How Do I Apply to be a Tustin Police Officer?

Click here to view current City of Tustin employement opportunities.

Potential Police Officers fall into four categories:

I. Police Recruit: (Entry Level)

The Police Recruit position is designed for Police Officer candidates with no previous experience as a sworn Police Officer and with no previous police academy training. Once hired, Police Recruits will be assigned and sponsored to a local P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) approved police academy. Full-time police academies take approximately six months to complete. Upon successful completion of an academy, a recruit will be assigned as a Police Officer, and will begin the department’s field training program. The assignment as a Police Officer begins an eighteen month probationary employment status.

II. Police Officer: (Lateral Entry)

The Tustin Police Department is continuously seeking experienced Police Officers. To be considered as a Lateral Entry candidate, you must currently be a sworn police officer with a law enforcement agency, either within or outside California. Candidates for Lateral Entry from outside California may be required to complete a brief, re-qualification course approved by California’s Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). for further information on out-of-state requirements, please refer to P.O.S.T. website. The assignment of pay rate and benefits for Lateral Entry officers is flexible, and request for increases in starting level of pay and benefits will be considered. The appointment as a Tustin Police Officer begins an eighteen month probationary employment status.

III. Police Officer: (Academy Graduate)

The Tustin Police Department is continuously seeking Police Officer applicants that have completed a P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) approved police academy, or are currently enrolled in a P.O.S.T approved academy. Once an Academy Graduate is hired, or a Current enrollee successfully completes an academy, he/she will be appointed as a Tustin Police Officer. The appointment begins an eighteen month probationary employment status.

IV. Police Reserve Officer: (Reserve I/II)

A Police Reserve Officer I is the most advanced classification and Level II is the intermediate classification.  The police Reserve Officer Level I and II are considered part time positions, and employment is “at will”.  Level I Officers may perform general law enforcement duties without immediate supervision; a Level I Reserve Officer is non-designated and has peace officer authority only for the duration of their specific assignment (830(a) (1) PC). During their assignment a Level I Reserve Police Officer has the same authority under California law as do full-time Police Officers. The City of Tustin, upon successful completion of all training requirements, allows the Level I Reserve Police Officer to “work alone” in a single officer patrol car. 

Level II Officers may perform general law enforcement duties under the immediate supervision of a Police Officer and may perform some additional duties without supervision. 

Reserve Police Officers with the City of Tustin are required to have successfully completed a basic POST academy prior to appointment and beginning of their training phase (for Level I Reserve Police Officers), or a POST certified Level II Reserve Police Officer academy.

Training and standards for Reserve Police Officers are equivalent to those of full-time Police Officers. Reserve Police Officers are required to work a minimum of 16 hours per month. However, during the training phase of employment, Reserve Police Officers are encouraged to commit additional hours each month to ensure the successful completion of all phases of the field training program.