Description
The City of Newark is currently accepting applications for Police Officer Trainees - Entry Level and Academy Attendees.
THE POSITION:
The Police Officer Trainee position is an entry level position, requiring no prior law enforcement experience. Applicants are required to possess a valid California Driver’s License, be legally authorized to work in the U.S and be at least 21 years old at time of swear-in. All applicants must possess a strong moral character, as well as good work ethic and maturity. All candidates will be required to undergo comprehensive testing processes to determine their physical and mental suitability for a career in Law Enforcement.
The Police Officer Trainee is a temporary employee. The trainee attends a P.O.S.T. certified academy. Upon successful completion of the academy, the trainee will be eligible for appointment to the position of Police Officer. New Police Officers will receive benefits available to regular employees and will serve an 18-month probationary period.
The Newark Police Department is a modern, progressive law enforcement agency with 59 sworn and 27 professional staff employees. Well qualified officers enjoy specialty assignments and promotions based upon training and experience. State of the art safety equipment, including, individually issued patrol rifles with sighting systems, Ballistic Helmets, Smart Phones and an Armored Rescue Vehicle.
Numerous specialty assignments, most with premium pay incentives, to include: Detectives, Field Training Officer (FTO), Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), Traffic Division, School Resource Officers (SRO), Major Crimes Task Force, K-9, S.W.A.T. Team, Crowd Management Team (CMT), Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Team, Honor Guard, Firearms Instructor, Use of Force Instructor, and Taser Instructor. Officers enjoy either a 3/12 or 4/10 work week, depending on assignment.
THE COMMUNITY:
The City of Newark is located in southern Alameda County at the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge, midway between Oakland and San Jose. We were incorporated in 1955 and have a five member City Council/Manager form of government. Our city is approximately 13 square miles with a population of just under 50,000. At the edge of Silicon Valley, growth of biotech, high-tech, and health sciences industries in Newark continue. We take pride in maintaining a small-town feel, while undergoing major housing and retail development projects.
Ideal Candidate
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Academy Attendee applicants must provide, along with the application, proof of current enrollment in a P.O.S.T. Basic Academy to be waived from the written examination. Proof of enrollment is a letter from the Academy on letterhead clearly indicating dates of enrollment.
Police Officer Trainee (Entry-Level) applicants must have a “T-Score” of 46 or higher on the POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB). Applicants may submit this certification from The South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium or another California Police Agency. The certification of the written examination must be dated within 12 months of the application date.
- A high school diploma or equivalent.
- In accordance with Government Code Section 1031, effective January 1, 2023, peace officers must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.
- Possession of a valid California Driver’s License and a satisfactory driving record.
- Age 21 by date of appointment.
- Physical capacity to meet standards established by the City of Newark.
- 20/20 corrected vision in both eyes. 20/80 uncorrected vision (both eyes) for those wearing glasses or hard contact lenses. Uncorrected vision requirements may be waived for persons wearing soft contact lenses upon verification of vision stability.
Benefits
While attending the Academy, Trainees will be at-will, non-benefited employees.
Upon successful graduation from the Academy, Police Officer Benefits include:
- 7% holiday-in-lieu pay
- $100 per month uniform allowance
- Sick leave incentives
- Longevity Pay (2.5% to 7.5% depending upon years of service)
- Educational incentives for POST Intermediate (5%) and Advanced (7%) Certificates
- Educational reimbursement of up to $1,500 per employee per fiscal year
- $50,000 City paid Life Insurance
- 6.667 to 16.667 hours per month of vacation accrual (depending on length of service)
- 8 hours per month of sick leave
- Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance coverage for employees and dependents are available at group rates
Employee only - $913/month
Employee + 1 Dependent - $1,826/month
Employee + Family - $2,412/month
- Employees and eligible family members have free use of the gym at the Silliman Activity and Family Aquatic Center, as well as resident rates for classes and rentals
RETIREMENT:
While attending the Academy, Trainees will be enrolled into the Local Misc. CalPERS retirement plan (depending upon prior CalPERS membership). Employees automatically become members of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) on the first day of their employment.
Once appointed to the Police Officer position, the City provides "Classic" or "PEPRA" (depending upon prior CalPERS membership) Local Safety plan membership along with the indexed level 1959 Survivor Benefit Option, special retirement credit for unused sick leave, and military service credit for prior service.
The City does not participate in Social Security. The City participates in Medicare.
Special Instructions
A completed CalOpps application is required.
Resumes are not accepted in lieu of the application or the required certificate.
When uploading your certifications in CalOpps, you must combine your documents into one PDF that is no larger than 2 MB. If you are unable to attach your documents, you can email them to HR@Newark.org
- Academy Attendees must submit documentation of their enrollment at the Academy to be waived from the written exam.
- Entry-Level applicants must submit their Pellet-B scores from the POST written exam.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Applications will be screened for completeness and minimum qualifications.
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and have submitted their written exam T-score or are Academy Attendees do not have to take the written exam again.
Once all T-scores are received, the most qualified candidates will be invited to an oral panel interview. There may be more than one interview during the process, which may include the department Command Staff interview. The selection process may also include a Report Completion Exercise (RCE).
Based on the results of the oral panel interview(s) and/or the RCE, the most qualified candidates will be asked to complete the Physical Abilities exam at the Academy.
Qualified candidates are placed on an applicable Eligible List in alphabetical order within bands based on final examination scores. The eligible lists shall be in effect for a period of six months and may be extended up to a maximum duration of two years. The Newark Police Department then selects candidates from the applicable Eligible Lists.
Prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment, successful candidates will be required to undergo a thorough background investigation including, but not limited to, personal history, work history, education, conviction record, a polygraph examination, and fingerprinting. As part of the final selection process the City will require a candidate to submit to a psychological evaluation and a pre-employment medical examination which will include testing for the presence of drugs and alcohol.
Academy Attendee and Trainee applicants that are selected for hire will be hired as Police Officer Trainees until graduation from the Academy; then may be appointed to a Police Officer position.