How to Get a Job with the San Francisco Police Department

The San Francisco Police Department has several different components of employment. To get a job as a traditional police officer, one must be at least twenty-one years old, be a United States citizen or permanent resident alien, hold a valid and current California driver's license, and never have been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanor involving a firearm. Civilian employment with the department is handled through the San Francisco city government's Department of Human Services. The police department also has a Behavioral Science Unit with a number of support services in other specialty fields, such as counseling, psychology and chaplains. All employment requires the minimum of a GED or high school diploma issued in the United States.

Entry level police officers are paid $75,868 to $101,556 per year in San Francisco, far and away one of the highest entry level salaries for police work in the United States (compare to New York which only offers $44,000 per year to entry level officers.) Police officers are also able to retire as early as age 50 and can draw a maximum 90% benefit based on their cumulative years of service.

Potential applicants to the San Francisco police force must keep an eye on the website for quarterly postings about job opportunities in the department. As of this writing, in Q2 of 2009, the department is accepting applications and has a final examination date set in July. The first step is to reserve a space to take the written Entrance Examination, which is generally given twice every quarter about two months apart. The exam consists of three portions - written, oral and a physical ability examination. Applicants who pass these three examinations then proceed to a background investigation. If you have related experience, lateral entry is also possible which minimizes time spent at the police academy.

The San Francisco Police Department Police Academy lasts for six months and is located at 350 Amber Drive in San Francisco, near Glen Canyon Park. Courses are presently held from January to June. The Police Academy offers a Community Police Academy open to the general public whom are at least 15 years old, live in the city, and have no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions within one year of date of application. It may be to some advantage to prospective police force applicants to enroll in and complete the Community Police Academy prior to testing for a job as a police officer in San Francisco.

Those interested in civilian employment with the SFPD should simply check the San Francisco DHR website for currently open positions and instructions on how to apply.