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Have a question? Check out the most common questions asked about working in Uniformed and Non-Uniformed positions with the Spokane Police Department.
Hiring takes anywhere from 2 – 4 months. Check out the full hiring process page for more detailed information.
Out-of-state applicants will need to come to Spokane 2-3 times during the hiring process.
The Academy usually starts 1 week after you are hired and lasts 4 months.
Generally, you will start the academy 1 week after you are hired.
Yes, at this point you would be an employee of the department.
Public Safety Testing is a 3rd party company and requires a physical test to be taken with the written test. Then Spokane PD has its own physical agility test which aligns more closely to what is required by CJTC. The Spokane PD’s physical test is taken after you pass the in-person interview.
Often times members of the departments that are hiring attend PST events, so it is recommended that you wear professional attire for the written portion. Please wear appropriate athletic clothing for the physical test.
Openings in specialized units are advertised throughout the department. If you meet the requirements to submit your name for the unit, you may apply. There is often a process that all qualified interested candidates will get the opportunity to participate in.
Check out a list of the specialized units here.
There are no disqualifications for surgeries or injuries, but you must be able to perform the requirements of the job.
The minimum notice you may receive is two weeks, but we try to give you a month or two notice when possible.
A trial period upon initial appointment is 18 months for entry-level and 12 months for laterals, during which the probationer’s performance will be evaluated by management. Probationary employees may be discharged without appeal rights.
Your Public Safety Test score will determine where you are on the hiring list. Scores are ranked from highest to lowest and determine the order candidates are interviewed and offered the position.
Once you send your Public Safety Test score to the City of Spokane, the score remains in our system for one year. If you don’t like your score, you can retake the test after 365 days and resubmit. Please note, that we will use the newest score provided, not the highest score for eligibility ranking.
When you fill out your application through governmentjobs.com you will be asked to submit DD-214 member 4 form to prove you served. After an analyst reviews the form, you may be awarded extra points on your public safety test and your place on the eligibility list will be updated. Only candidates with a passing score on their PST will be considered for additional points.
Check out this flowchart for veteran’s scoring criteria.
As of June 8, 2023, The Spokane Police Department has 342 sworn officers.
Gender:
Race:
Spokane Police Patrol works a 10 hour and 40 min shift on one of 3 schedules:
Officers work 15 days a month and have two consecutive weekends off:
Yes! Occasionally, The City of Spokane will cover testing fees for a select number of applicants. If the fees are being waived, it will be listed on the PST website.
Applicants with marijuana/cannabis use 1 year prior to application will not be considered.
You will need to visit the Public Safety Testing site to sign up for the PAT and Public Safety Test.
Hiring usually takes 1-3 months after Civil Service sends the list of eligible names from testing.
Recruitment works a little differently than most jobs. Just because you apply and take the Civil Service test does not mean that we are currently hiring for that position. It could mean that we need to build a list of eligible applicants first. This list is valid for 2 years and will be sent to hiring managers once a position opens.
A trial period upon initial hire is 12 months during which the probationer’s performance will be evaluated by management. Probationary employees may be discharged without appeal rights.
Your Civil Service Test score will determine where you are on the hiring list. Scores are ranked from highest to lowest and determine the order candidates are interviewed and offered the position.
When you fill out your application through governmentjobs.com you will be asked to submit DD-214 member 4 form to prove you served. After an analyst reviews the form, you may be awarded extra points on your civil service test and your place on the eligibility list will be updated. Only candidates with a passing score on their civil service test will be considered for additional points.
Check out this flowchart for veteran’s scoring criteria.
As of June 8, 2023 The Spokane Police Department has 105 full-time, non-uniformed employees.
Gender:
Race:
Applicants with marijuana/cannabis use 6 months prior to application will not be considered.
