Police Officer II

Salary: $8,047.00 - $9,781.00 Monthly
Location : 244 N. Broadway, Turlock, CA 95380, CA
Job Type: FULL-TIME
Job Number: 2026-POII-2410-01
Department: POLICE
Opening Date: 08/03/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Position Information/Definition
The Lateral Police Officer incentive breakdown is as follows:
$5,000 upon swearing-in date
$5,000 upon completion of probation
$5,000 upon completion of 3 years of service from swearing-in date

Veteran who is honorably discharged - Additional $5,000 ($10,000 total) upon completion of 3 years of service from swearing-in date.

The City of Turlock is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer II. Under general supervision performs law enforcement and crime prevention duties; enforces State and local traffic regulations and performs comprehensive criminal investigative work on special assignments.
This classification is assigned to the Turlock Associated Police Officers bargaining unit for labor relations purposes and is subject to overtime assignments.

*Lateral Police Officer Recruitment to establish an eligibility list.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Police Officer II - This is an entry level Police Officer that has successfully passed probation at the Turlock Police Department or lateral Police Officer that has successfully met prerequisite qualifications.

*Lateral Police Officers - These are individuals who possess a California POST Basic Certificate and are currently employed as a police officer with a minimum of eighteen (18) months of patrol experience with a law enforcement agency. New hire lateral Police Officers shall be classified as a Police Officer II and serve a twelve (12) month probationary period.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from the Police Sergeant, Police Captain, Police Lieutenant or other management as directed by the Police Chief.
Essential Functions - Include But Are Not Limited To The Following:

Operations

• Patrols assigned areas in vehicles, on foot, on motorcycle, or on bicycle as assigned.
• Analyzes and solves community/neighborhood problems involving the protection and preservation of life, property, and the enforcement of City, County and State laws.
• Conducts various investigations including neighborhood disturbances, prowlers, burglaries, thefts, robberies, juvenile crimes, domestic violence, sexual assaults, vehicle accidents, and deaths.
• Directs traffic/provides regulation of traffic flow at time of emergency or congestion.
• Works shiftwork to include Days, Swings and Graveyard.
• Testifies in court as needed.
• Provides traffic enforcement to include arrests and issuance of citations as required.
• Receives calls from and provides assistance to other law enforcement agencies in emergencies.
• Conducts investigations including the collection and storage of evidence for court presentation.
• Prepares detailed reports of arrests made, investigations conducted, and illegal incidents observed.
• Proactively patrols business districts and residential neighborhoods at all times of day and night.
• Provides direction and information to the general public.
• Processes and cares for prisoners.
• Establishes and maintains positive contact with citizens pertaining to potential community and neighborhood problems, suspicious people and circumstances.
• Assists with Neighborhood Watch and Business Watch meetings.
• Counsels' at-risk youth and assists with diversion programs and press relations.
• Provides service and assistance to the public.
• May be assigned to act as School Resource Officer - teaching high school students youth in law classes or Drug Awareness Resistance Education.
• Assists in assigned projects such as licensing of businesses, building maintenance, issuance of permits or other tasks as assigned.
• Works with a team of officers working a specialized street crimes suppression unit (C-Team).
• Participates in and assists with community recreation activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Investigations

• Investigates, collects, and preserves evidence from the scene on a wide variety of crimes, suspected crimes and accident scenes.
• Interviews and interrogates witnesses, victims and suspects.
• Locates suspects, makes arrests and searches for and seizes criminal evidence.
• Prepares detailed reports of investigations and arrests.
• Prepares evidence for trial and testifies in court.
• Interviews merchants and the public to obtain descriptions of possible suspects and secures written and oral statements from witnesses and victims.
• May serve as an undercover agent for vice and narcotic investigations.
• May conduct background investigations on police officer or civilian applicants.
• Cooperates with other law enforcement agencies in carrying out assigned investigative duties.
• Confers with supervisor on progress and problems concerning assigned cases.
• May work with a team of investigators on the Turlock drug enforcement team.
• May perform duties in other areas of the Police Department or countywide task forces to include
• Stanislaus County Drug Enforcement Unit, Stanislaus County Gang Intelligence Task Force, Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force, or others.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
Knowledge of:

• City of Turlock streets and laws.
• Modern police methods and procedures, including crime prevention techniques.
• Maintains a clear understanding of the concepts and philosophy of Community Policing and Problem Oriented Policing.
• Use and care of firearms.

Ability to:

• Provide high quality customer-oriented service.
• Demonstrate keen powers of observation and memory.
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt effective courses of action, learn and apply the community-oriented policing philosophy.
• Learn laws of arrest and pertinent local and state laws.
• Learn criminal investigative techniques and procedures.
• Learn the safe use and care of firearms and equipment.
• Exercise restraint and good judgment in a variety of emergency situations.
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions and directives.
• Prepare accurate case reports.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Additional Information
Experience and Training Guidelines

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge

and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Training:

Be a high school graduate from a United States public school, an accredited United States Department of Defense high school or an accredited or approved public or nonpublic high school.

Or pass the General Education Development Test indicating high school graduation level.

Or pass the California High School Proficiency Examination.

Must be able to present a high school diploma, a college degree, a high school transcript, a college transcript or, if applicable, GED or Proficiency Exam certificates.

Certificates:

Must be a graduate from a California P.O.S.T. certified police academy at time of application.

Or at time of application, be enrolled in a California P.O.S.T. certified full-time police academy.

Or at time of application, be enrolled in Module 1 of a California P.O.S.T. certified extended police academy.

If enrolled in an academy, must have graduated from the academy by the time of appointment. Must provide a copy of an academy certificate of completion or proof of academy enrollment.

Ability to obtain a P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate within eighteen (18) months of appointment or end of probation.

Possession of an advanced first-aid certificate issued by the American Red Cross within six (6) months of appointment.

Licenses:

Possession of a valid California Driver's License - minimum "Class C" - to be maintained as a condition of continued employment. A copy of the driver's license is required.

Age:

Must be twenty-one (21) years old at time of appointment as a Police Officer.Proof of age is a copy of an official United States issued birth certificate or any document accepted for proof of citizenship.

Pursuant to California government Code 1031 (a):
Authorization to Work:

Pursuant to Government Code section 1031(a), applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Physical Conditions:

Vision sufficient to drive vehicles under emergency conditions, make valid identifications, use firearms, detect hazardous situations, write legible reports; hear and speak well enough to converse on the radio, telephone and in person over incident noise, and be alert to situations of danger; bodily mobility to make rapid transitions from rest to near maximal exertion without warm-up periods, stamina and endurance necessary in the apprehension of combative suspects, use of hands and fingers to write and type reports, utilize safety gear, and drive vehicles under emergency conditions; ability to distinguish hazardous odors; ability to lift equipment as necessary.

An eligibility list will be established from this recruitment that will be valid for six (6) months. All full-time employees serve an eighteen (18) month probationary period.
Selection Process

1. All applicants must complete a standard City of Turlock application for employment form, supplemental questionnaire and submit the following documentation:

• Proof of age is copy of an official United States issued birth certificate or any document accepted for proof of citizenship.
• Proof of education is a copy of one of the following: A high school diploma, a college degree, a high school transcript, a college transcript or, if applicable, GED or Proficiency Exam certificates.
• A copy of your driver's license is required.

2. You may submit your required Documentation using the following options:

• Attach a scanned copy in the "Add Attachment" option (of the NeoGov online application) or
• Fax a copy to (209) 668-5529 or
• Email a copy to agodinez@turlock.ca.us or
• Hand deliver copies of your attachment to 156 S. Broadway, Suite 235, Turlock, CA

Applications will be rejected if they are incomplete or required documentation is not attached.

3. Applications will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. Applications will be rejected if incomplete or if all required documentation and the completed supplemental questionnaire is not submitted with the application.

4. Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications and have submitted complete application packets will be invited to compete in the testing process.

5. In the event that a large number of applicants possess the minimum qualifications, applicants who appear to be the most qualified based on their experience and education will be invited to compete in the testing process.

6. Candidates invited to compete in the testing process may be required to take a written examination, which is graded on a pass/fail basis. Only those applicants who pass the written examination will advance to the oral examination.

7. Candidates will also be required to pass a physical performance test that evaluates abilities to perform physical activities typically performed by Police Officers. Candidates must pass the physical performance test (if administered) in order to continue in the testing process.

8. Candidates invited to compete in an oral examination that receives a score of 70% or more will be placed on an eligibility list. Ranking on the eligibility list is based solely on the results of the oral exam.

9. Top candidates on the eligibility list will be referred to the Turlock Police Department for a Command Staff interview to determine which applicant(s) are referred for a background investigation.

10. Final appointment to the position of Police Officer will be contingent upon passing the following:

1. Background Investigation,
2. Chief of Police interview,
3. Medical examination (including drug screening, hearing and vision examinations), and
4. Psychological examination.