Police Officer

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in joining our team at the Platteville Police Department.

The Platteville Police Department serves a vibrant, diverse university town population of over 11,000 residents. Our department has 21 sworn officers, a full-time dispatch center, several Community Service Officers, and two administrative assistants. Platteville is a busy community, which is home to UW-Platteville, Southwest Health Center, and is the largest community in Southwest Wisconsin. The average current time on the job for our officers is 10.5 years of service. This number shows our department is a career destination for those in the law enforcement profession.

In 2021, the Platteville Police Department achieved the status of being a WILEAG Accredited agency. This effort, achieved by only 42 law enforcement agencies in the state, was accomplished by the efforts and dedication of the entire department.

Our department is involved in various programs and organizations that officers can participate in. Professional development throughout an officer’s career is a high priority for our department. Officers participate in the Southwest Wisconsin Emergency Response Team, Grant County Honor Guard, and the Richland Iowa Grant Drug Task Force. Internally, the Platteville Police Department has a Community Resource Officer in the schools, OIC status, specialized detective roles, bike patrol, a police explorer program, and members that are leaders in professional police organizations.

The Platteville Police Department actively encourages ongoing career training for all officers. Probationary officers are assigned to a Field Training Officer for the first sixteen weeks of employment. The sixteen-week Field Training Program is designed to fit each new officer specifically, with a year of probationary status following field training.  During your time as an officer, any specialized training an officer wants is considered. Many of our current officers are instructors in the unified tactics through Wisconsin Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board and teach these topics both in-house and at the recruit academy. Officers are encouraged to seek training opportunities that interest them.

Once again, thank you for considering joining our team. I truly feel the Platteville Police Department is a great place to enter the law enforcement profession and feel valued by a great community that supports our mission of providing police services to our citizens.

Benefits

Salary

• Starting wage of $60,444 with regular increases to $70,720 after 5 years of service
• Lateral transfers for working officers, including pay and vacation.
• Shift differential pay
• Field Training Officer pay
• While attending the Police Academy, full starting wage and benefits are earned
• OIC pay

Shifts

• 12-hour work schedule with every-other Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off
• Power shift 4pm-4am

Vacation

• 80 hours the first year of employment, with consistent increases throughout your career

Holidays

• 9 paid holidays per year
• 32 hours of floating holiday off time

Sick Leave

• Employees receive 8 hours of sick leave per month, 480 hour maximum

Medical Insurance

• Health, life and dental insurance
• Insurance premiums for single or family coverage is up to 12% of City premium per month
• Extra coverage available through optional program

Uniforms and Uniform Allowance

• Our department provides initial issue of all uniforms, ballistic vest and vest carrier, duty belt and gear, handgun and other equipment needs. After the first year, the department provides $600 per year for uniform related purchases.

Retirement

• A contribution of 6.9% to the WRS is required
• Deferred Compensation is available to all employees

Other Incentives

• Strong sense of family and camaraderie among the employees of the department
• Progressive training throughout career
• Opportunities for professional development and specialized assignments
• Liberal policy of duty belt and vest configuration worn by the officers
• Technology upgrades including body worn cameras, in squad digital cameras, MACH and mobile CAD, with technology upgrades occurring on a regular basis to maintain modern industry standards

Qualifications

The following qualifications and standards are established to ensure that our department is hiring the best candidates for employment. The minimum requirements are:

• Must be a citizen of the United States
• 21 years of age or older
• Must possess a valid driver’s license
• Must possess a minimum of 60 credits from an accredited institution of higher learning
• Ability to possess a firearm
• No felony or domestic abuse convictions
• Good driving record
• Good physical condition
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Vision correctable to 20/20
• WLESB Certification or the ability to attain certification. Applicants that have not yet attended a basic police academy are encouraged to apply. The Platteville Police Department may sponsor (pay for) a successful candidate to attend a Wisconsin Law Enforcement Police Academy. During the time at the Academy, all wages will be paid
• Law enforcement officers who have served in a similar capacity and are certified/certifiable as a result of taking the Wisconsin Training and Standards Reciprocity Test

Application & Selection Process

Applicants must submit a DJ-LE-330, including the three questions at the end. Applications for employment may be submitted:

          Email applications for employment may be sent to:

                   Lieutenant Josh Grabandt

                   grabandt@platteville.org

          Written applications for employment may be sent to:

                   Lieutenant Josh Grabandt

                   Platteville Police Department

                   165 N Fourth Street

                   Platteville WI 53818

Once applications are screened, the applicants will be notified by the email they provided on the date of the first round of testing. This day will consist of:

• Written test
• Personnel Evaluation Profile (PEP) test
• Oral interview with members of the Police Department
• Physical fitness test

The next step in the application process for those successful in the first round of testing will be an oral interview with the Platteville Police and Fire Commission. Successful candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background investigation, medical examination, including psychological test and drug screen.

All testing listed above is provided at no expense to the applicant. Any step in the process may eliminate an applicant. Completion of all steps does not guarantee employment. The Platteville Police Department is committed to conduction a fair, non-biased employment process.

The City of Platteville is an equal opportunity employer.

Any questions may be directed to Lieutenant Josh Grabandt 608-348-2313.