Officer Careers
Sponsored | Lateral
Police OFFICER
Certified/Certifiable
Are you already a certified or going to be certified soon? Join a team that expects the very best. A team that provides a level of service that is continually seen as being among the finest in Michigan. GRPD is looking for community-minded, self-motivated and goal-oriented individuals to join our family. Be a part of a department that believes in investing in partnerships with its community, proactive crime prevention, and ensuring fairness for all.
Pay
| Pay Step | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 |
| 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| POLICE RECRUIT OFFICER (Academy and In-House Training) | $52,321 | $25.15 | $53,367 | $25.66 | $54,168 | $26.04 |
| STEP A (After 6 Months) | $56,824 | $27.32 | $57,960 | $27.87 | $58,830 | $28.28 |
| STEP B (After 1 Year Probation/Lateral 1+ Years of Service) | $69,180 | $33.26 | $70,564 | $33.92 | $71,622 | $34.43 |
| STEP C (After 2 Years/Lateral 2+ Years of Service) | $71,155 | $34.21 | $72,578 | $34.89 | $73,667 | $35.42 |
| STEP D (After 3 Years/Lateral 3+ Years of Service) | $75,458 | $36.28 | $76,967 | $37.00 | $78,122 | $37.56 |
| STEP E (After 4 Years/Lateral 4+ Years of Service) | $79,484 | $38.21 | $81,074 | $38.98 | $82,290 | $39.56 |
| STEP F (After 5 Years/Lateral 5+ Years of Service) | $85,705 | $41.21 | $87,419 | $42.03 | $88,730 | $42.66 |
| SENIOR OFFICER (After 10 Years at GRPD) | $88,275 | $42.44 | $90,041 | $43.29 | $91,391 | $43.94 |
Officers work on a hourly basis
- Any additional hours outside your normal scheduled time are considered overtime
- Patrol officers work 12 hour shifts
- Days: (5:30 am – 5:30 pm / 6:30 am – 6:30 pm)
- Nights: (5:30 pm- 5:30 am / 6:30 pm- 6:30 am)
- Specialty units work 8 and 10 hour shifts; the times for these vary
- Examples of Specialty Unit Assignments: Community Engagement Unit, Detective Unit, K9 Unit (works patrol shift hours), Special Response Team, Traffic Unit, and more
- Examples of Secondary Assignments: Bomb Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, Training Instructor, and more
Overtime
- Recorded as time and a half
- Can be taken as pay or comp time
- Numerous opportunities available, including festivals, concerts, sporting events, and patrol shifts
Benefits
Retirement
- Defined Benefit Plan Pension
- 2.0% multiplier, with option to purchase up to a 2.8% multiplier after 6 months of service
(Ex: 2.8% multiplier equals 80% maximum pension benefit at approximately 28.5 years of service) - ICMA 457 plan option
Insurance
- Health/Vision/Dental/Life (Optional)
Vacation Time
- Start with 80 hours of vacation
- 8 hours accrued for each year, thereafter
(maximum of 200 hours)
Up to 320 hours can carry over from year to year - 12 paid holidays
Sick Time
- 8 hours of sick time are awarded for each month of service
- An unlimited amount can carry over 1,265 hours sick time counts toward 1 year of pension credit at retirement
Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Up to 80 hours of paid leave
- Does not count against vacation time or sick time
Training
- 8 week orientation program
- 16 week field training program
- Various refresher and new courses offered throughout year
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Possess good moral character
- Possess good reading and writing skills
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Be a U.S. Citizen
- Have a record clear of any felonies and certain misdemeanors
- Have successfully completed a MCOLES accredited police academy, be a MCOLES Certified Police Officer, or have completed a MCOLES RPTE (Recognition of Prior Training and Experience) class for out of state officers
Job Description
- Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service
- Take criminal and non-criminal reports
- Follow-up and investigate crimes which have occurred
- Conduct proactive enforcement
- Traffic stops
- Directed policing related to area crime
- Canvassing neighborhoods for issues citizens are having
- Conduct business checks and form relationships with staff
- Participate in community policing by conducting non-enforcement contact with citizens and attending community events
- Assist other agencies, as needed
- Arrest and lodge suspects
- Testify in court
- Participate in continuous department-wide training
- Available to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Hiring Process
- Apply online here
- Civil Service Exam
- Oral Board Interviews
- Chiefs Interviews
- Complete and submit Personal History Statement within 14 days of receiving
- Background Pre-screen
- Backgrounds Assigned
- Background Investigation and Interview Completed
- Chiefs and Administrative Review
- Recommendations for Hire
- Conditional Offer of Employment
- Physical and Psychological Exam
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Lateral Officer
Applicants with at least one year of law enforcement experience have additional benefits when hired with the Grand Rapids Police Department. For salary, a pay step increase will be applied from the first working day at the police department. In addition, officers are typically required to have a year or two of experience on patrol to apply for a specialized unit. However, requirements may be waived with lateral transfers. After 16 weeks of FTO, you may be allowed to apply to a specialized unit.
Pay
| Pay Step | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 |
| 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| POLICE RECRUIT OFFICER (Academy and In-House Training) | $52,321 | $25.15 | $53,367 | $25.66 | $54,168 | $26.04 |
| STEP A (After 6 Months) | $56,824 | $27.32 | $57,960 | $27.87 | $58,830 | $28.28 |
| STEP B (After 1 Year Probation/Lateral 1+ Years of Service) | $69,180 | $33.26 | $70,564 | $33.92 | $71,622 | $34.43 |
| STEP C (After 2 Years/Lateral 2+ Years of Service) | $71,155 | $34.21 | $72,578 | $34.89 | $73,667 | $35.42 |
| STEP D (After 3 Years/Lateral 3+ Years of Service) | $75,458 | $36.28 | $76,967 | $37.00 | $78,122 | $37.56 |
| STEP E (After 4 Years/Lateral 4+ Years of Service) | $79,484 | $38.21 | $81,074 | $38.98 | $82,290 | $39.56 |
| STEP F (After 5 Years/Lateral 5+ Years of Service) | $85,705 | $41.21 | $87,419 | $42.03 | $88,730 | $42.66 |
| SENIOR OFFICER (After 10 Years at GRPD) | $88,275 | $42.44 | $90,041 | $43.29 | $91,391 | $43.94 |
Officers work on a hourly basis
- Any additional hours outside your normal scheduled time are considered overtime
- Patrol officers work 12 hour shifts
- Days: (5:30 am – 5:30 pm / 6:30 am – 6:30 pm)
- Nights: (5:30 pm- 5:30 am / 6:30 pm- 6:30 am)
- Specialty units work 8 and 10 hour shifts; the times for these vary
- Examples of Specialty Unit Assignments: Community Engagement Unit, Detective Unit, K9 Unit (works patrol shift hours), Special Response Team, Traffic Unit, and more
- Examples of Secondary Assignments: Bomb Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, Training Instructor, and more
Overtime
- Recorded as time and a half
- Can be taken as pay or comp time
- Numerous opportunities available, including festivals, concerts, sporting events, and patrol shifts
Benefits
Retirement
- Defined Benefit Plan Pension
- 2.0% multiplier, with option to purchase up to a 2.8% multiplier after 6 months of service
(Ex: 2.8% multiplier equals 80% maximum pension benefit at approximately 28.5 years of service) - ICMA 457 plan option
Insurance
- Health/Vision/Dental/Life (Optional)
Vacation Time
- Start with 80 hours of vacation
- 8 hours accrued for each year, thereafter
(maximum of 200 hours)
Up to 320 hours can carry over from year to year - 12 paid holidays
Sick Time
- 8 hours of sick time are awarded for each month of service
- An unlimited amount can carry over 1,265 hours sick time counts toward 1 year of pension credit at retirement
Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Up to 80 hours of paid leave
- Does not count against vacation time or sick time
Training
- 8 week orientation program
- 16 week field training program
- Various refresher and new courses offered throughout year
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Possess good moral character
- Possess good reading and writing skills
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Be a U.S. Citizen
- Have a record clear of any felonies and certain misdemeanors
- Have successfully completed a MCOLES accredited police academy, be a MCOLES Certified Police Officer, or have completed a MCOLES RPTE (Recognition of Prior Training and Experience) class for out of state officers
Job Description
- Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service
- Take criminal and non-criminal reports
- Follow-up and investigate crimes which have occurred
- Conduct proactive enforcement
- Traffic stops
- Directed policing related to area crime
- Canvassing neighborhoods for issues citizens are having
- Conduct business checks and form relationships with staff
- Participate in community policing by conducting non-enforcement contact with citizens and attending community events
- Assist other agencies, as needed
- Arrest and lodge suspects
- Testify in court
- Participate in continuous department-wide training
- Available to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Hiring Process
- Apply online here
- Civil Service Exam
- Background Pre-screen
- Oral Board Interviews
- Chiefs Interviews
- Complete and submit Personal History Statement within 14 days of receiving
- Backgrounds Assigned
- Background Investigation and Interview Completed
- Chiefs and Administrative Review
- Recommendations for Hire
- Conditional Offer of Employment
- Physical and Psychological Exam
Out Of State Applicants
Paid MCOLES Recognition of Prior Training and Experience (RPTE)
A limited group of individuals, who have previous law enforcement training and/or experience, may seek eligibility for Michigan Law Enforcement Licensure through the Recognition of Prior Training and Experience (RPTE) program. A waiver of mandatory basic police training may be granted to a person who was previously a police officer in Michigan, in another state, or to a Michigan pre-service candidate who is seeking additional years of eligibility. Out-of-state candidate applications for the RPTE program will not be accepted unless the candidate has completed at least one year of full-time, fully empowered, paid police service following his/her police training. If you are hired by our department, we will reimburse your cost of the RPTE.
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Sponsored
Police Recruit
This position is for those that wish to become full-time police officers for the City of Grand Rapids, but have not yet attended a police academy. We will sponsor you to attend the GRCC or GVSU 17 week Police Academy, while paying you full-time wages and benefits. Upon successful completion of the academy, and in-house GRPD training, you will be sworn in as a Certified Police Officer.
Pay
| Pay Step | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 |
| 2023 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 | |
| POLICE RECRUIT OFFICER (Academy and In-House Training) | $52,321 | $25.15 | $53,367 | $25.66 | $54,168 | $26.04 |
| STEP A (After 6 Months) | $56,824 | $27.32 | $57,960 | $27.87 | $58,830 | $28.28 |
| STEP B (After 1 Year Probation/Lateral 1+ Years of Service) | $69,180 | $33.26 | $70,564 | $33.92 | $71,622 | $34.43 |
| STEP C (After 2 Years/Lateral 2+ Years of Service) | $71,155 | $34.21 | $72,578 | $34.89 | $73,667 | $35.42 |
| STEP D (After 3 Years/Lateral 3+ Years of Service) | $75,458 | $36.28 | $76,967 | $37.00 | $78,122 | $37.56 |
| STEP E (After 4 Years/Lateral 4+ Years of Service) | $79,484 | $38.21 | $81,074 | $38.98 | $82,290 | $39.56 |
| STEP F (After 5 Years/Lateral 5+ Years of Service) | $85,705 | $41.21 | $87,419 | $42.03 | $88,730 | $42.66 |
| SENIOR OFFICER (After 10 Years at GRPD) | $88,275 | $42.44 | $90,041 | $43.29 | $91,391 | $43.94 |
Officers work on a hourly basis
- Any additional hours outside your normal scheduled time are considered overtime
- Patrol officers work 12 hour shifts
- Days: (5:30 am – 5:30 pm / 6:30 am – 6:30 pm)
- Nights: (5:30 pm- 5:30 am / 6:30 pm- 6:30 am)
- Specialty units work 8 and 10 hour shifts; the times for these vary
- Examples of Specialty Unit Assignments: Community Engagement Unit, Detective Unit, K9 Unit (works patrol shift hours), Special Response Team, Traffic Unit, and more
- Examples of Secondary Assignments: Bomb Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, Training Instructor, and more
Overtime
- Recorded as time and a half
- Can be taken as pay or comp time
- Numerous opportunities available, including festivals, concerts, sporting events, and patrol shifts
Benefits
Retirement
- Defined Benefit Plan Pension
- 2.0% multiplier, with option to purchase up to a 2.8% multiplier after 6 months of service
(Ex: 2.8% multiplier equals 80% maximum pension benefit at approximately 28.5 years of service) - ICMA 457 plan option
Insurance
- Health/Vision/Dental/Life (Optional)
Vacation Time
- Start with 80 hours of vacation
- 8 hours accrued for each year, thereafter
(maximum of 200 hours)
Up to 320 hours can carry over from year to year - 12 paid holidays
Sick Time
- 8 hours of sick time are awarded for each month of service
- An unlimited amount can carry over 1,265 hours sick time counts toward 1 year of pension credit at retirement
Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Up to 80 hours of paid leave
- Does not count against vacation time or sick time
Training
- 8 week orientation program
- 16 week field training program
- Various refresher and new courses offered throughout year
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- Possess good moral character
- Possess good reading and writing skills
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Be a U.S. Citizen
- Have a record clear of any felonies and certain misdemeanors
Job Description
- Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service
- Take criminal and non-criminal reports
- Follow-up and investigate crimes which have occurred
- Conduct proactive enforcement
- Traffic stops
- Directed policing related to area crime
- Canvassing neighborhoods for issues citizens are having
- Conduct business checks and form relationships with staff
- Participate in community policing by conducting non-enforcement contact with citizens and attending community events
- Assist other agencies, as needed
- Arrest and lodge suspects
- Testify in court
- Participate in continuous department-wide training
- Available to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Hiring Process
- Apply online by contacting a recruiter
- Civil Service Exam
- Background Pre-screen
- Complete MCOLES Physical Agility (has to be within 180 days of academy start but prior to given deadline)
- Complete MCOLES Reading and Writing (can be taken whenever but prior to deadline)
- Oral Board Interviews
- Complete and submit Personal History Statement within 14 days of receiving
- Backgrounds Assigned
- Background Investigation and Interview Completed
- Chiefs Interviews
- Chiefs and Administrative Review
- Recommendations for Hire
- Conditional Offer of Employment
- Physical and Psychological Exam
- Attend GVSU Police Academy Orientation
- Attend, and successfully complete, GVSU Police Academy
Are You Ready
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