Police Officer (Lateral)

Salary : $106,813.41 - $123,871.07 Annually
Location : City of Pasadena, CA
Job Type: Full -Time
Job Number: 26-095
Department: Police
Opening Date: 01/08/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

LATERAL INCENTIVE PAY!!
Come join our team! Lateral Police Officers who are hired by the City receive a lump sum payment of $2,500 upon successful completion of one month of work as a Pasadena Police Officer. Subsequent incentive pays include a lump sum payment of $2,500 upon the successful completion of six months of work as a Pasadena Police Officer and $3,000 upon the successful completion of the probationary period. Lateral Police Officers also receive an initial bank of forty (40) hours of sick leave.

The Pasadena Police Department is looking for dedicated and ambitious individuals who are committed to protect and serve our vibrant, beautiful and diverse community! The Pasadena Police Department is founded upon a culture of community service in proactively solving problems with an emphasis on fairness and personal engagement. Working in partnership with our residents and the business community we endeavor to protect and enhance an environment of safety by listening with respect, being approachable, and responding unfalteringly to the challenges we face together.

Pasadena is a great place to be a Police Officer - big enough to offer a range of different assignments and opportunities, but small enough for you to really feel part of a strong, cohesive team. Get intimately involved with Rose Bowl events such as major sporting events, Old Town, movie and TV filming, and many more diverse and active events that continually take place in Pasadena. You'll be part of it all - join us and build a rewarding and exciting career.

The ideal candidate is a current non-probationary California peace officer in possession of a California Basic POST certificate. You will have graduated from high school. GED or other high school equivalency certificate or have attained a two-year, four year, or advanced degree from an accredited or approved institution; possess the physical and ethical capacity and values needed to perform the duties of a Police Officer, and a strong interest in serving the community of Pasadena.

Essential Functions

For a list of the responsibilities of this position, please view the job description for
Qualification Guidelines
To qualify for Police Officer (Lateral), you must be a current non-probationary California peace officer in possession of your Basic POST certificate. Please upload your certificate as an attachment when you apply.

COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated honesty and high moral character: must meet our high standards for background.
• Strong moral and physical courage to enforce the law and deal with a variety of challenging situations.
• Analytical skills to be able to evaluate sensitive and/or dangerous situations quickly and take effective and reasonable action.
• Reading comprehension needed to read and understand departmental policies, rules, instructions, laws, regulations, and police literature.
• Strong oral communication skills to interact and communicate tactfully and effectively with a culturally diverse population.
• Good written communication skills to write clear and accurate reports.
• Demonstrates respectful community policing through considerate behavior for people and neighborhoods.
• Highly flexible and able to adapt to frequent change.
• Service oriented and strongly motivated to serve our citizens.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS OVERVIEW
The selection process may consist of a training and experience evaluation, physical agility test, structured interview, department-level interview, background investigation, and a Chief of Police interview.

1. PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST - (Qualifying) - The physical fitness test consists of the following: 30 Push-Ups: Complete 30 push-ups within 2 minutes. (Pass/Fail)30 Sit-Ups: Complete 30 sit-ups within 2 minutes. (Pass/Fail)1.5 Mile Run: Complete one and a half (1.5) miles on a flat surface within 14 minutes. (Pass/Fail). Lift and drag a 165-pound lifelike dummy, 32 feet within 10.0 seconds (Pass / Fail). Wear appropriate attire, such as running shoes, running shorts, T-shirts, sweats, etc. At the completion of the physical agility test, you will be notified onsite if you passed or failed the examination. Those who do not qualify will not be eligible to continue in the selection process.
2. ORAL INTERVIEW EXAMINATION - (Weight 100%) - Applicants will be asked 5-10 questions from current Pasadena Police Sworn Personnel on knowledge such as demographics of the city, interest in the Pasadena Police Department, which concludes with a scenario question. If you successfully pass the Physical Agility Test, you will then proceed to an on-site interview which will be held after the Physical Agility Test.
3. ELIGIBLE LIST - Your score on the structured interview will determine your placement and ranking on the eligible list. If you received a qualifying score, you will remain on the eligible list for one year. Qualified candidates on the eligible list may be certified to the Police Department for background investigation. Depending upon the number of vacant positions available and the number of candidates in background, the top qualified candidates on the eligible list will be referred first.
4. VETERANS PREFERENCE POINTS - Three points will be added to the final qualifying score for veterans who served at least one year of active military duty and submit documentary evidence of honorable discharge with their application.
5. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION - The background investigation will include a comprehensive investigation of your background, education and employment history (including a credit, criminal and DMV review), and a polygraph examination.
6. POLICE CHIEF'S BACKGROUND FILE REVIEW AND ORAL INTERIVEW - (Qualifying) Contents of the background file and results of the background investigation will also be evaluated by the Police Chief.
7. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION - (Qualifying) - Candidates will take a polygraph examination designed to determine truthfulness of the candidate's responses about his/her qualifications and suitability as a Police Officer.
8. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION - (Qualifying) - Candidates will be interviewed by a licensed psychologist to assess the candidate's behavior and character to determine if an individual is at significant risk for employment problems as a Peace Officer. NOTE: Prior to appointment, a medical examination will be conducted. .
9. VACANCY INFORMATION - There are currently several vacancies in the Police Department that may be filled from this selection process.

Candidates selected for this position are subject to a one year probationary work period.
Special Requirements

Possession of a Class C California Driver's License at the time of appointment and as a condition of continued employment.

Vision for candidates wearing glasses must be at least 20/100 correctable to 20/30; free from color blindness; for candidates who have successfully worn soft contact lenses for a least one year, vision must be 20/200 uncorrected, correctable to 20/30; free from color blindness.
Conviction of any felony offense, certain misdemeanor offenses, or any offense reflecting lack of character, judgment, or morals, or any other than honorable military discharge may be cause for disqualification.
Found to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition, including bias against race or ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer.
Shift and overtime work will be required.
Effective January 1, 2013, new Safety members to CalPERS or an agency with CALPERS' reciprocity or who have more than a six month break in service between employment in a CalPERS (or reciprocal) agency will be subject to the provisions of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) and will receive the 2.7% @ 57 benefit formula.

Employees who are current Safety members of CalPERS or an agency with CalPERS' reciprocity, or who have less than a six month break in service between employment in a CalPERS (or reciprocal) agency and employment with the City will be enrolled in the 3% @ 55 benefit formula.

Click link below to review the City's excellent benefits package
01

I am currently a non-probationary California peace officer with a valid POST Certificate.

• Yes
• No

02

I acknowledge that I have attached a copy of my California Basic POST certificate to my application as an attachment.

• Yes
• No

03

I heard about this job through:

• GovernmentJobs.com
• Pasadena Police Recruitment Booth
• California POST website
• Community Outreach effort
• Friend or relative
• Social Media
• Other

Required Question