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.
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.
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.
The Tigard Police Department is a progressive and professional organization employing 97 personnel with 79 sworn and 18 non-sworn positions. The department's annual operating budget is $21.8 million dollars for the 2020-21 fiscal year budget.
In May 2020, Tigard voters approved the Police Services Levy allowing for an additional eight patrol officers, one school resource officer, support staff and advanced crisis intervention and de-escalation training. Find out more
here.
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. Find out more about the department:
Let's talk about the important things like compensation... 
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 certification levels for police officers.
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 |
Tigard PD offers several specialty assignments with premium pay:
- Traffic Safety Officers: 5%
- K-9: 5%
- Detectives (including Narcotics and Commercial Crimes Unit): 5–10%
- Interagency Tactical Negotiations Team and Crisis Negotiations Unit: 3–5%
- School Resource Officer: 3–5%
- TriMet Transit Police: 2.5%
There is also a Spanish-language incentive for employees that meet acceptable standards.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
- You cannot obtain a valid driver's license in your state of residence.
- You will not be a U.S. citizen within one year of being hired. NOTE: Citizenship application requires 5 years of residency.
- You have been convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants (D.U.I.I.) within the past 5 years or have 2 or more D.U.I.I. convictions. A diversion or similar action is considered the same as a conviction.
- You have had three or more moving violations, two accidents, or a single instance of a major traffic offense within three years of application.
- You have been convicted of Reckless Driving, Attempting to Elude, Hit and Run (Failure to perform the duties of a driver), or Driving While Suspended or Revoked within the last 5 years. DPSST has a 10-year look back period for which they review convictions to evaluate if a candidate will be approved for state police certification.
- You have been convicted of a Domestic Violence Crime.
- You have been convicted of a felony.
- You have been convicted of any crime involving controlled substances.
- You have a dishonorable, bad conduct or other than honorable discharge from the armed services.
The following types of illegal drug use or possession will be considered an automatic disqualification in the pre-employment selection process for police personnel, with no exceptions:
- The illegal possession, sale, distribution, manufacture, or use of a controlled substance within the last five years.
- Illegal use of marijuana within the last year.
Oregon will not certify as a police officer anyone who has been convicted of: For complete details of disqualifiers to receive state certification as law enforcement - please visit the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) website for the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) #259-008-0070 Denial/Revocation.
- · ORS 162.065, Perjury
- · ORS 162.075, False Swearing
- · ORS 162.085, Unsworn Falsification
- · ORS 163.408, Sexual Penetration with a Foreign Object II
- · ORS 163.411, Sexual Penetration with a Foreign Object I
- · ORS 163.435, Contributing to Sexual Delinquency of a Minor
- · ORS 163.445, Sexual Misconduct
- · ORS 163.575, Endangering Welfare of Minor
- · ORS 163.670, Use Child in Display Sexually Explicit Material
- · ORS 163.684, Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse I
- · ORS 163.686, Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse II
- · ORS 167.065, Furnishing Obscene Materials to Minors
- · ORS 167.070, Sending Obscene Materials to Minors
- · ORS 167.075, Exhibiting Obscene Performance to a Minor
- · ORS 167.080, Displaying Obscene Materials to Minors
- · ORS 162.335, Rape III
- · ORS 162.365, Rape II
- · ORS 163.375, Rape I
- · ORS 163.385, Sodomy III
- · ORS 163.395, Sodomy II
- · ORS 163.405, Sodomy I
- · ORS 163.415, Sex Abuse III
- · ORS 163.425, Sex Abuse II
- · ORS 163.427, Sex Abuse I
- · ORS 163.515, Bigamy
- · ORS 163.525, Incest
- · ORS 167.007, Prostitution
- · ORS 167.017, Compelling Prostitution
- · ORS 167.012, Promoting Prostitution
- · ORS 163.465, Public Indecency
For the most up-to-date information on state certifications recognized by DPSST and to answer any other specific certification questions, please contact DPSST directly at: www.oregon.gov/dpsst
If you are interested in becoming a Tigard Police Officer, here are the steps in the process:
Step 1: Take the Public Safety Testing exam
The City of Tigard contracts with Public Safety Testing (PST) to conduct the written portion of our entry-level testing process for police officer positions. Candidates must pass this exam before moving forward with the process.
Interested candidates should visit www.publicsafetytesting.com or call 1-866-HIRE-911 for additional information on testing procedures. On the website, they can choose a testing date, time, and location that is most convenient for them. Tests are offered regularly at various locations around Oregon and Washington.
NOTE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, PST offers a test-at-home option.
Step 2: Online Application
Once candidates pass the PST exam, they will receive an automated email from PST with instructions and a link to a webpage to apply to Tigard Police. The candidate can create a profile in advance.
Step 3: ORPAT
Candidates will need to pass the Oregon Physical Agility Test (ORPAT) somewhere during the process prior to the department initiating a background investigation. Candidates may already have taken the test with other agencies prior to taking the PST exam, which the department will accept if ORPAT test complies with state standards (and is not altered or adjusted by the agency offering the test). The department can also help the candidate find a test, especially during COVID-19.
Step 4: Oral Boards (panel interviews)
The candidate’s application will be reviewed and if the criteria is met, the individual will receive an email inviting them to schedule a date and time for an interview.
Step 5: Background Investigation
Those prospective hires who pass the oral boards will then undergo an extensive background investigation that requires an extraordinary level of integrity and honesty.
Step 6: Interview with the Chief of Police
Once the background check is passed, the candidate will be invited to panel interview that includes the Chief of Police.
Step 7: Final
With an offer of employment, a candidate must 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, Traffic Safety Unit, Drug Investigations, Detectives, Transit Enforcement, School Resource Officers, TNT (Tactical Negotiations Team), and Commercial Crimes Unit.