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BE THE DIFFERENCE
Become a Member of the Tallahassee Police Department
Join the Tallahassee Police Department
- Career Criminal Unit
- Community Oriented Policing
- Criminal Investigations Bureau
- K-9 Unit
- Patrol
- Special Investigations Unit
- Special Response Team
- Tactical Apprehension and Control Team
- Tactical Flight Officer
- Traffic Unit
- Training Unit
- See our website for a full list of TPD units
Benefits & Salary
Our Benefits
View our benefits brochure.
Competitive Salary
Salary range is $60,000 - $100,000; with increases as outlined in the PBA contract. Lateral Hire Program for all applicants with law enforcement experience; with up to year for year credit for years of service for qualifying applicants.
Salary Enhancements
Educational & physical fitness incentives, lateral pay plan for prior experience, and GI bill for military veterans, reservists, and National Guard members.
Equipment
Weapons, equipment, uniforms, soft body armor, and shoes furnished; uniform cleaning provided.
Tuition
Tuition assistance for college courses (50% of total tuition costs, not more than $750 per year for undergrad
studies; $1,500 per year graduate studies.)
Retirement, Pension, and Medical
Pension plan, with additional retirement plans available. Group medical, dental, and life insurance plans available.
Learn more at Talgov.com.
A message from Chief Revell
"Cultivating the future of law enforcement means not only building a stronger community but also nurturing the careers of our officers. At the Tallahassee Police Department, we believe in providing our officers with the best opportunities for career advancement, equipping them with state-of-the-art tools, and offering exemplar training. We're not just shaping the future; we're empowering those who will lead it."
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, TPD will pay for a full academy sponsorship. At the conclusion of the academy, you will become a certified police officer. As a police officer Trainee, the Tallahassee Police Department pays for all associated costs of the law enforcement academy while you are on salary earning $50,000.
Florida Public Safety Institute (FPSI) offers day classes twice a year, usually January or February and then again in June or July. Night classes are also available. That information can be obtained from their website or by calling the FPSI at 850-201-7003.
Yes. As an out of state law enforcement officer you can apply for the Police Officer position. Once your background investigation is completed you will be given a job offer and hired on as a full time employee. After you have been hired at the Tallahassee Police Department you will be sent to an EOT program which our agency will pay 100% of the costs. The salary you will be hired on at will depend on how many years of service you have in a law enforcement capacity. TPD has a lateral one for one program. The maximum step a pre-certified officer can come in at is step 10 ($81,393.73).
No, a speeding ticket is not an automatic disqualifier. Your entire driving history will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications.
Civilian law enforcement officers and military law enforcement officers with at least one year of street experience can qualify for the FL Equivalency of Training (EOT) process. To see if you qualify, visit the FDLE website. If you qualify, you must take the EOT Class at a certified law enforcement training academy and pass the FL LEO State Certification Exam.
No. Reserve Police Officers must meet all the qualifications for hire that are required of a Patrol Officer. In addition, Reserve Officers must have completed the Field Training Program and become "Solo" qualified. Current funding does not allow for this training.
Yes. You are considered a full-time student while attending the day classes, or part-time student if attending the night classes of the Academy. During your Department Orientation Training and the remainder of your probationary period, you qualify for On-the-Job-Training (OJT) Benefits that are paid directly to you each month from the Veterans Administration Office that holds your military records. Recruiting personnel will assist you in applying for these benefits.
For more information about TPD Recruiting, contact us.
Become a Police Officer.
Certified law enforcement.
- Lateral Hire Program for all applicants with law enforcement experience; with up to year for year credit for years of service for qualifying applicants up to step ten on TPD pay scale dependent upon agency size. 1 for 1 matching years of service.
- GI Benefits/Public Safety On-the-Job Training Program.
- Patrol Officers typically work four ten-hour days and have three days off.
- TPD will cover 100% of Equivalency of Training (EOT) cost after a job offer has been provided.
Become a Police Officer Trainee
Needs police academy.
Police Officer Trainees (POT) are non-sworn positions. TPD will pay all fees and costs for the employees hired as a POT to attend the Florida Public Safety Institute (FPSI). Once a POT successfully completes the FPSI and passes the State of Florida law enforcement exam, they will promote to the position of Police Officer.
Police Officer Trainees must sign a contract stating they will work for the Tallahassee Police Department for no less than two years after being removed from probation. Probation lasts one year after you are transferred from a Police Officer Trainee to a Police Officer.
Become a TPD Cadet
A program for ages 14-21.
Are you interested in a career in law enforcement? If so, the TPD Cadet program is for you! The Cadet Program is open to individuals between the ages of 14 – 21 who are enrolled in school. The program begins with a 40-hour academy and offers continuous learning opportunities year-round.
View more information about this program here.
Non-Sworn Employment
The Tallahassee Police Department offers three types of non-sworn employment: full time, Other Personnel Services (OPS) and temporary.
Temporary Employment
All part-time, temporary 25-hour or less positions at the Tallahassee Police Department are without benefits and leave time. The positions are mainly clerical-type, maintenance, and school crossing guards. No applications for temporary positions are accepted at the Tallahassee Police Department. Applications for part-time employment opportunities are accepted for current vacancies only. To view the current vacancies for the City of Tallahassee, please see the job listings. You are welcome to contact Employee Resources at 850-891-4324 if you have any questions about Police Department vacancies.
Other Personnel Services (OPS)
No applications for OPS positions are accepted at the Tallahassee Police Department. Applications for OPS employment opportunities are accepted for current vacancies only. To view the current vacancies for the City of Tallahassee, please see the job listings. You are welcome to contact Employee Resources at 850-891-4324 if you have any questions about Police Department vacancies. The only benefit offered to OPS positions is insurance.
Full-time Employment
No applications for full-time positions are accepted at the Tallahassee Police Department. Applications for full-time employment opportunities are accepted for current vacancies only. To view the current vacancies for the City of Tallahassee, please see the job listings. You are welcome to contact Employee Resources at 850-891-4324 if you have any questions about Police Department vacancies.
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How to Become a Police Officer
Qualifications to Become an Officer
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to qualify for employment as a Tallahassee Police Officer:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- At the time of hire, be at least 21-years-old and live within a 50-mile radius of the intersection of N. Monroe Street and E. Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, Fl.
- Have completed a Law Enforcement Officer certification course and passed the Florida State Officer Certification Exam. If requesting sponsorship to an academy, please visit TPD's Officer Trainee page.
- Possess a valid driver license and have a satisfactory driving history.
- Have vision correctable to 20/20, with color distinction and depth perception within an acceptable range.
- At least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours (grade average of “C” or better), or one year of full-time law enforcement work in a sworn capacity, or one year active full-time military experience, or active reserve military experience with at least one year of deployment; or one year full-time as a correctional officer, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
- Have no convictions for any felony, perjury, false statement, or domestic violence offense. Have no DUI convictions in the past seven years. Other arrest histories are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Have no pending criminal charges.
- Be able to pass a drug history review: No use of marijuana within one year of application. No use of prescription medication or other legally obtainable substance in a manner for which it was not intended within three years of application.
- No use of marijuana within 1 year of application. No use of any other drugs (including
anabolic steroids) within 7 years of application. No sale, distribution, manufacture,
or transportation of any illegal drugs (as defined by F.S. 893.03). No use of prescription
medication or other legally obtainable substance in a manner for which it was not intended
within 3 years of application.
- Be able to pass a thorough background investigation.
- Submit a written essay.
- Successfully pass an oral board, truth verification exam, and drug, medical, and psychological screenings.
During the hiring process, all applicants must complete a minimum of two Patrol ride-alongs.
Physical Assessment
The physical assessment test is a measure of physical fitness an applicant must demonstrate. The assessment will consist of a 1.5-mile run or 3-mile walk, pushups, and sit ups. The applicant must achieve the required run/walk time and number of sit-ups and push-ups as it corresponds to their age and identified gender. If the applicant claims no gender or nonbinary then the lesser of the two qualification standards will be applied for the applicant’s age category. The chart below outlines what the applicant must achieve. The applicant will be evaluated in a pre-assessment of all three categories, contemporaneous to the successful completion of the oral board phase of hiring. The applicant may submit any passing assessment category score as their formal assessment results. Any assessment category remaining shall be completed successfully prior to the scheduled interview with the Chief of Police or his designee. An applicant who cannot complete the assessment after no more than four months may be discontinued from the hiring process. They will be able to reapply six months from the date of discontinued declaration. If hired, the employee will be required to pass all categories on a yearly basis per PBA contract. If the applicant fails to pass more than one category then they will be allowed to repeat the assessment within a two-month time frame and will only have to repeat the category they were deficient in.
Fitness
Category |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50+ |
Gender |
1.5 Mile Run
(minimum) |
16:30 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
19:00 |
N/A |
3 Mile Walk
(minimum) |
44:00 |
46:30 |
49:00 |
52:00 |
N/A |
Pushups
(# in 1 minute) |
11 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
Female |
Pushups
(# in 1 minute) |
24 |
19 |
13 |
10 |
Male |
Sit-ups
(# in 1 minute) |
29 |
28 |
21 |
16 |
Female |
Effective October 1, 2023, a timed indoor row, bike, or pool swim can be substituted for the 1.5 mile run or 3-mile walk. |
Males & Females |
Age 20-29 |
Age 30-39 |
Age 40-49 |
Age 50-59 |
3,000 Meter Rowing |
16:30 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
19:00 |
6,400 Meter Biking |
16:30 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
19:00 |
500 Meter Swimming |
16:30 |
17:30 |
18:30 |
19:00 |
Sit-ups
(# in 1 minute) |
37 |
35 |
31 |
26 |
Male |
Videos
Watch TPD on YouTube
MISSION
The mission of the Tallahassee Police Department is to protect the rights of all people, ensure order, and provide for the public’s safety through the effective delivery of law Enforcement services while maintaining the highest level of professional standards.
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