Law Enforcement Officer Position

Richland Police Department - Police Officer

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PROFILE DISCLAIMER

The information herein is provided by the respective agency and is only as accurate and as up-to-date as the agency representative(s) update this information. PST is not responsible for the veracity of this data as it is provided directly from the agency. It is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to verify any information about the agency with the agency.

Richland Police Department - Police Officer

Last updated on November 18, 2024
PST Partner Agency since October 19, 2011

Vacancies: 3

Important Information

The City of Richland maintains an ongoing and merging certification list for Police Officer positions. 

In order to be eligible to participate in the City's application screening process, applicants should first complete the initial testing (written exam and PAT) and complete the online Personal History Statement (PHS) with Public Safety Testing (PST) (within the past three (3) months). Scores from the PST eligibility list are good for one (1) year from the date of PST testing.

Once the PST testing process, including the PHS are completed, we encourage eligible candidates to visit the City's website and apply online by clicking on the following link: WeAreRichland.org.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure their online City application is current and complete. Applicants are required to attach a resume to their City application. A cover letter is strongly encouraged.

*After successful completion of PST process (written and physical), you must submit an application to our agency.*

Community Information

Richland is located in sunny eastern Washington at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. The community offers an unparalleled combination of natural beauty and top-ranked city services that contributes to the high quality of life that its residents treasure. Skiers and hikers don't have to go far to pursue their favorite sports. The Blue Mountains and the Cascade Range are short drives away and offer spectacular venues. Richland is ideally suited to boating and water skiing. Strong breezes have added to the popularity of sail boarding, wind surfing, and conventional sailing. 

The City receives wide recognition for the beauty of its integrated parks, river shore, commerce centers, and living spaces. Richland is a full-service municipality serving a resident population of more than 56,850. Originally incorporated as a small farming community, Richland now focuses on energy research, environmental remediation, and technology. With a significant concentration of scientists, engineers, technicians and researchers, Richland's population has relatively high income and education levels. Benton County ranks third in the state in median family income. 

The municipal government employs over 570 people to deliver $135 million in annual services. Like its neighboring cities, Richland delivers a variety of public safety, street maintenance, basic utility, and recreational services. The City is also an electric distribution utility, operates its own public library, and administers a regional emergency management and 911-dispatch center.

Department Information

The Richland Police Department is a community-oriented law enforcement agency that maintains a close working relationship with the citizens they serve. The Department consists of 73 commissioned officers and 20 non-commissioned professional staff. The Department structure includes four divisions, each overseen by a Commander. The Operations division consists of four patrol squads. The patrol officers work a 12-hour shift schedule, with every other weekend off.

The Investigations division includes the Detectives, Street Crimes Unit, School Resource Officers (SRO), the Traffic Safety Unit, and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (SER ICAC) task force.

The Administrative Services division includes Training, Professional Standards, and Accreditation.

The last is the Professional Staff division, and it includes Code Enforcement, Records, Evidence, Crime Analysis, and the Quartermaster.

The City of Richland also manages Benton County Emergency Services which is home to Southeast Communications Center and Benton County Emergency Management. The department also serves the region with a Bomb Squad, participates in the regional SWAT team, and regional Drug Task Force.

Job Description

To view the current job description for Police Officer, click here.

Area Information

County: Benton
Population: 61,929
# of Staff: 92.70 FTE

Hiring Status

Richland Police Department - Police Officer has 3 vacancies.

We are actively accepting lateral, exceptional entry level, and entry-level applications for the Police Officer position, and will be holding oral boards monthly until all position vacancies are filled.

Salary Information

See the following links for salary/benefits informational fliers: Hiring Brochure and Recruitment Flyer. To view the current Police Guild CBA for more information on salary and benefits, please visit the City's benefits and compensation page.

Benefit Information

See the following links for salary/benefits informational fliers: Entry Level Police, Lateral Police Officer, Exceptional Entry Level. To view the current Police Guild CBA for more information on salary and benefits, please visit the City's benefits and compensation page.

Richland Police Department - Police Officer Requirements

Category Requirement Required at time of...
    Test Hire
Written Examination Yes, required
LEO/CO Physical Ability Test (PAT) Yes, required

Your physical ability test must be completed 180 days (~6 months) before or after your passing written exam.
PST Personal History Statement A PHS (updated within the last three months) is required to be completed at the time of application. Please complete when sharing your scores with our agency.
Minimum Age Twenty-one (21) years of age at time of application.
Citizenship US Citizen / Lawful Permanent Resident / DACA-Recipient
High School Grad/ GED High school diploma or equivalent.
Driver's License Required Valid Washington State driver’s license upon hire date.
Felony Conviction(s) as an Adult

No adult felony convictions at any time.
Ability to Read, Speak & Write the English Language Yes
College Requirement No
Basic Law Enforcement Academy Certification Obtain a Basic Law Enforcement School Certificate issued by the State of Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission (Out of state candidates, who have previously certified in another state, must pass the CJTC equivalency examination) within six (6) months of hire date.
Prior Experience Requirement Those applicants with two (2) years or more experience as a full-time Commissioned Law Enforcement Officer are encouraged to contact the City of Richland directly.
Veterans Preference Points Yes
Multiple Scores from Same Applicant We only consider the most recent score

Richland Police Department - Police Officer Disqualifiers

The following are automatic and potential disqualifiers. Applicants should not apply to our agency if they indicate any of the automatic disqualifiers. Potential disqualifiers will be considered on a case by case basis.

Category Disqualifier
Driving
Automatic

Driving under the Influence (DUI) conviction within the past five (5) years, or have two (2) or more DUI convictions. A diversion or similar action (First Degree Negligent Driving) is the same as a conviction.

Your traffic history precludes you from coverage from the City's insurance as a vehicle operator.

Drug Usage
Potential

Evaluating prior drug use by an applicant for the Richland Police Department revolves around the experimental versus the habitual user. Rather than immediately disqualifying an individual for prior drug use, the police department tries to distinguish between the individual who has used marijuana or other drugs on several occasions (experimented), as opposed to a person who has regularly used drugs over an extended period of time (habitual).

Various factors may be taken into consideration when evaluating prior drug use by an applicant and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Factors to be considered when determining eligibility include the type of substance used, frequency of use, if the use was experimental, and how recent the usage was. Experimental use is considered usage to determine the effects of a drug.

Another factor that may be considered is whether the prior drug use was self-disclosed by the applicant or discovered during the background investigation.

If at any point, the applicant is determined to meet any of the following disqualifiers, the application process for that individual may be terminated at the discretion of the Chief or designee.

TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT DISQUALIFIERS:

1. Possession or use of marijuana within the last six (6) months.

2. Use of non-prescribed oral or injectable steroids within the last three (3) years.

3. Abuse of inhalants within the last five (5) years. Examples include, but are not limited to, paint, paint thinner, Freon, nitrous oxide, and gasoline.

4. Possession or use of illegal controlled substance within the last ten (10) years. Examples include, but are not limited to crack/cocaine, Ketamine, GHB, Rohypnol, MDMA (ecstasy), Hallucinogens (PCP, Angel Dust, LSD, and Mushrooms), Opium, Morphine, Heroin, and Methamphetamine/Amphetamine.

5. Use of any illegal drugs after submitting an application with any law enforcement agency within the last five (5) years.

6. Involvement in the illegal manufacture, sale, delivery, or furnishing of any controlled substance or drug to another with the expectation that a personal benefit would be received as a result of the actions – Permanent disqualification.

7. Use of illegal drugs while employed in a criminal justice and/or law enforcement capacity – Permanent disqualification.

8. Habitual use of any illegal drug and/or marijuana – Permanent disqualification.
Automatic
Criminal Activity
Automatic

Any felony convictions - traffic or criminal.
Automatic

Conviction of any crime involving lying, theft, or betrayal of public trust.

Potential

Been convicted of any crime under a domestic violence statue.
Automatic Unlawful sexual misconduct.
Employment
Automatic Been dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
Automatic Lied during any stage of the hiring process.
Automatic Falsifing an application, personal history questionnaire, or any other forms during hiring process.
Financial
Automatic Failure to pay income tax or child support.
Potential Current credit accounts and/or unresolved accounts in collection will be carefully reviewed.

Contact Information

Richland Police Department - Police Officer

871 George Washington Way
Richland, WA 99352 Benton County
509-942-7360

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Agency Test Requirements
Written Examination: Yes, required
PAT: Yes, required

PST Personal History Statement: A PHS (updated within the last three months) is required to be completed at the time of application. Please complete when sharing your scores with our agency.