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The City of Spokane Police Department has many professional civilian positions. Review these hiring process steps to know what to expect as you work your way to serving the community and becoming a part of the Police Department.
Meet the Minimum Qualifications
Please review the qualification requirements before applying. Failure to meet qualifications will result in application denial.
Please note – candidates with any marijuana or any controlled substance use in the last six months will not be considered.
Apply with the City
Once a position opens for recruitment, you can apply through my.spokanecity.org/jobs. When hiring begins, your application is reviewed by a Civil Service analyst to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position.
If it is determined that you meet the minimum qualifications for the position, a member from the Civil Service department sends you a Personal History Statement to fill out. The Personal History Statement (PHS) is designed to assist public safety agencies in the background investigations of candidates. It is very important that your PHS is filled out completely and truthfully. Many candidates are disqualified for untruthfulness, inaccuracies, or omissions in their PHS.
After we receive your PHS, we review the information for any disqualifiers. If you are still qualified for the position, an examination link with instructions is emailed to you. The email will come from info@governmentjobs.com. Once you receive the link, the testing window is usually Thursday, 12:00 AM to the following Tuesday at 11:59 PM, but please refer to the info detailed in the email you receive for information specific to the position you’re applying.
Your score on the Civil Service test determines your place on the eligible list. When a position opens for hiring, the Civil Service department sends a list of names to the hiring managers based on the number of open positions. Hiring managers then review applications and conduct interviews.
Initial Phone Interview
After reviewing your information, a hiring manager will reach out to you for an initial phone interview.
Pre-Oral Board Interview
Pre-oral board interview is held virtually with the Spokane PD’s hiring board. Here, they have the opportunity to ask additional questions to determine if you will move on to the in-person interview.
This is an interview in front of a panel of 4 people. Please bring a copy of your resume and dress appropriately.
All applicants are assigned a background investigator who conducts the interview. During the interview, the investigator reviews the candidate’s Personal History Statement in-depth. They also collect additional information pertinent to hiring the highest-quality applicants.
The Polygraph Interview is conducted to ensure that the applicant has been truthful and forthcoming with all information provided thus far. Polygraphs are often 2-3 hours in length. Be honest and forthcoming throughout the process and you’ll breeze right through.
If the process goes well, you will receive a job offer.
