Location
Description
Please note this opportunity is being advertised through Mosaic Public Partners. If you are interested in applying, please submit your application through Mosaic at the following link:
Police Captain | City of Lincoln | Mosaic Public Partners.
The City of Lincoln offers an outstanding career opportunity for an experienced leader to join our team as Police Captain!
THE OPPORTUNITY
The City of Lincoln, CA is seeking a forward-thinking, service-oriented law enforcement leader to serve as its next Police Captain. This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic and growing community, lead a dedicated team of officers and professional staff, and help shape the future of policing in one of Northern California’s most desirable cities. The next Captain will play a key role in supporting a culture of integrity, innovation, and community engagement – building on the department’s strong foundation while helping guide strategic initiatives in a city that values transparency, partnership, and progressive leadership.
ABOUT LINCOLN
The City of Lincoln is located at the edge of Northern California’s foothills, 27 miles northeast of California’s State Capital, Sacramento. With a population of 54,742 Lincoln was one of the fastest growing cities in the country from 2000 to 2007, yet has managed to maintain the small-town charm that has made it such a desired location to live, work and play.
The City of Lincoln is a full-service city that provides its services through the following departments: Administrative, City Attorney, City Council, City Manager, Community Development, Engineering, Finance, Information Technology, Library Services, Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, and Airport. The City has over 200 FTE positions and a total budget of over $94.1million.
THE LINCOLN POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Lincoln Police Department proudly serves a thriving and rapidly growing community in Placer County. Committed to safeguarding both quality of life and public trust, the department operates with a dedicated team of 46 total staff members supported by a current fiscal year budget of $11.3 million. The Police Department enjoys a very low vacancy rate as compared to many other agencies, allowing the department to sustain service quality as the city expands.
Organized into core Operations and Support divisions, the department includes Patrol, Investigations, Communications, Records, Property & Evidence, and the Citizens on Patrol (COP) volunteer program. These units work collaboratively to provide 24/7 law enforcement response, investigative follow-up, and administrative services, while enhancing community partnerships through outreach and volunteer support. The Lincoln Police Department actively engages the community through programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Coffee with a Cop, School Resource Officers, and the Youth Engagement Programs, fostering transparency, trust, and collaboration between officers and residents.
THE POSITION
The Police Captain reports to the Chief of Police and serves as the Department’s second-in-command. Receiving general direction from the Chief, the Captain is responsible for exercising direct supervision over sworn and non-sworn management, supervisory, technical, and administrative support staff through subordinate levels of management and supervision. The Captain’s direct reports are a Lieutenant, a Detective Sergeant, and a Dispatch/Records Supervisor. Key job functions of the Police Captain role include planning, directing, managing, coordinating, and evaluating the work of all major divisions of the Police Department; developing, recommending, and administering policies and procedures; continuously monitoring and evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assessing and monitoring workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; and managing and participating in the development and administration of the division’s budget.
In addition to being a highly ethical and well qualified servant leader, the ideal candidate will have a leadership style characterized by inclusion, approachability, empathy, humility, collaboration, and respect for people in the broadest possible sense; be able to skillfully collaborate with all internal and external stakeholders; can commit to serving in the organization for several years; be a skilled communicator and relationship builder; have experience working in a unionized environment and demonstrated experience in labor/management relations; and must bring familiarity and experience with the important administrative functions of leading an agency, such as budget, information technology, collective bargaining, internal investigations, and human resources functions.
CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITIES
The next Police Captain must be experienced with a demonstrated commitment to community policing, collaboration, effective communication, and customer service to successfully address various challenges and opportunities:
- While the Lincoln Police Department enjoys a healthy relationship with its community members, an opportunity exists for the next Captain to bring ideas to the organization for additional community-centric programming and engagement opportunities. The Captain will be expected to lead the way and ensure the organizational culture supports community engagement to the highest extent possible.
- A recent evaluation of the Police Department recommended the need for formal mutual aid agreements with allied agencies, formal training and succession plans, and an internal leadership development plan. The successful candidate will be challenged to work closely with the Chief and others to work on these important organizational enhancements.
- An opportunity exists to creatively provide internal leadership opportunities and mentorship for sworn and professional staff to prepare people for larger roles and to deliver effective succession planning.
Ideal Candidate
IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to being a highly ethical and well qualified servant leader, certain traits will be essential for the success of the next Police Captain in Lincoln:
- Lincoln desires a Police Captain with a leadership style characterized by inclusion, approachability, empathy, humility, collaboration, and respect for people in the broadest possible sense. The next Captain must be able to skillfully collaborate with all internal and external stakeholders.
- The City prefers a Police Captain that can commit to serving in the organization for several years.
- The next Police Captain will be a skilled communicator and relationship builder, able to assist the Chief of Police with creating meaningful relationships in the community and the city organization, along with regional partners and stakeholders.
- A leadership style that recognizes the value of people in the organization and empowers them to use their talents and creativity toward solving community problems and advancing the capabilities of the department will be essential. Demonstrated ability to effectively lead both sworn and professional staff is highly valued by the Lincoln Police Department.
- The successful candidate will need experience working in a unionized environment and will have demonstrated experience in labor/management relations.
- A strong commitment and demonstrated work history of supporting staff wellness efforts will be essential for success in this role.
- The ideal candidate must bring familiarity and experience with the important administrative functions of leading an agency, such as budget, information technology, collective bargaining, internal investigations, and human resources functions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of education and experience that has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for a Police Captain is qualifying. A typical way of meeting or exceeding the required qualifications is listed below.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in law enforcement, public administration or a related field is not required but is desirable. A Master’s degree and completion of executive-level leadership programs, such as the California P.O.S.T. Command College or the FBI National Academy, are not required, but are highly desirable.
Experience: Eight (8) years of increasingly responsible law enforcement experience, including two (2) years in a management capacity comparable to that of a Police Lieutenant with the City of Lincoln.
Certification: Possession of a Management Certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
Benefits
This position is a non-represented, FLSA-exempt position. The salary range for the Police Captain is up to $202,000 depending on the applicant's qualifications and experience. The City of Lincoln provides an excellent array of benefits which include:
RETIREMENT
PERS classic members receive 3% @ 50 or 3% @ 55 (depending on prior job history with a Public Retirement Agency) and make a 12% employee contribution. PEPRA members receive 2.7% @ 57, with a current employee contribution of 16.75%. The City of Lincoln participates in Social Security at a current rate of 6.2%.
HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE
Lincoln offers medical plans through CalPERS. The City pays the majority of the premiums and offers a cash benefit for waiving medical coverage. Employees are eligible for full retiree health through the Public Employee Medical and Health Coverage Act (PEMHCA) vesting schedule per GC 22893.
Dental and Vision premiums are paid by City for employee and dependents. Voluntary medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts are available. Employer-sponsored life insurance benefit paid by City and optional voluntary life insurance, critical illness and accident plans available for employee purchase.
ANNUAL PAID LEAVES
Vacation accrues based on years of service and starts at 100 hours. Sick leave accrues at 96 hours. The City offers 10 city-paid holidays and 16 hours of floating holiday; floating holiday has a cash out option if unused.