Tigard Police Department

Job Information

You have come to right place to learn about becoming a Tigard Police Officer. The following information has been compiled for you which may be helpful when considering employment with the City of Tigard.

About the Tigard Community

First, what you may want to know about the community...
Tigard is a city of more than 50,000 residents located immediately southwest of Portland in rapidly growing Washington County. It is situated in the Tualatin Valley 80 miles east of the Pacific Ocean and 70 miles west of Mt. Hood and the Oregon Cascades.

Washington County and the Portland metro-area are nationally recognized as one of the most livable areas in the country. Often referred to as the "Silicon Forest" for its continuing growth in the area of high technology, Washington County is home to renowned companies such as Tektronics, Intel and NEC, as well as world headquarters of Nike, Inc.

As a community, Tigard strives to manage growth and blend the amenities of a modern city with the friendliness and spirit of a small town. Located close to Portland, Tigard offers its residents the best of big city culture and events as well as a wealth of opportunity for activity and recreation.

About the Tigard Police Department

The Tigard Police Department is a progressive and professional organization employing 83.5 personnel with an annual operating budget of $16 million dollars.

The Tigard Police Department is committed to a community policing philosophy and works very closely with the public providing a wide range of programs and information. There are three divisions within the Police Department, including Operations, Services and Administration. Operations are the uniform and traffic branch. Administration includes the public information and crime prevention functions. Services consists of records, detectives, property control, commercial crimes unit, school resource officers, youth services and training.

Regional development has resulted in significant growth in daytime populations within the City of Tigard. The area is a popular destination as a result of the Washington Square shopping mall and a host of businesses and other attractions. Considering the added influx of visitors to the area, the average daytime population approaches 100,000.

Compensation and Benefits

Let's talk about the important things like compensation...
911 Emergency

The base salary range for a Police Officer can be found here. We offer incentive pay for intermediate and advanced certification as well as a bilingual language incentive. Lateral officers are placed by experience in a commensurate salary range.

...and Benefits
The Police Officer position is classified under the Tigard Police Officer's Association. The City of Tigard offers an excellent benefits package including health care, offering a choice of Blue Cross/Blue Shield or Kaiser Permanente Health with a defined employee pre-tax deductible contribution, paid vacation, sick and holiday pay, 6% PERS pick up and an optional deferred compensation program. Employee Benefit details can be found on the Human Resources page.

...and Incentive Pay
The City of Tigard offers pay incentives for education and advanced certification for eligible police officers. Incentive premiums and education requirements are as follows:

Premium	DPSST Certification	Educational Achievement
2.5 %	--	A.A. /A.S. or equiv. hours
4.25 %	Intermediate	--
6.25 %	Intermediate	A.A. /A.S. or equiv. hours
7.25 %	Advanced	--
8.75 %	Intermediate	B.A. /B.S. or equiv. hours
8.75 %	Advanced	A.A. /A.S. or equiv. hours
10 %	Advanced	B.A. /B.S. or equiv. hours

There is also opportunity for premium pay relating to special assignments within the Tigard Police Department. The following special assignments are included:

Motorcycle: 5%
K-9: 5%
Detectives (including Metro, Gang, Narcotics and Commercial Crimes Unit): 5–10%
TNT: 3–5%
SRO: 3–5%
TriMet Transit Police: 2.5%

There is also a bilingual incentive for employees that meet acceptable standards.

Qualifications

All candidates must have the following minimum qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Must be a U.S. Citizen
Must be 21 years or older at the time of application
Must possess or be able to obtain a valid driver license by time of hire
Must be able to meet all Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Police Officer standards
Must pass DPSST certified entry level written exam (70% or better)
Must pass DPSST ORPAT physical agility test
Must possess a DPSST Basic Police Officer certification within one year of hire
Must be able to read and write the English language
Must possess a high school diploma or GED
Prefer college degree in related law enforcement field
Prefer bilingual in English and Spanish

DISQUALIFICATIONS

A felony conviction under State or Federal law
A conviction of any misdemeanor under Oregon law within three years prior to application or convictions for two or more misdemeanors under Oregon law as an adult
A conviction of domestic violence
A conviction of crime involving controlled substances
Drug use, distribution or manufacturing
Any adult use of marijuana within one year of application
A dishonorable, bad conduct, or other than honorable discharge from the armed services
Three or more moving violations or a single instance of a major traffic offense within three years of application

The following standards have been adopted for public safety applicants with the City of Tigard Police Department:

Vehicle Operation

Ability to possess a valid drivers license
Ability to drive safely
Ability to control a motor vehicle at high speeds
Ability to operate a motor vehicle in all types of weather conditions

Integrity

Must resist the temptation of bribes, gratuities, payoff, etc.
Must not tolerate unethical or illegal conduct on the part of other law enforcement personnel
Must show strong moral character and integrity in dealing with the public
Must be honest

Credibility as a witness in a court of law

The ability to give testimony in a court of law without being subject to impeachment due to his/her honesty or veracity (or their opposites) or due to prior felony conviction

Dependability

Having a record or submitting reports on time and not malingering on calls, etc.
A record of being motivated to perform well
A record of dependability and follow through on assignments
A history of taking the extra effort required for complete accuracy in all details of work
Willingness to work the hours needed to complete the job

Learning Ability

The ability to comprehend and retain information
The ability to recall information pertaining to laws, statutes, codes, etc.
The ability to learn and to apply what is learned
The ability to learn and apply the material, tactics and procedures that are required of the law enforcement officer

Personal Sensitivity

The ability to resolve problems in a way that shows sensitivity of the feelings of others
Empathy
Discretion, not enforcing the law blindly
Effectiveness in dealing with people without arousing antagonism
The ability to understand the motives of people and how they will react and interact

Judgment under pressure

The ability to apply common sense during pressure situations
The ability to make sound decisions on the spot
The ability to use good judgment in dealing with potentially explosive situations
The ability to make effective, logical decisions under pressure

Hiring Process

The City of Tigard has contracted with PublicSafetyTesting.com (PST) to conduct a portion of our entry-level recruitment and testing process for police officer positions.

Interested candidates should visit www.publicsafetytesting.com or call 1-866-HIRE-911 for additional information.

Once at the website:

Applicants will be able to apply online with Tigard Police Department (applicants do not need to fill out the city's application form at this time).
Applicants will be able to access information on testing procedures.
Applicants will be able to choose a testing date, time, and location most convenient for them. Tests will be offered monthly at various locations around Oregon and/or Washington. Tests are not conducted online.

Scores for applicants that pass both the written and physical agility tests (Oregon’s ORPAT, Washington’s PAT, or Idaho’s PAT) will be sent to the City of Tigard. Tigard Human Resources (HR) staff will then further process the applicants, which may include inviting candidates to submit a city application to schedule oral boards and/or other tests.

The City of Tigard will accept applications with passing ORPAT scores or PAT scores from other states; however, all candidates must pass the ORPAT prior to an offer of employment.

After successful completion of the required tests, applicants can expect the following:

Invitation from HR staff to apply through the city's online application system (Create a profile in advance).
Oral Board (top candidates)
MPULSE (suitability assessment)
Background Investigation - Candidate history must include an extraordinary level of integrity and honesty
Interview with the Chief of Police

Upon conditional job offer, you will be required to undergo:

Psychological Evaluation
Medical Examination
Drug Test

The Tigard Police Department provides a variety of career possibilities for Police Officers in special assignment positions including K-9, Motorcycle, Drug Investigations, Detectives, Transit Enforcement, School Resource Officers, Gang Resistance Education (GREAT), TNT (Tactical Negotiations Team), and Commercial Crimes Unit.

Police Job Testing
Career possibilities in law enforcement include working as detectives, school resource officers, motorcycle and bicycle officers, transit police, cadets and honor guard, in addition to patrolling the streets of Tigard.

Our new testing process for entry-level officers allows us to accept all applications on an ongoing basis through www.publicsafetytesting.com.

Candidates can take a test at different testing sites and may be added to the eligibility list. The department will interview eligible candidates from the list as vacancies occur throughout the year.

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