Out-of-State/In-State Lateral Police Officer Full Time

Occasionally directs helpers, assistants, seasonal employees, interns, volunteers or temporary employees and may temporarily act in a higher capacity.

Performs patrol duties by traveling through designated areas, searching for suspicious, hazardous, or criminal activity, conducting field interviews with suspected offenders, and making arrests.

Responds to routine and emergency calls by contacting the reporting person and witnesses, and determining the nature of the call, and action to be taken.

Assists with crime prevention by attending public meetings, enforcing criminal and traffic laws, and identifying gang members.

Educates the community by teaching classes at schools, conducting block watch meetings, making public presentations, and answering inquiries regarding legal and safety issues.

Performs related duties by proposing, writing, and reviewing departmental policy, completing statistical reports, training officers, attending court, and participating in department/City process improvement teams.

May perform other assigned duties such as flying airplanes, conducting surveillance for ground units as requested, and instructing training classes, or off road enforcement.

Minimum Education Level & Type: High School Diploma or G.E.D.

Minimum Experience Qualifications: No experience required

Valid and Unrestricted Class D – Driver’s License

U.S. Citizenship

At least 21 years of age

At least two (2) years of driving experience 

No felony convictions or drug abuse

AZPOST Certified, or certified in another state with the ability to obtain AZPOST waiver 

Applicants who successfully complete an employment application, meet minimum qualifications, and successfully complete the Preliminary Applicant Questionnaire will be evaluated on the work experience in their employment profile and their responses to the supplemental questions.

The highest scoring applicants will be invited to participate in an oral board interview.

• Oral Board Interviews will be held the week of March 4, 2024.  

Upon completion of all examination processes, the highest scoring applicants will be placed on the Civil Service Eligibility List. An applicant’s ranking on the Civil Service Eligibility List will be based on their final score which will be calculated as:

• 15% – Education and Work Experience
• 85% – Oral Board Interview

The Civil Service Eligibility List may be used by the department with an approved vacancy to fill in the next six months. Selection will be made in accordance with Civil Service Rule III, Section 2. The list of employees eligible for consideration will remain in effect for six months after their names are provided to the hiring authorities. Examination results and current status will be communicated by email.

Veteran, Native American, or Disability preference points will be added to the final score for those who are placed on the Civil Service Eligibility List. If you qualify for preference points as outlined in your Employment Profile, you must upload your documentation as part of the application process or email it to [email protected]. Copies of DD 214s must reflect a characterization of service.   

Applicants requiring an accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for any of the applicant examinations must contact [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the particular examination.   

In lieu of attending the Public Safety Academy, applicants who are currently certified as a peace officer in another state may be eligible to obtain the AZPOST certification through the waiver process. To be eligible for this process, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Have previously served as a certified peace officer in Arizona, another state, or federal agency
2. Have completed basic and advanced training that demonstrates substantial comparability to the Arizona basic course
3. Obtain an appointment from an Arizona Law Enforcement Agency
4. Meet all of the minimum qualifications for certification as an Arizona Peace Officer

Applicants who are offered a position and meet the additional eligibility requirements for the waiver process must pass the following components the AZ Post Basic assessment to maintain employment with TPD: written exam, firearms qualification, tactical driving qualification, and Peace Officer Physical Aptitude Test (POPAT).

**If an applicant cannot obtain AZPOST certification, they may be required to attend and successfully complete the Public Safety Academy to maintain employment with TPD.** 

For more information on the waiver test qualifications process and timelines, please visit the AZPOST waiver website: https://post.az.gov/certification/waiver-process.

All probationary employees in this classification are subject to random drug screening during their EIGHTEEN MONTH PROBATIONARY PERIOD with the Tucson Police Department.

Candidates placed on the Civil Service Eligibility List who receive a contingent offer must successfully pass the following:

You are highly encouraged to print or save this bulletin as a PDF because it contains important testing dates and information that you will need to refer to later.  It will not be available after the closing date.

Communications throughout this process will be sent exclusively via email so please ensure your browser accepts emails from [email protected] and check your email account regularly. Failure to respond or follow instructions will result in disqualification.

All inquiries should be directed to the individuals listed below:

Carolyn Cruse, 520-837-7755 or email: [email protected]

AZ POST Physical

Respirator Physical

Hep A Vaccine/Titer

Hep B Vaccine/Titer

Non-NIDA Drug Test

To ensure accurate payroll information for tax purposes, the successful candidate will need to provide their original Social Security Card or original letter from the Social Security Administration with their social security number prior to beginning work with the City of Tucson.

The City of Tucson hires lawful workers only – US citizens or nationals and non-citizens with valid work authorization – without discrimination. Federal immigration laws require all employers to verify both the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. In its efforts to meet the law’s requirements, the City of Tucson participates in the E-Verify program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to aid employers in verifying the eligibility of workers.

Retired City of Tucson employees receiving benefits from the Tucson Supplemental Retirement System who are considering reemployment with the City should be aware that pursuant to Section 22-37(g) of the Tucson City Code, retirement benefits shall be suspended during the period of reemployment with the City of Tucson unless you have been separated at least twelve consecutive months before returning to work AND you return to a non-permanent employment classification. Creditable service does not accrue during any reemployment period.