Police Officer (Lateral/Waiver)

Introduction

Please note: effective September 11, 2022, the Police Department implemented a Step Pay Program. Click here for more information about the Step Pay Program.

Candidates with prior law enforcement experience are eligible to receive 5% for each year of service up to 35%.

About The Position:
City of Scottsdale Police Officers are responsible for protecting life and property, preventing, deterring and investigating crime, enforcing laws and responding to citizen requests through the use of community policing strategies to engage and educate the community.

A Police Officer Lateral is someone who has current Arizona P.O.S.T. Peace Officer Certification.

A Police Officer Waiver is an applicant who meets the following conditions:

• Has successfully graduated from a United States or U.S. Territory approved basic Police Officer training academy;  AND,
• Has at least one year of post academy experience as a certified peace officer in municipal policing within the United States, or U.S. Territories, within the last 3 years. 

Applicant eligibility for the waiver (or out-of-state certified police officers) program will be determined during the background process.

IMPORTANT: Please review the current Scottsdale Police Grooming Standards before submitting your application.

The application and supplemental questions are an integral part of the selection process, and must be completed in full in order for you to be considered as a candidate. Please complete each section and answer all questions as thoroughly as possible. DO NOT state "See resume" in lieu of answering. Unanswered questions, incomplete responses, omissions, or partial information may result in disqualification from the selection process.

Applications will be reviewed bi-monthly. 

There will be a physical assessment included in the selection process for this position. The assessment will be conducted on various dates throughout the recruitment process.  For more information on the selection process, please check the Scottsdale Police Department's website at http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/police/join-scottsdale-pd/police-officer. 

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) equivalent.
• Must be 21 years of age at the time of application.
• Must be a United States Citizen.

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements:

• Must possess and maintain a valid, unrestricted driver's license with no major citations within the past 39 months prior to the start date.  The Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles requires that out-of-state driver's licenses must be surrendered within 10 days of relocating to the State of Arizona.
• Possess and maintain AZPOST Certification.
• Every person employed by the City of Scottsdale shall reside in the State of Arizona during his or her active employment by the City, regardless of whether the employee is approved to remote work.

Essential Functions

Performs duties and responsibilities commensurate with assigned functional area within a department(s) which may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following:

• Performs law enforcement patrol activities.
• Operates a motor vehicle and observes and monitors the public to determine compliance/noncompliance with prescribed operating or safety standards and laws. Pursues and stops offenders, subdues resisting offenders using necessary force where appropriate, including deadly force.
• Issues citations and makes arrests; searches persons, places, and things; seizes and impounds property and evidence; transports arrested persons and property.
• Mediates disputes; performs crowd and riot control activities.
• Conducts law enforcement investigations.
• Protects crime and traffic accident scenes; conducts face to face and phone interviews; observes, gathers, records, processes, and preserves evidence; measures and diagrams crime and traffic accident scenes; prepares detailed written reports of investigative findings; performs data entry of various police activity into computerized records management system, seizes and processes evidence; presents testimony and evidence in court.
• Responds to citizen requests for assistance to fires, accidents, and crime scenes; administers first aid to sick and injured citizens for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries; assists distressed motorists and crime scene individuals; directs traffic; moves persons, vehicles, and other property.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

• This is a safety-sensitive position that requires candidates to successfully pass a post-offer drug screen prior to start date.
• As part of the medical examination, candidates must successfully pass an Audiogram Test prior to start date.
• As part of the medical examination, candidates must successfully pass a Visual/Ishihara Screening Test prior to start date.
• As part of the conditional job offer, candidates must successfully pass an Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) Medical Exam prior to start date.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

To view the full job description, work environment and physical demands, click here.

The City of Scottsdale offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 12 Paid Holidays, which includes 1 Floating Holiday
• Vacation Accrual; starts at 10.3 hours/month
• Sick Leave Accrual; 8 hours/month
• Medical (which includes behavioral health coverage), Dental and Vision Benefits
• City Paid Basic Life Insurance (equal to one times employee annual salary); option of Supplemental Life Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement; $2,500/year
• Participation in the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS)
• Supplemental Retirement Plans through Nationwide; 457 
• Pet Insurance
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) pay compensation

Please visit the Benefits Information page for more information.

Selection Process:
Applicants whose education, training and experience most closely meet the needs of this position may be invited to participate in a selection process to include a background investigation, oral board interview, and physical fitness assessment. Final selection is contingent upon a background check which includes:

• Fingerprinting
• Criminal background screening
• Motor Vehicle Department Records Check
• Polygraph

Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment drug test, pre-employment medical exam, physical fitness assessment (recruit and waiver candidates) and psychological evaluation. The timeframe for reapplication with the Police Department varies based on the position and the needs of the organization.

The City of Scottsdale reserves the right to change this process at any time, potentially without advance notice.

PLEASE NOTE: Years of experience are based on a work schedule of 2,080 hours per year for full-time positions and 1,040 hours per year for part-time positions, and while work experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis, depending upon the job classification, education may not be substituted for work experience.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: It is the policy of the city to provide employment opportunities to all persons based solely on ability, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
When advised, reasonable accommodations will be made in order for an "otherwise qualified applicant" with a disability to participate in any phase of the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources to request an accommodation.  Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting HR Receptionist at (480) 312-2491. Requests should be made 24 hours in advance or as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. For TTY users, the Arizona Relay Service (1-800-367-8939) may contact HR Receptionist at (480) 312-2491.

This position description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the position change.