Demo

Police Officer - Lateral (Experienced)

City of Oceanside
City of Oceanside Salary
CA, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 6/1/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/30/2026

THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
 

The City of Oceanside is accepting applications for current and future vacancies for the position of Police Officer - Lateral. This position will be assigned to the Patrol Division. Applications are being accepted on a continuous basis.

Applicants must be currently employed as a Peace/Police Officer and possess a California Basic POST certificate OR a California POST Waiver (Out of State Applicants only).

Are you interested in a career in law enforcement or looking to work for an organization and municipality that supports our Public Safety professionals? Look no further than the Oceanside Police Department.  The City of Oceanside, CA (population 177,000) is a thriving beachfront community centrally located in the heart of the beautiful Southern California coastline.  Located just 83 miles south of Los Angeles, Oceanside is among the region's best places to escape the hustle-and-bustle of crowded cities nearby. The City enjoys proximity to all major Southern California destinations, while maintaining its coastal beauty and autonomy.

With an authorized budget of 226 sworn and 84 professional staff members, the Oceanside Police Department handles approximately 110,000 calls for service each year. Our team is organized under the Chief’s office and three divisions:  Patrol, Support Operations and Investigations. Our motto, "Service with Pride," speaks to our focus on quality and efficient customer service. We are committed to public safety and to implementing innovative crime-prevention techniques to ensure a safe and healthy community.  

To learn more about the Oceanside Police Department, please click here.

The City of Oceanside is a proud participant in the Veterans Affairs 
On-the-Job/Apprenticeship Training Program.
LATERAL INCENTIVE*:
  • $5,000 at time of hire
  • $1,000 upon successful completion of probation.
  • $2,000 anniversary payment - year 2
  • $3,000 anniversary payment - year 3
  • $4,000 anniversary payment - year 4 
  • $7,000 anniversary payment - year 5 
  • Up front leave bank of 400 hours to be used as sick leave
  • Up front "other" leave bank of 80 hours to be used as vacation.
*  Payments will not be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of CALPERS retirement benefits.  Leave banks shall have no cash value and shall not be included in any calculation towards CALPERS service credit.

*Lateral Incentives are subject to additional terms and conditions.  Currently, this incentive is budgeted for 12 positions.

NOTE: If you have any questions regarding the process for this recruitment please contact the Human Resources Department at (760) 435-3506.
Police Officers patrol assigned areas by vehicle, bicycle or on foot to answer service calls for the protection of life and property. Duties include conducting investigations; directing traffic; making arrests; issuing citations; serving warrants and subpoenas; preparing reports; and working with the community to identify problems and solutions.

Applicants must possess: (1) a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate; (2) be a U.S. citizen; (3) possess an Active California Basic POST Certificate or a California POST Basic Course Waiver Certificate; and (4) be currently employed as a Peace/Police Officer.
 
Note:  You must attach a copy of your California Basic POST Certificate (NOT your POST Academy Certificate) OR a copy of your California POST Basic Course Waiver (Out of State Applicants Only) certificate to the application.

OUT OF STATE APPLICANTS: 
If you are an out of state lateral, and you have not already obtained a POST waiver, you will need to do this prior to submitting your application.  Please follow the link below for more information or to apply for a POST waiver: https://post.ca.gov/basic-course-waiver-process

If you do not attach the required certificate, your application will not be considered.

Special Requirements:
Applicants must: (1) Possess a valid Class C California Driver License; and (2) Successfully pass a thorough background investigation, a polygraph examination, pre-placement exam, a psychological evaluation, fingerprinting, and a medical examination which will include a pre-employment drug screening.


Selection Process: The applicant selection process is divided into separate phases: pre-investigative questionnaire (PIQ), Initial Interview, and background process. Individuals must successfully complete each phase before advancing to the next. Candidates who successfully complete the examination process will be placed on the eligibility list and will remain eligible for employment consideration for a minimum of six months.  
 
The Examination ProcessAll properly completed applications will be screened and the most appropriately qualified candidates will be invited to continue in the examination process. The examination process includes.
  • Pre-Investigative Questionnaire (PIQ).
  • Initial Interview - With Police Department
  • Background Process
Candidates who are not selected in the PIQ process must wait one (1) year from the date of the initial PIQ appointment to re-submit application for testing and reconsideration. 


RESUMES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN LIEU OF COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS BUT MAY BE ATTACHED.
 
CANDIDATES WHO REQUIRE A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION IN THE SELECTION PROCESS SHOULD STATE THEIR NEEDS IN WRITING WHEN SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.

THE PROVISIONS OF THIS BULLETIN DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CONTRACT. ANY PROVISION CONTAINED IN THIS BULLETIN MAY BE MODIFIED OR REVOKED WITHOUT NOTICE.

Salary : $88,584 - $120,372

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Police Officer - Lateral (Experienced).

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Emergency Management Skill

    • Income Estimation: $56,220 - $78,495
    • Income Estimation: $65,788 - $91,913
  • Investigations Skill

    • Income Estimation: $59,793 - $89,166
    • Income Estimation: $56,220 - $78,495
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at City of Oceanside

  • City of Oceanside CA, CA
  • THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The City of Oceanside is currently accepting applications for the position of Traffic Signal Technic... more
  • 5 Days Ago

  • City of Oceanside North, CA
  • Initial interviews are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Department interviews will be scheduled tentatively for Thursday, July 9, 2025. Cl... more
  • 8 Days Ago

  • City of Oceanside CA, CA
  • RIDE THE TIDE IN OCEANSIDE LIBRARY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Volunteer The City's Volunteer program is designed to coordinate and manag... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • City of Oceanside CA, CA
  • THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. The City of Oceanside is accepting applications from eligible SkillBidge Service members for experi... more
  • 14 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Police Officer - Lateral (Experienced) jobs in the CA, CA area that may be a better fit.

  • Port of San Diego San Diego, CA
  • This position is for individuals who are currently a Sworn Police Officer, possess a valid POST certificate, graduated from a POST certified Police Academy... more
  • 27 Days Ago

  • Carlsbad, City of (CA) Carlsbad, CA
  • PLEASE NOTE: Do not apply to this position if you are not a current or previous Law Enforcement Officer. This is not a Police Recruit position. For more in... more
  • 1 Month Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!