Star Tallahassee logo - link to main homepage

Sign In

 

  • Residents
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Safety
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Title VI
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Vendor Information
    • Procurement
    • Economic Vitality
    • Employee Login
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2023 Budget
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • Inspector General
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • OpenGov
    • Retirement
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
    • WCOT City Television
    • Ethics Board
    • Strategic Plan
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Police
    • Procurement
    • Public Safety
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
    • WCOT City Television
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
    • Other Agencies
  • Residents
    • ADA/Non-Discrimination/Title VI
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Meeting Calendar
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parking
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Employee Login
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • Procurement
    • Starting a Business in Tallahassee
    • Vendor Information
    • Volunteer
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parking
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2024 Budget
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • Ethics Board
    • Inspector General
    • OpenGov
    • Procurement
    • Retirement
    • Strategic Plan
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
    • Fleet
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • Parks & Recreation
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
    • Police
    • Procurement
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Retirement
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
City of Tallahassee
  • Police Department
  • Fire Department
  • Resilience
  • Code Enforcement
COT Facebook COT Twitter Instagram WCOT YouTube

TPD Employment

Check out our new employment portal!

Frequently Asked Questions

A group of TPD officers

Must I be certified in law enforcement to be hired as a Police Officer?
Yes. All Police Officer applicants must complete the basic Law Enforcement Academy curriculum and must pass the FL LEO Certification Exam prior to hire. However, we do have a Police Officer Trainee program.  This is a sponsorship program, where the Tallahassee Police Department pays for all associated costs of the law enforcement academy while you are on salary earning $39,950.84.

How often are Law Enforcement Academy classes held?
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.

As a Police Officer in another state, will the Tallahassee Police Department sponsor me through the Florida Equivalency of Training (E.O.T.) Course?
Yes. As an out of state Police Officer applicant, you can apply for the Police Officer Trainee position and request sponsorship through the Florida E.O. T. course. If you are hired at the conclusion of the background investigation, the Tallahassee Police Department will pay for all costs associated with the training course. While attending the E.O.T. course you will be on salary earning $39,950.84/year. After you complete the E.O.T. course and pass the Florida State Certification Exam, your salary will be adjusted to fit within the Department’s lateral hire pay plan.

If I have received a speeding ticket recently, will that disqualify me for a Police Officer position?
No, a speeding ticket is not an automatic disqualifier. Your entire driving history will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications.

If I am a civilian officer in another state, what must I do to qualify for a position in Florida?
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.

Is it possible to become a part-time Reserve Police Officer while finishing college or working elsewhere?
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.

Can I use my G.I. Bill benefits while training to become a police officer.
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, you may contact us by calling 850-891-4324 or email tpdapplicants@talgov.com.

Lateral Hire Program

The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) seeks out and highly values candidates who have previous sworn law enforcement experience from other jurisdictions. New hires who have previously worked as law enforcement officers are more likely to successfully complete their probationary period and remain with their new department for many years while taking advantage of transfer and promotional opportunities. At the Tallahassee Police Department, individual officer salaries are set by contract and are not negotiable regardless of an officer's prior experience or previous rate of pay; however, in order to attract more experienced candidates, TPD has a lateral hire pay plan.

New police officers who have completed their academy training are paid at Step 1 of the Police Officers/Investigators pay plan. Candidates with previous full-time work experience as a law enforcement officer may be eligible for a starting salary higher than Step 1. TPD's lateral hire pay plan applies to candidates who meet the following prerequisites:

  1. Currently certified as a law enforcement officer in the state of Florida, with at least two years full time sworn law enforcement experience OR
  2. At least two years full time experience as a sworn law enforcement in another state and/or as a military police officer (with arrest authority), AND a passing score on the Florida law enforcement certification exam within the last three years. Note: Certification and/or experience as a correctional officer does not qualify an applicant for the lateral hire program. Similarly, possessing a concurrent (law enforcement and correctional) certification does not qualify an applicant for the lateral hire program, unless he/she has two years of full-time law enforcement experience.

Effective October 1, 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department will match your years of experience 1:1 depending on the size of the agency with step 10 being the maximum.

Years Experience Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 $63,000.00
2 $64,000.00
3 $65,048.03
4 $67,162,09
5 $69,344.86
6 $71,425.20
7 $73,567.96
8 $75.775.00
9 $78,730.22
10 $81,800.70

Please refer to the above chart for a graphical representation of the program's pay scales.

Military Police experience counts as long as an applicant is not required to attend the complete 24-week academy training course. Qualifying Officers can receive up to 13.5 months of OJT benefits via the GI Bill.

TPD Lateral Hiring Program

G.I. Bill / On-the-Job Training Program

Police Officer GI Benefits - If you have G.I. Bill benefits remaining, you could earn additional income during your attendance at the Law Enforcement Academy.
Chapters 30 & 1606
Institutional Rates
Chapter 30,
>3+ AD 
Chapter 30,
<3+ AD 
Chapter 1606 
(no combat)
Full Time Student
(5.5 mos. Academy Training)
$1,321.00/mo. $1,073.00/mo. $329.00/mo.
Subtotal  $7,265.50/mo. $5,901.50/mo. $1,809.50/mo.
 
Chapters 30 & 1606
OJT/Appr. Program
(13.5 mos.)
Chapter 30,
>3+ AD 
Chapter 30,
<3+ AD 
Chapter 1606 
(no combat)
1st Six Months  $990.75/mo. $804.75/mo. $246.75/mo.
2nd Six Months  $726.55/mo. $590.15/mo. $180.95/mo.
Remainder of Training $462.35/mo. $375.55/mo. $115.15/mo.
Sub-Total $10,997.33 $8,932.73 $2,738.93
Total Benefit $18,262.83 $14,834.23 $4,548.43
 
Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) - Reserves and National Guard with combat experience
Chapter 1607 Chapter 30,
>3+ AD 
Chapter 30,
<3+ AD 
Chapter 1606 
(no combat)
Full Time Student
(5.5 mos. Academy Training)
$528.40/mo. $792.60/mo. $1,056.80/mo.
Subtotal  $2,906.20/mo. $4,359.30/mo. $5,812.40/mo.
 
Chapter 1607
OJT/Appr. Program
(13.5 mos.)
Consecutive Service of
90 days - 1 year
Consecutive Service of
1 - 2 years
Consecutive Service of
2 years +
1st Six Months  $396.30/mo. $594.45/mo. $792.60/mo.
2nd Six Months  $290.62/mo. $435.93/mo. $581.24/mo.
Remainder of Training $184.94/mo. $277.41/mo. $369.88/mo.
Sub-Total $4,398.93 $6,598.40 $8,797.86
Total Benefit $7,305.13 $10,957.70 $14,610.26
 

 

Star Tallahassee logo - link to main homepage
  • Contact Info
  • City Hall
  • 300 S. Adams St.
  • Tallahassee FL 32301
  • 850-891-0000
  • Maps and Directions
  • Contact Us
  • City Commission
  • John E. Dailey, Mayor
  • Jeremy Matlow
  • Jacqueline "Jack" Porter
  • Curtis Richardson
  • Dianne Williams-Cox
  • City Officials
  • Reese Goad
    City Manager
  • Amy M. Toman
    City Attorney
  • Dennis R. Sutton
    Inspector General
  • Jim Cooke
    City Treasurer-Clerk
  • City Services
  • Utility Accounts
  • Parking Tickets
  • Report a Problem
  • TPD Online Reporting
  • Accessibility
  • Email Subscriptions
  • ADA/Non-Discrimination
  • Online Kennel
  • Driver Info Service
  • Athletics Registration
  • Public Records
  • WCOT Online
  • Talgov.com
  • Directory/Site Map
  • Talgov Apps
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Feedback
  • Employee Login
  • Translate This Site
  • City Hall
  • 300 S. Adams St.
  • Tallahassee FL 32301
  • 850-891-0000
  • Maps and Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Directory/Site Map
  • Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Translate This Site
Loading... Loading...