Police Officer (Open Continuous) *Revised 3-23-23*

Thinking about a career as a Portland Police Officer?

Join us for a Hiring Workshop:

The Portland Police Bureau Hiring Workshops are back! You will have the opportunity to talk with PPB recruiters and background investigators and learn more about the hiring process and the career paths we offer.

Interested candidates can also choose to participate in the Oregon Physical Agilities Test (ORPAT) on a trial basis.

Register for upcoming workshops: https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/workshops

About the Position

This is a sworn law enforcement position with an emphasis on community policing, focused on crime prevention, organizational excellence, community engagement, and inclusion. Police officers work with diverse communities within the City of Portland to preserve life, maintain human rights, protect property, and promote individual responsibility as well as community commitment. A police officer functions and communicates effectively within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds. The Portland Police Bureau provides excellent training, pay, and benefits. Officers serve the community in many unique and rewarding ways.

New officers will work various shifts and geographical areas as assigned.

Amount at Swear-In

Amount at End of Probation

Amount Upon Completion of 3 Years of Service

New Officer

$1,000

$1,000

$3,000

*65.1.4.1 The hiring incentives for new officers as set forth in the above table are payable separately upon the new officer’s completion of each of the following events: swear-in, end of probation, and three years of service with the City. This provision does not apply to lateral hires.

• Paid time (1 hour) to participate in wellness activities per shift
• On-site fitness center locations and classes
• Discounts to local fitness clubs
• Smoking cessation benefits
• Chronic care coaching programs
• Worksite wellness screenings and flu shots

• One hundred twelve (112) hours of vacation each year initially. This accrual will increase yearly.
• Sick leave typically accrues up to a maximum rate of one hundred four (104) hours per calendar year.
• Ten (10) paid holidays each year.
• Four (4) personal days accrue each year.

Assignments Available:

Officers can apply for a specialty unit or promotion following probation. The Bureau has a number of specialty units, including the K9 Unit, Traffic Division, Narcotics, Family Services, and more!

Officers can also apply for detached positions, such as a member of the Air Support Unit; or Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT). You can also serve as an instructor with the Training Division in any number of fields: defensive tactics, firearms, patrol vehicle operations, etc.

• Sergeant
• Detective
• Criminalist

Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/faq/

This position is eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

External applicants start at the entry salary rate, with the exception of individuals who qualify as Lateral Police Officer applicants. The Portland Police Association (PPA) represents this classification. To view this labor agreement, please go to https://www.portland.gov/bhr/employee-relations/labor-relations/labor-agreements and click on the appropriate link.

Why work for the City of Portland?

The City of Portland workforce serves a population of over 650,000. We are culture- and solutions-driven, viewing every challenge as an opportunity to learn, improve, and share our expertise. We are committed to removing systemic barriers to resources, access, and opportunity. The City is a believer in ALL people and continues to actively recruit and retain diverse top talent every day. The successful candidate must be able to work in a culturally and gender diverse workplace. If you are open-minded, motivated, community-focused, and self-aware, please apply yourself at the City of Portland today.

City of Portland Core Values:

Anti-racism | Communication | Collaboration | Equity | Transparency | Fiscal Responsibility
These values guide our actions as we serve the community and engage our workforce. To learn more about the City’s core values, please click here.

ALL APPLICANTS must meet each of the following conditions:

• Must be at least 20.5 years old at the time of application.
• Must possess a High School Diploma or GED.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen within eighteen (18) months of date of hire, or a nonimmigrant legally admitted to the United States under a Compact of Free Association https://cann.us/work/hb-2594/. Non-citizen applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Application for U.S. citizenship requires five (5) years of residency.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license (in the current state of residence) at the time of application. Have no more than three (3) traffic (moving) convictions in the last three (3) years.
• Marijuana Use: As a sworn position, the candidate must not have used Marijuana (not including CBD) within 12 months of application.
• Have no felony convictions.
• Have no convictions for crimes involving domestic violence.
• Have no dishonorable discharge from any branch of military service.

• Cannot have any offensive forms of body art or tattoos. Tattoos above the collar or on the hand may be considered on a case-by-case basis. More information can be found at https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/faq/.
• Must have vision correctable to 20/30. Additional information on medical requirements can be found on the DPSST F-2 form.

LATERAL POLICE OFFICER QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have three (3) years of continuous service in another police agency as a sworn police officer from a recognized state, county, or city (municipal) agency, to include sworn Indian tribal police, AND must have been employed there within the last two (2) years.

NOTE: Military police, Federal Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Parole/Probation DO NOT QUALIFY for a Lateral Police Officer.

The recruitment and selection will consist of seven phases.

Below is additional information for Phase 1 (the application process). Please visit https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/entry#hiring-process to learn more about phases 2 to 7 which include resources on how to become successful.

Application Instructions (Phase 1)

Step 1: Submit an Online Application

• Applicants must complete the online application and supplemental questionnaire.
• Veterans’ Preference: Upload and submit with your application a copy of your DD214/DD215 and, if applicable, a copy of a Department of Veterans Affairs letter stating your disability rating with your application. You must also check the box identifying yourself as a Veteran. You must request Veterans’ Preference AND include a copy of your documentation for each recruitment cycle in which you apply. Veterans’ Preference documentation must be submitted with your application.
• PLEASE NOTE: This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM on June 30. 2023 and will re-open July 1, 2023.

Step 2: Supplemental Question Review

• A review of your answers to the supplemental questionnaire, weighted 100%. Passing applicants will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.
• Reviews will be conducted every 3-4 weeks.

Applicants who are disqualified based on their supplemental questionnaire responses will not be able to reapply for the position for six (6) months and may have their eligibility impacted, SO PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO ANSWERING. Please review your answers before submitting the application. Reach out if you need additional clarification before submitting your application.

Step 3: Eligible List Established

• The Portland Police Bureau will send you information regarding the next steps.
• Applicants placed on the eligible list will advance in the process based on the order in which their applications were received.

WRITTEN EXAM (Pass/Fail) - Not required to apply, but must be completed prior to completion of background investigation

• Lateral applicants and applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree OR will have a bachelor’s degree by the time of hire are NOT required to take the National Testing Network (NTN) Frontline Written Exam.

• Entry Police Officer applicant requiring the NTN are encouraged to schedule and complete the NTN Frontline Written Exam prior to applying to the City of Portland. Test and scheduling information can be found at https://nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs/. While completion of NTN testing is not required to apply, applicants for whom NTN testing is required must pass all three (3) components of the exam prior to any offer of employment. The following minimum scores for the NTN are required:

• Reading ability test - 70
• Writing ability test - 70
• Video-based human relations - 65

NTN scores are valid for one (1) year. Applicants who have valid NTN scores from prior testing are encouraged to submit their NTN scores through the NTN portal. While the expectation is that candidates complete the NTN Frontline Written Exam, the City of Portland reserves the right to use a substitute written exam in rare instances or extraordinary circumstances.

Additional information can be found at https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/entry#phase-1-the-test.

Work Status: Non-citizen Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application.

Veterans’ Preference: If you are requesting Veterans’ Preference, submit with your application a copy of your DD214/DD215 and/or Department of Veterans Affairs letter stating your disability. In addition, check the appropriate box where indicated to identify yourself as a Veteran. You must request Veterans’ Preference AND include a copy of your documentation for each recruitment for which you apply. Veteran’s Preference documentation must be submitted with your application.

ADA Accommodations: If you identify as a person with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation when applying for this job, please contact the Recruiter below for assistance.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer: It is the policy of the City of Portland that no person shall be discriminated against based on race, religion, color, sex, marital status, family status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or source of income. The City values diversity and encourages everyone who is interested in employment with the City to apply.

Language Pay Differential
City of Portland employees who speak one or more languages in addition to English, may be eligible to receive a “language pay differential.” This is compensation for qualifying multilingual City employees who use their language skills to assist the community. More about the language pay differential can be found here.

Did you know? The City of Portland offers “How to Apply For Jobs at the City of Portland” classes. These classes are free and review best practices when applying for positions with the City. Follow the link for the most recent list of scheduled dates: www.bit.ly/howtoapplyclass.

Contact Information:
Loan Tran Polanco, Senior Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources
Loan.Tran@portlandoregon.gov