The City of Kent is actively recruiting experienced lateral police officers. We do our best to ensure that the hiring and onboarding processes for lateral police officers are smooth and easy to navigate. We offer a $10,000 hiring bonus for qualifying lateral police officers! For any questions not covered here, please contact Kent PD Recruiting Officer Wayne Graff at WGraff@kentwa.gov.
KENT PD APPLICATION & HIRING PROCESS
From start to finish our hiring process can vary in length from 2 to 4 months.
Click here to apply online.
A recruiter will contact you to schedule online testing (this testing can be proctored remotely if candidate is outside of western Washington and generally takes about 45 minutes)
Candidates submit a Kent Police Department Personal History Statement and other required documents
Eligible candidates are assigned to a Kent PD background investigator to begin the background process
Chief’s interview (This step can also be conducted remotely using an emailed link to a video conference.)
Travel! Lateral officers have their required instate appointments condensed to one trip to Washington. Expect this to take about 4 days.
- Polygraph examination
- Psychological evaluation
- Medical examination
- Ride along
On-site. Your assigned background investigator travels to you to conclude your process.
Start date. We start officers for Day 1 on the first business day of each month. We understand that a move can require some time, and we are reasonably flexible with start dates.
COST
All uniforms, equipment and training expenses, including the cost of attending Basic Law Enforcement Equivalency Academy, are covered by Kent PD.
Travel
We understand that traveling for interviews can be expensive, and it may not be easy to take time off from your current role, so we’re able to conduct much of our hiring process remotely. In most instances, candidates will only be required to travel once in the later stages of the testing process.
PAY
Lateral police officer starting pay is dependent upon experience. We can front-load both sick time and vacation time with up to 40 hours each.
WHY LATERALS LOVE WORKING FOR KENT PD
Officer Adam Ferguson, Special Operations Unit, Lateral Police Officer
“I came to the Kent Police Department with five years’ experience as a Sheriff’s Deputy in Idaho. I loved my job but was looking for opportunities that only a larger city police department could provide. What drew me to Kent was their mission statement 'Aggressively fight crime, while serving with compassion'. A department that openly expresses their desire to catch bad guys and protect the good citizens of their community would be a department that I could commit to. Since I have been at Kent PD, I have been blessed to work with some of the best officers of my career. My prior work experience was valued and recognized, and I earned a specialty position within my first year. If you are looking at law enforcement as a career choice and you want the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, then Kent PD is the right fit for you. It has been a good move for me and my family, not just financially, but professionally as well.”
Detective Robinson, Investigations Division, Lateral Police Officer
“The Kent PD has presented significant upward opportunities for me professionally. After just one year, I was promoted to Public Information Officer. The wages are substantially more than those of my former agency, and the cost of living is much less. Kent PD has far exceeded my expectations.”