Recruiting

For the most up to date recruiting information, please visit our main recruiting site Join Tukwila PD

Current number of vacancies as of 1/12/2023 – (8) We are hiring Entry-Level and Lateral Officers

Please check out our Police Applicant FAQ page for commonly asked questions about employment as a Tukwila Police Officer.

LATERAL CANDIDATES – Lateral applicants please click here to apply. We cover airfare, hotel and rental car for lateral applicants from out of state (Must be currently employed as a fully commissioned law enforcement officer). All necessary testing is done in one trip out here over 3-4 days. The lateral hiring process goes very quick once the testing process has begun.  We typically do the written exam and Chief’s interview online for out of state applicants. 

$25,000 hiring bonus for qualified in-state laterals

$20,000 hiring bonus for qualified out-of-state laterals

LATERAL ENTRY – Continuous testing is conducted for Lateral Entry Police Officers. Applicants will be contacted upon receipt of application. For out of state lateral entry candidates that are currently employed as full-time commissioned law enforcement officers as outlined below, we cover the cost of airfare and lodging to participate in the expedited testing process (Must be currently employed as a fully commissioned law enforcement officer in good standing). We are currently offering a $10,000.00 signing bonus to qualified lateral candidates.  Testing for lateral entry candidates consists of a pre-screen phone interview, written exam, oral board, background investigation, polygraph examination, written and oral psychological exams and a medical exam. The testing is scheduled at your convenience and done during a one-week period.

To be eligible as a lateral entry candidate, you must meet the following requirements;

• Must have been employed as a commissioned law enforcement officer on a full-time basis with a municipal, county or WSCJTC approved federal agency for a period of time exceeding 24 of the last 36 months (post academy experience) at the time of application. Reserve Officers, Auxiliary Officers, Special Police Officers, Hospital Police Officers, Correction Officers and Military Police (MP) Officers do not qualify for lateral entry. Tribal officers who are not currently certified by the WSCJTC do not qualify for lateral entry.
• Academy training that meets the requirements to participate in the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center’s (WSCJTC) Equivalency Academy as outlined here by the WSCJTC.
• Lateral Entry applicants must have successfully completed a field training program (FTO or PTO) and be a non-probationary officer.
• If you are currently a law enforcement officer but do not meet the time in-service requirements of a Lateral Police Officer, you may qualify to test as a Certified Entry candidate (See below paragraph).
• Lateral Entry applicants who are not currently employed as a full-time law enforcement officer are not eligible to receive the $10,000 hiring bonus.
• Lateral applicants who were terminated, resigned in lieu of termination or would not otherwise be considered for rehire by their former department or agency are not eligible for a lateral position.
• Lateral applicants who are on current administrative leave or on any leave status as a result of current internal investigations or criminal investigations are not eligible to apply until such time that they have returned to full duty status.
• Lateral applicants with sustained internal investigations for integrity violations or are on the Brady List are not eligible to apply.

More information about the Department is available on our  Twitter,  Facebook  and Instagram  accounts @TukwilaPD

ENTRY LEVEL – $77,652 starting salary. Applicants interested in testing for open Entry-Level Police Officer positions must begin the process by testing with Public Safety Testing. Public Safety Testing will conduct the written and physical agility tests and then send passing scores to the Tukwila Civil Service Examiner. As staffing needs arise, the department will invite those whose scores have been received by the Tukwila Civil Service Examiner to begin the rest of the testing process. The process includes an  oral board, chief’s interview, background investigation, polygraph examination, written and oral psychological exams and a medical exam. The entire process can take 2-6 months.

Current or prior military or a veteran? Click the image below

Please review ALL portions of the automatic disqualification list which is listed at the bottom of this page prior to testing to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications.  

Schedule

Patrol officers work a set 12-hour 3 on 3 off/4 on 4 off schedule. Shift rotations are 6 months in length and shift bidding is by seniority. The way the schedule works is that you always have the same work days during the week with the exception of every other Saturday for the duration of the rotation.

Specialty Assignments work a 10-hour 4 day schedule.

Salary and Benefits

Entry-Level officers start at $90,561. Lateral officers with 5+ years of qualifying experience start at $110,376. Those with less than 5 years experience will fall under the salary that coincides with the number of years of service they have.

Education Incentive Pay

-2% A.A. or A.S. degree (approved field of study)

-4% B.A. or B.S. degree (approved field of study)

Specialty Pay

-5% specialty pay for specialty assignments (SWAT, Community Police Team (CPT), Major Crimes Unit (MCU), Traffic Unit, Tukwila Anti-Crime Team (TAC), K-9, School Resource Officer (SRO), Taskforce, PIO/Recruiter, Training Coordinator.

Leave

Vacation – 96 hours accrued annually at 4 hours per pay-period.

Sick Leave – 96 hours annually (Effective upon hire). After 12^th month, sick leave is accrued at 8 hours per month (4 per pay period). Max of 720 hours (90 days) of sick leave accrual.

Holiday Bank – 128 holiday bank hours annually. Patrol officers may use these hours as leave time or receive pay in lieu of time off or a combination of both.

Kelly Days – 110 Kelly Day hours annually.  Patrol officers may use these hours as leave time or receive pay in lieu of time off or a combination of both.

Medical

-City paid medical premiums for medical/dental/optical healthcare plans.

-Benefits effective at hire date

-City self-insured policy through HMA or Kaiser Permanente

-Domestic partners are eligible for benefits

Retirement

LEOFFII

http://www.drs.wa.gov/member/systems/leoff/

Uniforms & Equipment

-All uniforms and equipment are supplied by the department including duty belt/pouches, hats, boots, flashlight, vest, firearms, handcuffs, ammo.

-Jumpsuit will be provided as an option at the completion of probation.

-Department issued iPhone for official duty use.

-Glock 17  and patrol rifle are issued to all officers.

-Taser X26P or X2 are issued to all officers

-External load-bearing vests are authorized for duty wear. They must be purchased by the officer however through the department vendor.

-Patrol fleet consisting of fully equipped Ford Explorer Police Interceptors.

-$250 dry cleaning allowance provided annually.

Training

-Entry-level officers must attend the WSCJTC Basic Training academy upon hire.

-Lateral-entry officers must attend a 2-week WSCJTC Equivalency academy within 6 months of hire.

-Officers have the option to attend twice weekly optional Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) training sessions taught by our GST certified instructors.

-Officers are allowed to work out on-duty at the Tukwila Police Department gym.

-Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Gracie Survival Tactics, CPR/1st Aid, EVOC, Law, Active Shooter and other trainings are conducted throughout the year.

-Officers may submit requests to attend training sessions, workshops and training opportunities hosted by the WSCJTC or outside training companies.

Job Requirements

Age : 21

US Citizen : Yes, or lawful permanent resident status

High School Grad/GED : Yes

Valid WASHINGTON State Driver’s License : Yes

Ability to Read/Speak English : Yes

Vision : Applicant must have normal color vision. Applicant must have vision correctable to 20/20 in the better eye and 20/30 in the lesser eye. Applicants wearing eyeglasses or hard contacts must have uncorrected vision no worse than 20/200 in each eye. Applicants wearing soft contacts must be able to:

• Provide verifiable documentation that soft contacts have been worn regularly for at least one (1) year prior to application
• Meets minimum vision acuity standards with soft contact lenses, and
• There are no indications of corneal damage, or conditions of the eye which might require discontinuation of soft contact use

Automatic Disqualification barring employment in the City of Tukwila PD :

• Any adult felony conviction on current criminal record at time of application;
• Any juvenile felony conviction within the past five years;
• Conviction of any crime of violence, including domestic violence;
• Commission of any sexual offense within the past 10 years;
• Any conviction of a felony crime at any time while employed in any capacity with Law Enforcement Agency (including volunteer, intern, Explorer, and reserve positions);
• Any theft of property or money within the last five years;
• Any conviction for a sex related crime;
• Ever having to register as a sex offender, regardless of conviction status;
• Any conviction for solicitation of prostitution;
• Any misdemeanor convictions for crimes not specifically stated above will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Drug Use:

• As an adult, convicted of any felony drug crime;
• Have used marijuana or mushrooms within the last 12 months;
• Used hallucinogens (including GHB and ecstasy; excludes mushrooms), cocaine, methamphetamine, or opiates within the last 10 years;
• Usage of any other illegal drug, including steroids and prescription abuse, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis;
• Have illegally used 4 or more different controlled substances, including marijuana, in the last 10 years;
• Have at any time manufactured, transported or cultivated illegal drugs (including marijuana) for the purpose of sale or distribution;
• Have used any illegal drugs while employed in a criminal justice capacity;
• Have ever obtained or used a prescription drug under false pretenses;
• Have ever, at any time, injected amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, or valium;
• Have ever illegally used a drug after submitting an application to any Law Enforcement Agency;
• Have ever sold or distributed illegal drugs, including marijuana;
• Any more than two drug convictions for any of the narcotics listed above.

Traffic Record:

• Any criminal traffic conviction within the past 5 years. Violation examples include, but are not limited to: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, negligent driving, or hit and run driving;
• Suspension or revocation of your driver’s license (for any traffic violation) within five years of the date of the employment application;
• Any more than two criminal convictions for traffic related offenses.

Financial Record:

• Any willful failure to pay income tax or court ordered child support is disqualifying;
• A credit check will be conducted regarding your financial history.

Military Record:

• Must have been discharged from the Military under honorable conditions. Any discharge other than honorable will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Potential Disqualification:

• Any applicant who maintains an on-going relationship with individuals who are criminals and/or who are reputed to be involved in recent or current criminal activity;
• An applicant’s criminal record, including all arrests, prosecutions, deferred prosecutions, “Alford” pleases, and non-conviction information will be thoroughly assessed and may be grounds for disqualification;
• Commission of any crime (non-conviction).

Veteran’s Preference Points : City of Tukwila follows the guidance given by the State of Washington regarding applying veteran’s points.

Tukwila Justice Center

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15005 Tukwila International Blvd (Directions)

Tukwila Justice Center 47.468392, -122.287869 15005 Tukwila International Blvd (Directions)