The City of Santa Monica is located on the
Westside of Los Angeles County. It is 16
miles from downtown Los Angeles, where the
Pacific Coast Highway and Interstate Highway
10 meet at the ocean. It is bordered by the
City of Los Angeles on three sides and the
Pacific Ocean on the west. The 8.3 square
miles that comprise Santa Monica offers a
blend of thriving commercial districts and
neighboring residential communities.
Today, Santa Monica is inhabited by 86,000
residents. These residents get to enjoy 8.3
square miles of white sandy beaches, surf and deep
sea fishing. Santa Monica’s coastal
Mediterranean climate provides an ideal
atmosphere for taking advantage of the
famous California lifestyle, averaging about
68 degrees Fahrenheit year around.
CAREERS WITH THE SANTA MONICA POLICE
DEPARTMENT
The Santa Monica Police Department has a
variety of civilian employment
opportunities. These opportunities are in
the areas of:
Forensics, Records, Traffic Services,
Community Relations, Communication Center
Operations, Animal Control, Park Rangers,
Harbor Services and as-needed positions as
Cadets and Crossing Guards. Our civilians
employees work together with sworn officers
to enhance our tradition of excellent
service to all.
CURRENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Current job opportunities may be obtained by
visiting the City of Santa Monica
Human Resources Department. To view a listing of current job
opportunities, please click
here.
BECOME A SANTA MONICA POLICE OFFICER
Do
you have what it takes to become a Santa
Monica Police Officer? Being a Police
Officer is a job that comes with a
tremendous amount of responsibility and
dedication. Therefore, the Santa Monica
Police Department takes the selection
process very seriously. We have long set a
standard of providing excellent public
service with the highest level of
professionalism. If you possess integrity,
good communication skills and a strong work
ethic you too can make a difference as a
Santa Monica Police Officer.
The Santa Monica Police Department is
comprised of 218 sworn police officers. It
is the mission of these professional men and
women to work together and provide the
community with the highest quality of law
enforcement services.
We encourage motivated individuals to apply
for a challenging and rewarding career as a
Santa Monica Police Officer. In addition,
the department offers a wide range of
special assignments including:
Neighborhood Resource Officer
Traffic / Motor Officer
K-9 Handler
Homeless Liaison Detail
3rd Street Bicycle Detail
Gang Enforcement
Accident Investigations
Crisis Negotiator
School Resource Officer
Personnel and Training Investigator
Detective Bureau
Field Training Officer
Vice / Narcotics Unit
Special Entry Team
Mounted Horse Patrol
Sniper Team
BENEFITS
Annual salary ranges $64,080 -
$79,104
Compressed work schedule
Paid vacation
Paid sick leave
Paid personal leave
City paid medical and dental/optical
3% at 50 Public Employee Retirement
Plan (PERS) - 9% employee contribution
paid by the City
Educational incentives - 6% for
Intermediate POST certificates, 12% for
Advanced POST certificates
Uniform allowance
Bilingual pay
Overtime pay
Court standby pay
Longevity pay
Sick leave buy back incentive
Annual sick leave bonus
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
All Police Officer candidates must meet the
following minimum qualifications:
Must be at least 20.5 years of age
Must be a United States citizen,
eligible to become a naturalized citizen
or have a legal right to work in the
United States
Possess a high school diploma or
G.E.D. equivalent
Possess a valid California driver's
license
Must be in good physical condition
Must be of good moral character
May not have misdemeanor convictions
involving domestic violence or convicted
of any felony. Other high grade
misdemeanors may also be a disqualifying
factor
Upon being hired, must be a non-user
of tobacco products
Must have skill in reading, writing,
spelling and communication in English at
an appropriate level, assessing
situations and determining the proper
course of action and dealing with a
variety of cultural sensitivity issues.
SELECTION PROCESS
Application Review Board: A completed
City application is required. All
applicants must submit clear, concise and
complete information regarding their
qualifications for the position. Those
candidates whose qualifications best meet
the City's needs will be invited to
participate further.
Testing may consist
of the following components:
Written Examination: The
written examination is a P.O.S.T.
examination encompassing vocabulary,
spelling and reading comprehension.
The examination tests the applicant's
general knowledge and may have some
reference to law enforcement principles.
Test examples may be found on the
P.O.S.T.
website under Selection & Recruitment.
A written test is not administered to Police
Officer Lateral or Pre-Service applicants.
Physical Fitness Qualifier:
The examination consists of four timed
exercises designed to measure strength and
endurance. The examination consists of
pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5 mile
run. Each event is scored and the
minimum passing score is 282 points.
To view the scoring sheet, please click
here.
Oral Interview: The oral
interview is the first assessment
of the applicant's qualifications and verbal
skills. Failure to attain a passing
score on this interview will result in the
applicant's disqualification from further
processing. Applicants who obtain a
passing score will be placed on an
eligibility list which is valid for one year
and the Chief of Police may conduct a second
interview.
Background Investigation:
Applicants who have successfully completed
all prior phases of the selection process
will be subjected to a thorough background
investigation. The investigation is
used to determine an applicant's moral
character and suitability for employment in
law enforcement. The investigation
shall include, but is not limited to, the
following checks: criminal record, polygraph
examination, driving record, credit history,
military record, current and previous
employment history and references.
Psychological Examination:
Applicants will be evaluated for their
suitability for employment as as a Santa
Monica Police Officer.
Medical Examination:
Applicants must successfully complete a City
medical examination, including a drug
screening, to determine if they meet the
City's medical standards for position of
Police Officer.
RECRUITMENT EVENTS
September 6, 2008 - 9am to 11am
Training and Preparation Class
Santa Monica College
1900 Pico Boulevard
Track (entrance located on Pearl
Avenue)
RSVP:
Officer Kim Sloane
September 17, 2008 - 10am to 2pm
California Status University
Fullerton Job Fair
Campus Quad Area
www.fullerton.edu/careeer
September 25, 2008 - 10am to 3pm
United States Marine Corps Base
Camp Pendleton Fall Career Fair
South Mesa Club, Building 202850
TESTING DATES
Written Exam and
Physical Fitness Qualifier
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Applications for Entry Level and Lateral
Police Officers will be accepted starting on
August 4, 2008.
Applicants must apply first with the City
of Santa Monica Human Resources Department
and will receive formal notification by mail
to attend the testing
CONTACTING THE RECRUITMENT UNIT
Santa Monica Police Department
Attention: Personnel & Training
333 Olympic Drive
Santa Monica, California 90401
