have moved into a new Public Safety Facility, located at the Benaroya Business and Technology Center at 1015 39th Ave SE #100, Puyallup, Washington. Our agency will be able to better serve the citizens of the City of Puyallup in this more modern, efficient facility.

About Our Community

The City of Puyallup is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier in the beautiful Puget Sound region, and the department serves a primary population of 43,000 residents within about 14 square miles. The city is a prominent regional commercial and service center for Eastern Pierce County, and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy. The Puyallup Valley and its surrounding hillsides were once the exclusive home of the Puyallup Indians, in which their name means "the people who give more." The city's founding father, Ezra Meeker, was known as one of the early blazers of the Oregon Trail and became a prominent hop grower. Though hop production in the valley declined in the late 1880s, its early success gave the town stability and on August 18, 1890, Puyallup was incorporated as a bona fide city. Popular annual events for the community include the Washington State Fair and the annual Daffodil Festival. Puyallup has transformed to a booming scenic community with an interesting and profound history.

Essential Functions

Patrol a designated area of the City during an assigned shift, to preserve law and order, to prevent and discover the commission of crime, and to enforce traffic regulations. Patrol an assigned area in a patrol vehicle, on a motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot. Answer calls and complaints involving fire, traffic accidents, domestic situations, robberies and other misdemeanors, disturbances and felonies and take necessary police action. Conduct preliminary investigations at the scenes of crimes and accidents; gather evidence; locate and question witnesses. Apprehend, interview, and arrest suspects; restrain suspects if necessary. Interview witnesses and/or complainant; collect material evidence and perform crime scene work; perform surveillance; testify as witness in court. Prepare and submit reports; operate computers utilizing a variety of software programs, including database, word processing, and other applications, to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar. Assist other jurisdictions and agencies. Participate in undercover investigation of narcotics, gambling, vice, and other activities, violations and crimes. May be called on at any time for emergency duties. Performs other duties as assigned. Police Officers report to the Police Sergeants and are directly responsible to the Sergeants for the effective operation of assigned functions.

Qualifications

Ability to: Work in partnership with the community to solve law enforcement issues and to improve the quality of life for Puyallup residents. Meet the minimum standards of strength, agility and endurance as specified in the Cooper Test (or other approved test) conducted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Learn pertinent State and local laws and departmental policies and procedures. Think and act quickly and appropriately in emergency situations. Maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers. Deal with the public in a tactful, pleasant and courteous manner. Follow verbal and written instructions. Communicate effectively in English, to include speaking, reading and writing. Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work. Safely operate city vehicles, including in emergency situations and in inclement weather. Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance. Education and Experience: High school diploma or GED equivalent. Minimum of two (2) years of full-time police experience in a city, county, or state police agency in Washington State OR a minimum of three (3) years of full-time police experience in a city, county, or state police agency in another state. If not currently employed as a police officer, must have no break in service of more than 24 months. Graduate of a state or regional Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) or equivalent, as accepted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center (WACJTC). Equivalency examination within six months of hire required as a condition of employment. Special Qualifications: Minimum age 23 years at time of application. United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a deferred action for childhood arrivals recipient. Speak, read, and write the English language. Possession of or the ability to obtain, and maintain throughout employment, a valid Washington State driver's license. Desirable Qualifications: Five (5) years or more of police experience in a city or county police agency with a police specialty in addition to patrol service. Associate of Arts degree in police science or a Bachelor's degree in law and justice or related field.

Physical Characteristics and Work Environment

Police Officers are required to maintain necessary physical fitness, health and conditioning at all times to allow them to perform all essential functions of a Police Officer. Constant demands include sitting in and operating police vehicles while on duty; ability to read and write reports; ability to see clearly in both daytime and nighttime conditions; ability to hear accurately and speak clearly. Frequent demands include standing, walking, handling/grasping, fine finger manipulation, ability to operate a computer, and lifting an average of 20 pounds (equipment, evidence, and property). Occasional demands include the ability to walk or run for prolonged periods of time or distances; ability to aim and accurately discharge all firearms approved for departmental use; ability to pursue and forcibly arrest, when necessary, criminal suspects; ability to resist and defend oneself against physical assaults; ability to swim and ability to come to the aid or rescue of members of the public involved in accidents or who require physical assistance to remove them from harm. Environmental factors include generally moderate noise levels with a risk of exposure to occasional high noise levels; up to 90 percent of the employee's time is spent outdoors or in a patrol car; above/below normal temperatures are part of the job; and there is a risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.