Lateral Police Officer

Lateral Police Officer Salary and Job Details

Lateral Police Officer Salary: $108,386.40 - $129,186.72 Annually Location: Auburn, WA Job Type: Full-Time Department: Police Division Police Opening Date: 01/12/2026 Closing Date: Continuous FLSA: Non-Exempt Bargaining Unit: POL

Job Description and Benefits

The Auburn Police Department (APD) is seeking experienced, motivated, and service-driven law enforcement professionals to join our team as Lateral Police Officers. This is an opportunity to serve a continuously growing community within a modern, well-resourced police department that values professionalism, trust, integrity, and officer wellness.

About the Job

As a Police Officer at APD, you will perform meaningful, challenging work that directly impacts community safety and quality of life. Team APD supports its officers with competitive compensation and benefits, wellness resources, specialty assignments, and clear pathways for career advancement.

Department Structure

The department is comprised of 150 staff to include:

• Chief of Police
• Assistant Chief
• Five (5) Commanders
• 13 Sergeants
• 108 Officers/Detectives
• 16 Non-Commissioned staff
• a Crime Analyst
• Public Information Officer
• Wellness Program Designer
• and three (3) Administrative Assistants

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time position represented by the Police Officers Guild with a current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) effective 1/1/25 - 12/31/27. The salary listed on the announcement is the base salary, and the salary upon hire will be based on your months of service as a commissioned officer.

Additional Compensation and Pay Incentives

Officers also have opportunities to receive additional compensation and pay incentives based multiple factors, as outlined in the CBA. These include:

• Longevity pay starting after five (5) years of service
• Bilingual pay after completing field training and proving proficiency through a bilingual exam
• Education pay for police-related Associate or Bachelor (or higher) degrees
• Many specialty assignments also come with premium pay, starting at 2% of the straight-time hourly base rate

Primary Duties

As a member of APD, you will perform general police work involving the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances, maintenance of order, and prevention and investigation of crimes. This work involves a substantial element of personal danger and employees must be able to act without direct supervision and exercise independent discretion in emergencies.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include:

• Responding to emergency and non-emergency calls for service
• Patrolling assigned areas to deter crime and provide a visible public safety presence
• Investigating crimes, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and making arrests when warranted
• Preparing thorough, accurate reports, logs, and documentation
• Handling domestic disputes, juvenile matters, and incidents involving individuals in crisis
• Pursuing suspects on foot and in vehicles, safely performing physically demanding tasks
• Using appropriate levels of force to protect life and property
• Providing first aid and life-saving assistance
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing in all settings
• Maintaining professionalism while managing stressful, hostile, or emotionally charged situations

Minimum Qualifications

To move forward in our process, you must:

• Possess a High School Diploma, or equivalent (GED)
• Be a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or be a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient
• Be at least 20-1/2 years of age at the time of application
• Be able to fluently read and write the English language using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Be able to meet all Civil Service Rules and Regulations, including the physical requirements listed in Rule 21.01
• Possess a valid drivers license, without impending loss at the time of appointment
• Be a Basic Law Enforcement Training graduate, or equivalent, as accepted by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission

Additional Requirements

If selected to move forward, you must:

• Be 21 years of age by your appointment date/date of hire
• Be able to provide documentation necessary to confirm equivalency as required by WAC (linked above)
• Successfully complete and pass a thorough background investigation which will include, but is not limited to, a suitability assessment, reference checks and employment verifications, polygraph examination, credit check, driving abstract review, drug screening, psychological interview, fingerprinting, Chiefs interview, and pre-employment physical examination

Automatic Disqualifiers

To see a list of APDs automatic disqualifiers, click here.

Why Choose the City of Auburn?

Competitive salary with annual step increases Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employee premiums paid by the City Employer contributions to Washington State Department of Retirement Systems pension plans Annual paid vacation as outlined in the CBA with 60 hours of vacation front-loaded upon hire Front-loaded WA Paid Sick Leave with additional sick leave accruals each pay period with an additional 60 hours of sick leave front-loaded upon hire Paid holidays per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (12 each year) Tax-free health savings account (VEBA) Optional flexible spending accounts Deferred compensation plans (pre-tax and Roth options) Employee wellness programs within the department and Citywide Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Commitment to Inclusion

Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is lawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

Communication from the City of Auburn

We primarily communicate via e-mail during the recruitment process. E-mails from auburnwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders. Please visit our Employee Benefits webpage for details: https://auburn.attract.neogov.com/p/benefits