Lateral Officer Opportunities
Make the move to Tucson Police and grow your career!
Application process expected to open in Fall 2026
Lateral Officers are certified officers who have already completed a Police academy.
To qualify as a lateral applicant, you must hold a current AZPOST certification, or Out of State equivalent, be off probation, and completed Field Training Officer (FTO) training. Potential candidates should be able to discuss major cases that impact law enforcement decision making.
Interested applicants are required to complete an on-line application.
Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) now requires that ALL police officer applicants complete AZPOST's electronic personal history questionnaire in addition to ALL law enforcement agency applications. Visit my.azpost.gov to create an account. Upon completion of AZPOST's questionnaire indicate Tucson Police Department as your agency of interest. AZPOST will provide you a PIN.
Compensation
- Minimum Hiring Salary: $30.43
- Full Hourly Range: $30.43 - 41.42 USD
Dependent upon experience, qualifications, and successful completion of any applicable job training: In accordance with pay transparency, the salary reflected in this posting is the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate’s current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.
The current lateral pay scale is as follows:
- 1-3.99 years of sworn law enforcement experience: $30.43/hour
- 4-5.99 years of sworn law enforcement experience: $30.61/hour
- 6-7.99 years of sworn law enforcement experience: $32.34/hour
- 8-10.99 years of sworn law enforcement experience: $33.63/hour
- 11+ years of sworn law enforcement experience: $35.31/hour
(A new lateral pay scale is being evaluated. These rates may be increased prior to your conditional job offer.)
Benefits
The City of Tucson offers a generous benefits package for benefit-eligible positions. The comprehensive, flexible, and affordable coverage is designed to optimize health and well-being, security and future, and peace of mind. Benefits begin with medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and FSA coverage, surpassing your standard 401(k) program by offering a rich pension plan plus optional Roth and pretax deferred compensation savings.
With your well-being in mind, our paid time off program provides new hires with 38 paid days off in the first year of employment, with time off increasing steadily in subsequent years. We offer six weeks of paid parental leave, paid tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, off- and on-the-job training, and opportunities to forge connections with peers and the community through employee resource groups and paid volunteer hours.
Learn more about our City of Tucson benefits.
Hiring Process
The hiring process includes:
- Online Application
- Background
- Oral Board - Qualified applicants will be provided with the location and time of the oral board
- Polygraph Exam
- Drug Screen
- Psychological Exam
- Medical Exam
Upcoming hiring dates:
Expected to Open:
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