Police Officer

The City of Chehalis currently has a Police Officer position open and will be accepting applications for this opening until October 1, 2021, or until the position is filled.  Please refer to the Application and Testing Process below.    

POLICE OFFICER RECRUITMENT INFORMATION

The Chehalis Police Department takes pride in serving the citizens of Chehalis with professional, equitable, and unbiased service to all.  As first responders, Police Officers are vital to public safety and perform basic police services in accordance with the mission, goals and objectives of the Chehalis Police Department and in compliance with governing federal, state, and local laws.

The nature of police work involves the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances, the prevention and investigation of crimes, and the ability to exercise independent discretion. A police officer must possess intelligence, integrity and stand up to rigorous personal, ethical, moral and physical challenges while providing service to the community.

The Department:

The Chehalis Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, organized in three divisions: patrol operations, investigations, and administrative services. The Chehalis Police Department is proud to be recognized as a fully accredited agency by the State of Washington.

We take immense pride in the quality of our personnel and the services they provide, which include:

• Traffic Enforcement
• Narcotics Investigations
• Emergency Services

Outstanding Benefits:

Insurance and Retirement
A portion of medical, dental and life insurance premiums are paid for the employee and eligible dependents. Vision and orthodontia coverage are included in the plans. Commissioned officers participate in the LEOFF retirement plan.

Paid Leave
Currently employees receive 12 days of sick leave and 10 holidays. Vacation leave ranges from 88 hours for one year of employment to 216 hours for a senior police officer. Paid time off is also given for such things as military duty and bereavement leave.

Uniforms
The City issues required clothing and equipment on the quartermaster system. Uniform cleaning is another benefit to the officers.

Salary
Under the existing salary plan governed by Guild contract, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases as well as longevity pay. Lateral police officers will be placed into the pay schedule commensurate with their qualifications.

Job Requirements:

Age 21 at the time of examination
United States Citizen; read, speak and write the English language
High School graduate or equivalent
Ability to obtain a Washington State Driver’s license free of suspensions or revocations
No felony convictions
Ability to pass a series of qualifying pre-employment examinations

Application and Testing Process:

Entry Level Police Officer:

Department testing is conducted through National Testing Network on a continuous basis. Candidates who successfully complete the process will be placed on the eligibility roster according to their composite score, plus veterans' preference points or educational credit, if applicable. The entry level list will be continually updated as new test scores are added and each score will expire after one year.  If you are interested in applying for an entry level position, the application, information on the testing process and a schedule of upcoming tests can be found on their website, www.nationaltestingnetwork.com or by phone at 1-866-563-3882, if you don't have access to the Internet.

Not all National Testing Network locations offer the Physical Ability Test (PAT), which is a required part of our testing process.

Civil Service rules now allow us to conduct the Physical Ability Test later in the hiring process for entry level applicants who's National Testing Network location does not offer the PAT.  If your testing location does not offer the PAT, you must schedule both your PAT and written exam in Washington State.  Once scheduled, contact the NTN Support Team at 1-855-821-3761 to reschedule your written exam at a location of your choosing.  You are not required to attend the PAT.  Although your PAT test result will be a "No Show", we will still receive your other test scores and will forward eligible applicants to the Civil Service Board to be considered for the entry level position.  If during the hiring process you proceed to the next level, you may be asked to come to the department and participate in Officer ride-alongs, an oral board and the PAT.  At that point you must pass the PAT to be considered for the position and remain on the entry level list.

If you have questions about this process, please contact the Chehalis Police Department at 360-748-8605.

Lateral Police Officer:

To be considered a lateral entry applicant, you must meet both of the following requirements:

Currently have a law enforcement certification from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission or have certification from another state's basic police training academy with an understanding you must achieve certification by the Washington State Equivalency Academy within six months of employment.
Have a minimum of one-year law enforcement experience and have been employed on a full-time basis as a commissioned Law Enforcement Officer within twelve months prior to applying.

Lateral entry applicants are scored based on past training and experience. Candidates are asked to submit documentation on training and experience at the time they submit their Background Packet. They will then be placed on the eligibility list according to their composite score, plus veterans' preference points or educational credit, if applicable. The lateral entry list will be continually updated as new test scores are added and each score will expire after one year.  If you are interested in applying for a lateral entry position, a Background Packet can be found at the bottom of this page.  If you need further information, please contact the Chehalis Police Department at 360-748-8605.

Salary Range:  $5,642 - $6,829 ($4,513 Non-Academy)

For information about a law enforcement career with the City of Chehalis Police Department, please contact the Police Department at 360-748-8605, or call the City of Chehalis Human Resources Director at 360-345-3225.