Police Officer Trainee (Entry Level)

Salary : $3,617.00 - $7,529.00 Monthly

Location : 7100 Garfield Ave. Bell Gardens, CA

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 2324-006

Department : Police

Opening Date : 01 / 08 / 2026

Position Details

One Team, One Mission, One Family

Are you ready to make a difference? Apply Today!

The City of Bell Gardens Police Department (BGPD) is seeking highly motivated and public service-oriented individuals for Police Officer Trainee (Entry Level).

The City of Bell Gardens Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of service to the community, while working with the residents and its members, demonstrating professionalism, integrity and accountability.

The Bell Gardens Police Department has a variety of exciting assignments including :

• Patrol
• K-9
• Bicycle Detail
• Motor Detail
• Special Operations Team
• General Investigations Detective
• Special Investigations Detective
• Field Training Officer

This recruitment is for entry-level candidates interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Work involves full-time attendance at a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) certified Basic police academy to prepare for the responsibilities of a police officer. Academy attendees will be hired on as Police Officer Trainee and paid $3,617.00 per month. After meeting all department, state-mandated and academy requirements, including graduation from the Police Academy, the Police Trainee will be sworn in as a Police Officer and assume the full duties, starting salary ($7,529 per month) and benefits of that position.

The City is only accepting online applications for this recruitment. As such, you must complete and submit an online application and completely answer all supplemental questions to be considered for this position.

Examples of Essential Functions

Police Recruit / Trainee - While enrolled in the Police Basic Academy an incumbent must :

Sworn Police Officer - Following graduation from the Academy and upon appointment to the position, essential duties include :

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following : 1) Patrol and Traffic Safety; 2) Investigation; 3) School Resources; 4) Neighborhood Watch Officer. Other functions may be assigned such as acting as a training officer for new Police Officers, serving as field supervisor on individual calls requiring special attention, and conducting background investigations.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of : Modern practices and techniques of : law enforcement, patrol, investigation, public relations, report writing, vehicle penal codes, laws of arrest, rules of evidence, legal rights of citizens, and court procedures.

Skills to : Prioritize and multi-task; write and perform analysis.

Ability to : Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; observe accurately and remember faces, numbers, incidents and places; establish and maintain effective relationships with the community; use and care of firearms and small equipment; think and act quickly in emergencies, and judge situations and people accurately; represent the City in a variety of meetings; learn, understand and interpret laws and regulations; prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports; respond to emergency and problem situations in an effective manner; understand, explain and apply policies and procedures; make clear and concise radio transmissions; understand and follow written directions; deal constructively with conflict and develop effective resolutions; work independently and demonstrate initiative; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; meet Police Officer requirements contained in the California State Government Code; and prepare lesson plans, teach and counsel juveniles.

Minimum & Desirable Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

LICENSES / CERTIFICATES

Must have valid class "C" California Driver's License and a satisfactory driving record.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

English / Spanish bilingual skills highly desirable.

Other Important Information

SELECTION AND EXAMINATION PROCESS

Following a review of all applications, the best qualified candidates will be invited for further assessment. The examination components listed below will be used to evaluate the qualifications of those who are invited. Applicants must achieve a passing score on all examination components in order to be placed on the eligible list. Eligible lists are valid for one (1) year, unless extended by the City Manager for an additional six (6) months.

The examination components will conducted in the following order :

Successful applicants will be invited, via email to take a written exam. T he City of Bell Gardens will accept P.O.S.T. Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) T-Score of 42 or higher taken within 12 months of application filing date. A copy of your PELLETB T-score must be submitted with your application.

The purpose of this recruitment is to establish an eligibility list from which current and future vacancies can be filled during the life of the eligibility list. The Police Chief will interview and select the final candidate from the eligibility list.

The successful candidate will be enrolled into the academy. Upon graduation from the academy, the Police Officer Trainee is eligible to be sworn in as a Police Officer. The successful candidate will be required to satisfactorily complete a 12-month probationary period before acquiring "regular" status.

NOTICES

The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provisions contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. This position is subject to and dependent on the continued availability of funds and the manpower needs of the City of Bell Gardens. This is an "at-will" position and selected candidate may be released from position at any time without cause.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The City of Bell Gardens is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

If you require reasonable accommodation during the examination components due to a qualified disability, you must inform the Human Resources Division at (562) 806-7717 at least 5 days in advance of testing date.

Please contact NEOGOV applicant support at (855) 524-5627 for any technical issues when creating an account or submitting an application. Applicant Support Hours : Monday through Friday, 6am - 5pm PST.

Retirement - Enrollment in Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) is required. Employee pays the 7.5% retirement contribution.

01

Are you currently an employee at the City of Bell Gardens?

02

This position requires that you are at least 21 years of age at the time of graduation from the police academy. Will you meet this requirement?

03

Have you ever applied for any position within the Bell Gardens Police Department? If yes, list the position(s) and date(s) applied. If no, indicate "no".

04

Written Examination requirement : A qualifying written exam is required to be considered for the Physical Agility Test (PAT). Indicate which of the following applies to you :

05

Have you ever been disqualified during the background process for any position within a law enforcement agency? If yes, please explain and include the law enforcement agency, date, and reason provided (if known). If this does not apply to you, please indicate "N / A".

06

If you are successful in completing the testing process, you may be selected to continue in the background process which includes, but is not limited to, a comprehensive investigation, fingerprinting, polygraph examination and credit check. Recent drug use (in the past 12 months, including marijuana), theft, or other illegal activity may disqualify you. Record must be free from any felony conviction and / or any misdemeanor conviction involving moral turpitude. I understand this requirement.

Required Question