Police Officer

Police Officer Salary and Job Details

Police Officer Salary: $50,255.90 Annually Location: Janesville, WI Job Type: Full Time Job Number: 2026.31.215.01 Department: Police Department Division: Police Department Opening Date: 12/08/2025 Closing Date: Continuous FLSA: Non-Exempt Benefits: Earning Potential $85,940.18

City of Janesville Diversity Statement

The residents of Janesville choose this community, not just as a place to live, but as a place to realize life's opportunities. We strive to sustain a community culture where differences are recognized, understood, and appreciated. As such, the City of Janesville recognizes the importance of developing an environment where diversity is not merely accepted but embraced and celebrated. As public servants, we believe everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. To this end, we will diligently recruit and retain the most talented employees in an environment that fosters maximizing one's potential. Therefore, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to consider employment with the City of Janesville and serve the residents of "Wisconsin's Park Place".

Objective and Relationships

• The Janesville Police Department accepts lateral transfers from qualified law enforcement agencies.
• For all new employees hired after January 1, 2016, the City may grant an initial pay rate on any step of the salary schedule to a maximum of the 5-year step, and vacation to the maximum of the 2-year step. Such placement shall not affect the new employee's seniority for any other purpose.
• Qualified applicants will be required to attend JPD's written and Wisconsin Physical Readiness Test (PRT) testing on Saturday, 1/31/26. Additional details will be shared after the application period closes and candidate reviews are complete.

Relationships

• Reports to: Chief of Police - Designee
• Field Supervisor (Sergeant) and/or Shift/Division Supervisor (Lieutenant or Sergeant)
• Supervisory responsibility: None
• Has regular work contact with the general public, department staff and employees and outside agencies or organizations.

Essential Duties

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The job duties and responsibilities listed below are intended as illustrations of the various types of work and specific tasks performed in this position. The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those tasks from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Patrols assigned area of the City (which may include uneven terrain, stairs, narrow spaces, fenced or walled areas, unlighted areas, or areas patrolled in a police vehicle), either mobile or foot patrol to prevent crime and disturbance of public peace.
• Responds to reports of criminal activity; searches buildings, residences, and surrounding areas for criminal subjects; secures scene to restore peace and protect evidence; responds to citizen requests for service; provides backup to other officers engage in physical confrontation or arrest activities.
• Participates in a variety of law enforcement activities, including making arrests of suspects in traffic and criminal offenses; takes control of crime scenes, which may involve subduing unruly or resisting subjects through the use of force, including deadly force; effects arrests, which may include pursuing fleeing armed or unarmed subjects who may be walking, running, crawling, climbing stairs or ladders, or in vehicles.
• Investigates criminal and civil offenses, conducting preliminary investigations and follow-up investigations as may be required; analyze probable sequence of events; seek additional data through research, telephone calls, interviews, and other methods.
• Responds to wide range of citizen needs and requests, at times under emergency conditions, i.e., accidents, rescue efforts, search for missing persons, alarms, physical confrontations, and crimes in progress.
• Enforces traffic laws and regulations; perform initial tests for sobriety levels; apprehends violators and issues appropriate warnings or uniform traffic citations; investigate and make detailed reports of traffic accidents and offenses; participates in traffic control; assists motorists in distress.
• Knows and enforce pertinent Federal laws, State statutes, City ordinances, codes, and regulations, apprehending violators and making proper arrests or summonses.
• Conducts lawful searches of persons and property, confiscates and secures all evidence and contraband seized according to law and department policy.
• Serves subpoenas, arrest warrants, and summons including body attachments, apprehension requests and juvenile capiases; transports for incarceration.
• Interviews and interrogates victims, complainants, witnesses, and suspects as appropriate.
• Responds to emergency calls which may require the use of strength, subduing suspects, rescuing or lifting residents from distressful and dangerous situations; removes accident or storm debris.
• Provides short-term counseling, assistance, and human comfort to victims of tragic or traumatic events.
• Exercises self-control, patience, prudence, tolerance, and stability to calm and/or properly control irate or violent residents and deals effectively with the unpleasant or unusual facts or results of human behavior.
• Manages physical and mental stress in crisis situations, such as running, pursuit, climbing, and taking cover from gunfire.
• Analyzes situations and facts quickly and effectively to make sound, logical interpretations of laws, codes, and regulations within established guidelines, often in the absence of supervision.
• Prepares clear, concise, detailed, accurate, and timely written report forms as required.
• Where necessary, the careful and proper use of a service weapon or other assigned police firearms; proper maintenance, storage, and safety of assigned firearms at all times.
• Testifies in court proceedings to provide known facts and evidence.
• Maintains departmental equipment, supplies, and facilities; periodically practices the use of a variety of firearms.
• Participates in police training and law enforcement continuing education; maintains required State of Wisconsin Certification for Law Enforcement Officers.
• Assists other government and law enforcement agencies in various activities.
• Follows all department and City safety regulations, policies, and procedures; reports all unsafe conditions and acts to supervisors; follows recognized safe work practices.
• Performs duties as may be assigned for special or temporary police duty assignments.
• Performs other special projects and other duties as assigned or required during regular and non-business hours, including providing support as a part of any City response to essential or emergency operations.

Minimum Position Requirements/Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform the essential duties of the position.

• Education and Experience:
• Minimum Age - 18 years old
• High school diploma or GED equivalent, supplemented by a minimum 40 college semester credits at time of hire (60 college semester credits for lateral transfer candidates at time of application) or Associate Degree in Police Science, Criminal Justice or related field or general studies from an accredited college or university.
• Meet the requirements of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board.
• A valid, state-issued driver's license at time of hire.
• Must pass medical examination meeting minimum physical, hearing, and eyesight requirements.
• A United States citizen and have no felony criminal record.
• Must pass a written examination.
• Must pass psychological examination.
• Must pass background investigation.

Skills and Behaviors

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective skills in maintaining accurate, detailed, and confidential/sensitive records and information.
• Excellent interpersonal, customer service, and organizational skills to appropriately interface with the public as a representative of the department and City and present oneself in a calm, knowledgeable manner.
• Strong ethics base built upon integrity, honesty, and respect.
• Ability to:
• Learn the principles and practices of modern police practices.
• Learn the streets and physical layout of the community and the locations requiring special police attention.
• Learn crime reporting, crime analysis principles and practices, and crime prevention techniques and activities.
• Learn criminal investigation procedures, practices, techniques, and activities.
• Communicate effectively, both in verbal and written form, and to follow verbal and written instructions with minimum supervision.
• Effectively represent the police department to the general public.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with elected and appointed City officials, division and department heads, community leaders and groups, neighborhood groups, business representatives, department staff and employees, outside agencies, and the general public.
• Understand, comply with, and make decisions in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, ordinances, and established procedures.
• Exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and making critical decisions; exhibit initiative, problem-solving capacity, effective and mature judgment, and imagination in coping with complex situations.
• Consider conflicting needs, options, and information and to make difficult decisions.
• Exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and making critical decisions; exhibit initiative, problem-solving capacity, effective and mature judgment, and imagination in coping with complex situations.
• Respond quickly to emergencies and other calls for service without unnecessarily jeopardizing the safety of the officer, other members of the police department, or the public.
• Tolerate stress in a multitude of forms and maintain a balanced perspective in the face of constant exposure to the worst side of human nature.
• Develop proficiency in the use of firearms and operation of motor vehicles.
• Apply techniques of self-defense and use necessary force to apprehend and restrain violent or hostile individuals.
• Safely operate a motor vehicle in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Fire weapons, pass firearm safety and qualification standards, and use deadly force when necessary.
• Subdue and arrest a resisting or attacking individual.
• Administer first aid and render assistance when necessary.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information and materials in a professional manner.
• Timely and accurately prepare and review relevant records and reports.