Police Officers: Entry-level and Lateral

City of Beaverton, OR

$82K — $110K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • High school diploma or GED required;
  • Relevant work skills or life experience for law enforcement;
  • Valid driver's license and ability to meet city driving standards;
  • Must be 21 years or older at time of hire;
  • U.S. citizenship or eligible nonimmigrant status within 18 months of hire;
  • Background check and psychological evaluation required;
  • Lateral candidates must have completed a police academy and have relevant experience.

Responsibilities

  • Patrol assigned areas to deter crime and enforce laws.
  • Conduct investigations and gather evidence.
  • Issue citations and make arrests.
  • Administer first aid and provide emergency assistance.
  • Write detailed reports and document incidents.
  • Appear in court to testify as needed.
  • Communicate effectively with the public and on radios.

Benefits

  • Full retirement contribution to Oregon PERS paid by the city;
  • Opportunity for tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness;
  • Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance provided;
  • Wellness programs and employee assistance program available;
  • Bilingual pay premiums for language proficiency;
  • Accrued vacation time for lateral hires based on previous experience;
  • Potential cash hiring bonus and frontloaded vacation time for lateral hires.
Full Job Description
Salary: $39.54 - $52.98 Hourly
Location : Beaverton Public Safety Center, OR
Job Type: Full time
Job Number: FY26/27-POLICE
Department: Police
Division: Police Patrol
Opening Date: 07/20/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

The Position
As a Police Officer, you will patrol assigned areas to deter crime, enforce laws, and respond to emergencies. Your duties will include conducting investigations, gathering evidence, issuing citations, and making arrests when appropriate. Officers also take command at crime or accident scenes, administer first aid, write reports, and provide credible testimony in court. This work requires sound judgment, integrity, and the ability to analyze situations quickly and objectively.
What we're looking for:
  • Applicants who embody integrity, courage, and a strong sense of public service.
  • Excellent communication skills, sound decision-making abilities, and a calm demeanor in stressful situations.
  • Future officers who are committed to community engagement and understand the importance of building relationships and trust within our city.
  • People who are excited by the challenge of learning a large amount of factual material, including laws, statutes, ordinances, and procedures.

For entry-level applicants, this position is an opportunity to launch a meaningful career in law enforcement, supported by comprehensive training and development.
Experienced lateral officers will bring proven skills and experience to contribute immediately to our team.
If you want to make a real impact within the diverse Beaverton community, enjoy a variety of tasks and duties at work, and thrive in a professional, progressive, proactive organization, this may be the opportunity for you!
Selection process

The hiring process for Beaverton Police Department has seven steps and typically takes 3-4 months to complete. Qualified lateral officers may start on Step 3 (Oral boards).
Step 1: Written test - Reading comprehension and grammar

Step 2: Physical test - 1 mile run (passing time: 9 minutes, 15 seconds)

Step 3: Oral board (interview)

Step 4: Background investigation

Step 5: Chief interview

Step 6: Psychological evaluation

Step 7: Medical evaluation

Police Officer is a full-time, non-exempt, Beaverton Police Association (BPA)- classified position. Police Officers work varied shifts that include weekends and holidays.
Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Beaverton's online portal. You will need to enter your work history and respond to several supplemental questions. Your education, skills, and experience will be evaluated using the information you provide in the application and supplemental questions. Attaching a resume or cover letter does not replace the requirement to fully complete the application.
This recruitment is open continuously and applications will be reviewed regularly. After you've submitted your application, you can check your governmentjobs.com account to view its current status.

Responsibilities

  • Enforce criminal and traffic laws.
  • Make arrests.
  • Issue citations.
  • Investigate accidents.
  • Patrol roads, highways, and businesses.
  • Write reports.
  • Appear in court.
  • Handle prisoners.
  • Communicate by radio.
  • Educate the public.
  • Provide services to residents and community members.
  • Contribute to the promotion of organizational values, including personal and professional development, accountability, and promoting respect in a multicultural society.
  • Additional duties outlined in the class specification.

Qualifications
Minimum qualifications, licensing, and special requirements for all officers
  • High school diploma or GED; and
  • Work skills and/or life experience that are relevant to a law enforcement career.
  • Valid driver's license and ability to meet the city's driving standards.
  • 21 years or older at the time of hire.
  • Must be a US citizen within 18 months of hire or a nonimmigrant legally admitted to the United States under a Compact of Free Association.
  • Must never have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that reflects adversely on the capacity to serve as a police officer.
  • Able to pass background and reference checks, drug screen, and pre-hire medical and psychological evaluations. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) fingerprints must be cleared prior to start date; successful candidates will need to receive CJIS certification within 30 days after hire.

To qualify as an entry-level officer you must be:
  • Able to pass written exam and fitness test.
  • Able to obtain Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Basic Certification within 18 months of hire.

To qualify as a lateral hire, you must have:
  • Completed a state-certified police academy.
  • Passed a probationary period of not less than one year with a law enforcement agency as a full-time sworn officer.
  • Been employed as a full-time sworn officer within the last five years.
  • Be in good standing with current/former law enforcement agency.

The city's talent acquisition goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the performance objectives of the role. We encourage persons with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, even if you believe you do not meet 100% of the qualifications and hiring criteria described.

Compensation
Wage range: $39.54 - $52.98 hourly

All new hires with no sworn, paid law enforcement work experience will start at Step 1 of the posted salary range. Higher steps within the pay range may be offered to lateral hires who have additional years of directly related experience.
Total compensation package and benefits

In addition to competitive pay, the city offers a wide variety of benefits to regular employees which make up an exceptional total compensation package.
The city pays the full retirement contribution to the Oregon Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) including the employee portion; provides employees with an opportunity to participate in a deferred compensation retirement plan; makes available a public service loan forgiveness program and tuition reimbursement program; and offers excellent health, dental, vision and life .
Additional benefits include excellent , PTO cash out options, wellness programs and incentives, an employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) VEBA, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and bilingual pay premiums.

Vacation accrual for lateral hires will be based on total length of previous experience as a full-time public safety employee, and lateral hires may also be eligible for a cash hiring bonus of up to $7500, as well as frontloaded vacation time.
The City of Beaverton provides a generous benefit package, including excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage; and employer-paid PERS retirement. Learn more about your options and employee-based benefits by clicking the link below.
01

Do you have a High School Diploma or G.E.D?
  • Yes
  • No

02

Do you have 90 or more college credit hours?
  • Yes
  • No

03

Do you have a valid driver's license and ability to meet city driving standards?
  • Yes
  • No

04

Have you completed a state-certified police academy?
  • Yes
  • No

05

Do you possess full professional proficiency to read, write and speak one or more of the city's priority languages (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Japanese, Russian)?
  • Yes
  • No

06

If you answered yes to the question about languages, which of the City of Beaverton's priority languages do you speak, read, and write fluently?
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Korean
  • Vietnamese
  • Chinese
  • Russian
  • Japanese
  • None of these

07

All persons hired as a police officer by the Beaverton Police Department must be 21 years of age or older at the time of hire.
  • I acknowledge that I have read this statement.

08

All persons hired as a police officer by the Beaverton Police Department will be required to verify valid U.S. citizenship or nonimmigrant status legally admitted to the U.S. under a Compact of Free Association, or obtain US citizenship status within 18 months of hire.
  • I acknowledge that I have read this statement.

09

Have you been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that reflects adversely on the capacity to serve as a police officer?
  • Yes
  • No

10

Please list any work, volunteer, or life experience that is relevant to a law enforcement career.
Required Question

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