What are the responsibilities and job description for the Police Trainee position at City of South Lake Tahoe?
The City of South Lake Tahoe is seeking individuals interested in becoming a Police Officer.
The hired candidates are paid as a Police Trainee ($39.50/hour) while attending the POST Academy. All academy expenses, including tuition and lodging, are covered by the City of South Lake Tahoe. After satisfactory completion of the POST Academy, candidates will be converted to a sworn Police Officer with a starting wage of $43.74 per hour.
This recruitment is being used to create an eligible hiring list for upcoming Police Academies. The next two Academies will be in January 2027 and June 2027.
Recruitment Process:
Applications Accepted: July 20, 2026 - August 9, 2026
Written and Physical Exam: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Department Interviews: Tentatively the week of August 17 or August 24, 2026
Candidates must attend the physical/written exam on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in order to be considered for this position.
No other testing date is available at this time.
The Physical Exam will be conducted at the South Tahoe Middle School track and will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. on August 18, 2026.
Candidates who arrive late will not be allowed to take the Physical Exam nor the Written Exam that follows.
Written Examination: The written examination will be the PELLET-B (POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery), issued by the state of California.
The written exam may be waived if proof of a passing T-score of 42.0 from the PELLET-B, taken within twelve months of the final filing date, and is submitted at time of application.
T-scores must be submitted with the application package and will not be accepted at the testing site.
Physical Exam: The physical ability examination will be held in conjunction with the written examination.
The physical ability examination will consist of:
The Department does not accept other agency physical abilities scores. All candidates must pass the physical abilities test in South Lake Tahoe.
If selected for this position, candidates will be required to complete and pass a full police background check including but not limited to a criminal check, drug screen, medical exam, and psychological exam.
In addition to base pay, Police Trainees are eligible for the following benefits:
Incentive pays includes:
Under general supervision of supervisory or management staff, the Police Officer is a designated peace officer position who performs a variety of duties in the enforcement of law and order; performs a variety of community service duties; and carries out special assignments in the protection of life and property.
The Police Officer is the journey level sworn position in the Police Unit and possess a significant level of specialized, technical, or functional expertise. Positions at this level require highly specialized knowledge, abilities, skills, and experience and often exercises independent judgment in the performance of their duties. Academy graduates must be at least 21 years of age in order to be promoted to the Police Officer classification. Candidates for the January 2027 Academy class must be age 21 by June 1, 2027. Candidates for the June 2027 Academy class must be age 21 by December 1, 2027.
To see the full job description including job duties and required knowledge, please click here.Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training/Experience/P.O.S.T.: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.
UNTRAINED - Persons selected from this group will be appointed as a Police Trainee. Upon satisfactory completion of a P.O.S.T. required Police Basic Course, the police trainee will be appointed to the position of Police Officer while on probation for 18 months.
License or Certificate: Possession of a valid California or Nevada driver's license.
The hired candidates are paid as a Police Trainee ($39.50/hour) while attending the POST Academy. All academy expenses, including tuition and lodging, are covered by the City of South Lake Tahoe. After satisfactory completion of the POST Academy, candidates will be converted to a sworn Police Officer with a starting wage of $43.74 per hour.
This recruitment is being used to create an eligible hiring list for upcoming Police Academies. The next two Academies will be in January 2027 and June 2027.
Applications Accepted: July 20, 2026 - August 9, 2026
Written and Physical Exam: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Department Interviews: Tentatively the week of August 17 or August 24, 2026
Candidates must attend the physical/written exam on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in order to be considered for this position.
No other testing date is available at this time.
The Physical Exam will be conducted at the South Tahoe Middle School track and will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. on August 18, 2026.
Candidates who arrive late will not be allowed to take the Physical Exam nor the Written Exam that follows.
Written Examination: The written examination will be the PELLET-B (POST Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery), issued by the state of California.
The written exam may be waived if proof of a passing T-score of 42.0 from the PELLET-B, taken within twelve months of the final filing date, and is submitted at time of application.
T-scores must be submitted with the application package and will not be accepted at the testing site.
Physical Exam: The physical ability examination will be held in conjunction with the written examination.
The physical ability examination will consist of:
- 19 push-ups in 1 minute
- 25 sit ups in 1 minute
- 300m run under 70 seconds
- 1.5 mile run under 15 minutes
The Department does not accept other agency physical abilities scores. All candidates must pass the physical abilities test in South Lake Tahoe.
If selected for this position, candidates will be required to complete and pass a full police background check including but not limited to a criminal check, drug screen, medical exam, and psychological exam.
In addition to base pay, Police Trainees are eligible for the following benefits:
Incentive pays includes:
- Holiday Pay
- Education Incentive Pay
- Bilingual Pay
- CalPERS - Classic or PEPRA membership depending on enrollment date
- Medical/Dental/Vision
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Student Loan Forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
Under general supervision of supervisory or management staff, the Police Officer is a designated peace officer position who performs a variety of duties in the enforcement of law and order; performs a variety of community service duties; and carries out special assignments in the protection of life and property.
The Police Officer is the journey level sworn position in the Police Unit and possess a significant level of specialized, technical, or functional expertise. Positions at this level require highly specialized knowledge, abilities, skills, and experience and often exercises independent judgment in the performance of their duties. Academy graduates must be at least 21 years of age in order to be promoted to the Police Officer classification. Candidates for the January 2027 Academy class must be age 21 by June 1, 2027. Candidates for the June 2027 Academy class must be age 21 by December 1, 2027.
To see the full job description including job duties and required knowledge, please click here.
Education/Training/Experience/P.O.S.T.: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.
UNTRAINED - Persons selected from this group will be appointed as a Police Trainee. Upon satisfactory completion of a P.O.S.T. required Police Basic Course, the police trainee will be appointed to the position of Police Officer while on probation for 18 months.
License or Certificate: Possession of a valid California or Nevada driver's license.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER
The City of South Lake Tahoe is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All employment actions shall be administered regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, political affiliation, veterans’ status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All full-time, permanent City employees are required to provide services as Disaster Service Workers in the event of an emergency/disaster.