POLICE OFFICER

Position Information

Salary and Benefits

• Starting salary of $64,078.56 plus an exceptional pension plan (see below);
• Eligibility for overtime pay (pensionable up to 300 hours per year);
• Eligibility for specialty team pay as assigned (pensionable);
• Eligibility for off-duty detail pay (pensionable);
• Eligibility for salary incentive pay for education and training (pensionable);
• Annual uniform cleaning and boot allowances (pensionable);
• Take-home vehicle program for all sworn personnel;
• Excellent health, dental, vision, and life insurance options;
• Paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, and shift differential;
• Deferred compensation plans available;
• Tuition reimbursement and educational scholarships available.

Pension Plan Details

• Normal retirement at 20 years of service or 10 years and 55 years of age;
• Fully vested in 5 years (55 years of age and ten years to collect);
• 3.25% multiplier for each year of service;
• Pre-tax employee contributions of 8%;
• Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP);
• Military and law enforcement buy-back program up to 5 years.

Minimum Qualifications

To be eligible for employment as a police officer with the Punta Gorda Police Department all applicants:

• Must be at least 21 years of age;
• Must be a citizen of the United States;
• Must possess a valid Florida driver's license prior to the date of hire (not date of testing);
• Must be of good moral character with no felony arrests or misdemeanor arrests involving moral character, domestic violence, perjury, or false statements;
• Must be in good physical condition and able to perform the duties required by an officer;
• Must successfully complete the new hire testing process (see below).

Hiring Process

All applicants must participate in the Punta Gorda Police Officer new hire testing process. The process consists of a written exam, a physical abilities test, and an oral board exam.

• Written Exam: A standardized written examination, which measures an applicant's basic reading, grammar, and math skills. Study guides are available to applicants upon request.

• Oral Board Exam: Applicants answer standardized job-related questions asked by a panel of officers. Exam are conducted individually, and questions differ for applicants with prior law enforcement experience and applicants without experience.

• Medical Examination;
• Psychological Examination;
• Drug Screen;
• Polygraph or Voice Stress Analysis. 
• Physical Abilities Test

Out of State Applicants

If you are a police officer who is currently certified in another state's jurisdiction, a federal officer or a military police officer, you may be eligible to become certified as a Law Enforcement Officer in the State of Florida.

Certified Selection Centers will verify your basic recruit certification and training records (Law Enforcement Constitutional Law and Legal Issues, Report Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, First Aid or Equivalent, Vehicle Operations, Law Enforcement Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Traffic Crash Investigations, Traffic Stops and Control), and employment-verification.

The Selection Center will review your training record and determine if you have met the requirement to be granted an EOT (equivalency of training, form CJSTC-76). This is a five-to-six-week process.

If you have met the requirements, you will need to enroll in an Equivalency of Training / Comparative Compliance academy that will train you in high-liability areas (firearms, first aid, emergency-vehicle operation, and defensive tactics).

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be given a certificate that will allow you to take the statewide Officer Certification Examination (SOCE). Upon successful completion of the exam, you will be certifiable to become a Florida Law Enforcement Officer.

If you believe that you qualify for this training; you can initiate the process by clicking on the following link that will take you to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website for Selection Centers: Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

For more information on joining the PGPD family, please contact:

Glen Ritta
Employee Development Coordinator
(941) 575-5571
gritta@pgorda.us

The City of Punta Gorda is a Drug Free Workplace, Equal Opportunity,
and Veterans' Preference Employer.

It is the policy of the City of Punta Gorda to recognize and fulfill its commitment to the community in the area of Equal Employment Opportunity through an affirmative action plan that will increase both the quantity of minorities and females employed; and the level of responsibility of jobs held by minorities and females employed within the City government.  The City will not knowingly permit discrimination in hiring, promotion, or other conditions of employment with regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or disability.  Those charged with the daily administration of this policy will be responsible for guarding against under-utilization of minorities and females within the organization and will work toward the eventual goal of full representation of minorities and females at all levels in the organization. All elements of the selection process shall be job related.