Join Our Team

Salary

Pay is determined by years of service:

0 – 1 year: $93,662.64
Over 1 year – 2 years: $98,120.04
Over 2 year – 3 years: $102,633.96
Over 3 year – 5 years: $107,019.36
Over 5 years: $112,604.86

For lateral transfers, the Mount Vernon Police Department recognizes years of service at other agencies once the probation period has been successfully completed.

Benefits

• Paid vacation and holidays
• Paid sick leave
• Disability, family, and funeral leave
• Ability to participate in Washington State's LEOFF II retirement plan
• Monthly stipend to cover a health club, gym, or at home fitness subscription
• Insurance
• Equipment and Clothing allowance

Working Conditions

• Patrol Assignments work for 12 hour shifts. Specialty Assignments work a 9/80 schedule.
• Rotate shifts every 4 months
• 1 year probationary period

We value your experience that you have from your law enforcement career!

Now Offering a $25,000 Lateral Signing Bonus!

Or the option to receive a $20,000 signing bonus with the City providing 80 hours of vacation on Day 1. To qualify for the program, the Officer must have at least 12 months full time service as a sworn municipal or county officer post-graduation from a recognized police academy.

Sworn police officers from other agencies within the State of Washington, that have successfully completed the Basic Law Enforcement Academy and have at least 12 months of experience post academy with no break in service may apply directly through the City of Mount Vernon Human Resources Department.  No written or physical testing is required, and applicants will proceed through the hiring process starting with step #4 below.

Sworn police officers from agencies outside the State of Washington that have completed a basic law enforcement training program that is recognized under the reciprocity program at WSCJTC qualify under the same requirements as above.  If the basic law enforcement training program attended is not recognized, then successful completion of the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Equivalency Academy is required within one-year of appointment.

Lateral Pay Increase

Lateral hires receive monetary compensation for their years of service with other agencies by moving to a higher pay range based on their years of service with other agencies. A lateral Officer with 5 years experience would start out with the City of Mount Vernon on the 5 year pay scale.  

After successful completion of probation, Lateral Officers can have their previous service years credited towards the two year eligibility requirement that is needed for applying for MVPD specialty assignments such as K9, Detective, Priority Policing Team, Gang Resource Officer, Traffic Officer, Neighborhood Resource Officer, School Resource Officer, Tactical Officer, Crisis Negotiator and more.   

Seniority, however, is based solely on time employed with the City of Mount Vernon.

Minimum Requirements:

• United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident
• High School Diploma or GED
• 90 Quarter or 60 Semester Hours from an accredited institution. Military veterans with a minimum of 60 credits on their Joint Service Transcript (JST) will be accepted in lieu of college education. The college education requirement is waived for lateral officers with three or more years of continuous service, in good standing, and current on all state mandated requirements. 
• 21 years old at the time of examination
• Valid Washington State Driver's License
• No domestic violence history or convictions
• No felony convictions

Desired Abilities for Officers:

• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Experience with computer technology, software programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and different social media platforms

Residency Requirement - Commissioned Police Officers

A collective bargaining agreement requires that the Mount Vernon police officers and those assigned temporary assignments (Criminal Investigations, Police Tactical Team, and Crisis Negotiator) live within a forty-five minute travel time from the police campus.  K-9 officers shall reside no more than 20 minutes from the city limits of Mount Vernon. 

It is important to our department that we recruit quality employees that represent the diversity of the community we serve. The multi-faceted hiring process, which takes three to four months, helps us find and hire the best officers for our community.

Hiring Process for Police Officers and Park Rangers:

Animal Control, Community Service Officers, Records Specialists, and other support personnel have their own entry process tailored to their job functions.

1. Candidates meet qualifications and submit an application through Public Safety Testing. For more information see the "Application and Testing" section below.
2. Candidates pass the Physical Agility Test, which measures strength, agility, and endurance.
3. Candidates pass the Written Exam, which measures judgment, writing, and academic skills.
4. Qualified candidates are invited to participate in an Oral Board Interview. For more information see the "Oral Board Interview" section below.
5. Candidates take a Polygraph Exam to verify truthfulness.
6. Candidates pass a Background Investigation check which thoroughly reviews and verifies a candidate's background.
7. A Conditional Offer of Employment is given to those candidates suitable to continue in the selection process.
8. Candidates submit to a Psychological Examination and Evaluation to measure psychological characteristics and stability
9. Candidates submit to a Medical Examination which includes a physical examination, drug screening, x-rays, lab work, vision, hearing, etc.
10. Successful Applicants are hired and sent to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center for approximately 18 weeks of training at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy

Application and Testing

If minimum requirements are met, interested applicants should go to the Public Safety Testing website or telephone toll-free (800) 866-HIRE-911 for testing dates and times. The application and test scheduling process are completed online. The tests are conducted in person and are offered monthly at various locations around the state.

Those taking the written test from a location in another state will still have to successfully complete the physical test requirements at a Washington State test site before your scores will be considered eligible by Civil Service. Park Ranger candidates must complete the physical test requirement within 30 days of taking their written exam.

Scores for applicants that pass both the written and physical agility examinations will be sent to the Civil Service Examiner for further processing. This may include inviting candidates to an oral board interview. 

Oral Board Interviews

The Oral Board Panel is made up of three Mount Vernon officers and a citizen. The Administrative Services Lieutenant facilitates the Oral Board Interview. By asking both general and scenario-based questions, the panel evaluates a candidate's potential to do the job based on his/her presentation, communication skills, judgement, and problem-solving ability.

Eligibility List

The Civil Service Commission creates an eligibility list based on the results of the written and physical exam and oral board interview. The Chief of Police and Administrative Services Lieutenant review the eligibility list and, based on the scores, determine the number of applicants who will be schedule for a polygraph examination.

The polygraph examination is scheduled with the Department's polygraph examiner. The use of the polygraph will determine that the candidates' character and integrity are above reproach. Applicants must pass the polygraph exam to continue in the hiring process.

Background Investigation

A thorough background investigation is conducted on each eligible candidate. Contacts include relatives, neighbors, references, and current and past employers. Credit checks, criminal history reports, school transcripts, and copies of driving records are requested. The background investigation is a critical part of the hiring process, and assists in determining which applicants meet the high standards required for employment with the Mount Vernon Police Department.

Conditional Offer of Employment

Per Civil Service Rule VIII.C.1. (d)… "The ten names highest on the applicable eligibility list who remain qualified following the review of the above-referenced examination results shall be placed on a certified eligibility list. The commission shall certify ten names for any one vacancy, and if more than one vacancy is to be filled, the name of one additional eligible for each additional vacancy shall be certified."

One or more of the top applicant(s) are invited in individually for an administrative interview with the Chief of Police and Command staff. Upon completion of the interview, the Command staff evaluates the applicant and, if the applicant meets all requirements, he/she is given a conditional offer of employment. The applicant is then scheduled for a psychological and a medical examination. If both exams are passed the applicant is placed in a pool of eligible candidates for hire.

Psychological Testing & Medical Examination

The department contracts for this service. A psychologist administers a series of written tests, which evaluates the applicant's personality traits (aggressiveness, flexibility, independence, maturity, etc.). The psychologist  provides the chief of police with a written evaluation and recommendation.

If the recommendation is positive, the applicant is then scheduled for a medical examination and drug screening to confirm he/she meets the essential functions for the job.

Hired

The applicant is sworn in by the mayor of the City of Mount Vernon. Family members and department employees are invited to attend the short ceremony.

Within a few weeks of being hired, police officers are sent to the Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien, WA for approximately 18 weeks. When the officer returns, he/she is assigned an experienced field training officer (FTO). The field training period is 12 to 14 weeks in length. After successfully passing FTO training, the officer is assigned to the Patrol Division.

Park Rangers having already completed a Parks or the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy begin field training immediately and are assigned to field training officer (FTO). The training period is 12 to 14 weeks in length and upon successful completion, the ranger is assigned to the Patrol Division.