Police Sergeant - Lateral or Entry Level

The City is seeking qualified individuals who are interested in becoming a Police Sergeant to join our law enforcement team. Located in the northwestern corner of Clackamas County, on the banks of the scenic Willamette River and hugging the shore of a 405-acre lake, Lake Oswego is a community rich with art, culture, historic resources, quality schools, vibrant business districts, and an abundance of activities and events for all ages. 

Located in downtown Lake Oswego at City Hall, the Department has a number of resources to provide exceptional levels of service while offering a number of opportunities to its Police Officers such as Detectives, Motorcycle Officers, School Resource Officers, K9 Officers, Adult Resource Officer, and the Training Unit. While Sergeants are primarily assigned to Patrol, opportunities may also exist for assignments in Detectives, Patrol Support, and Administration, as well as ancillary roles such as skills instructors, participation on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Team, and other specialized functions. Additionally, the Department has its own 911 dispatch center (LOCOM), on site Behavioral Health Specialist, Peer Support Team, Chaplain, and fitness facility. Non-sworn Community Service Officers, Evidence, Records and Administrative personnel round out the valuable support for the Department and community. 

The Department has a philosophy of community-oriented policing and empowering officers to deal with problems proactively. Respect, Excellence, Trust, and Service guide our values-driven organization in our mission to cultivate an exceptional quality of life for everyone in our community. Justice, Integrity, Accountability, and Courage guide our commitment to protect life, prevent crime, and honorably serve while fostering a supportive environment that encourages innovation, employee wellness, and transparency. This shared commitment to service and collaboration has garnered tremendous community and elected official support and earned the Department a 92% overall satisfaction rating (2023).As part of their duties, Lake Oswego Police Sergeants can expect to get to know members of the business community and neighborhood residents; supervise officers as they patrol assigned areas on foot or in the car; conduct routine and detailed investigations into criminal and civil matters; enforce state and local traffic laws; and demonstrate a service orientation with an understanding of community-oriented policing. 

This is a uniformed, police position responsible for supervising and assisting in general police duties and the enforcement of laws and ordinances. An employee in this class is under the direct supervision of a lieutenant and performs front line supervision activities which include, reading and evaluating written reports, advising field officers of work status and determining actions that improve work quality, performing patrol duties, managing officers’ schedules, leading, coaching and mentoring officers, supervising officers including evaluating work performance, enforcing policies and procedures, issuing certain types of discipline, receiving and investigating complaints, and making sound decisions based on laws and policies. Incumbents in this classification report to Police Lieutenants, the Captain, and the Chief of Police through the Department's established chain of command. This position is represented by the Lake Oswego Police Officers Association (LOPOA). 

IMPORTANT

To qualify, candidates must be a U.S. citizen, have no felony conviction, be at least 21 years of age, have as a minimum a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent, vision correctable to 20/20, a valid driver’s license, and the ability to successfully complete a thorough background investigation and post-offer psychological and medical examination, including pre-employment drug screen. This position is subject to mandatory participation in electronic funds transfer (EFT) for payment of net wages (i.e., Direct Deposit or PayCard). 

For a complete list of the essential duties, knowledge, skills and abilities required, and physical and mental demands please review the complete job description at www.ci.oswego.or.us. 

If selected to continue through the process, you will be contacted with instruction for next steps. 

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION 

LOPOA-S Compensation Plan  

BENFITS AVAILABLE: 

• Medical Insurance choice between traditional indemnity plan or health maintenance organization (HMO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield full family medical and dental coverage - 90% of the premium paid by the City
• Kaiser Permanente full family medical and dental coverage - 90% of the premium paid by the City.
• Sick Leave Upon Hire: New and lateral hires scheduled to work a forty (40) hour workweek will receive the equivalent of six (6) months (48 hours) of sick leave upon hire rather than accruing sick leave on a monthly basis. Upon completion of the six (6) months, they will accrue sick leave monthly as described in Article 26.1 of the LOPOA labor agreement. 
• Education Reimbursement Program 

INCENTIVE PAY AVAILABLE: 

• Education and Certifications: Credited at the completion of field training for employees new in this classification or, for qualified employees, at the time of hire
  • 4% for DPSST Advanced Certificate
  • 1% for a four-year college degree. 
• Language: Employees who are determined by the City to be fluent in the top five spoken foreign languages within the Lake Oswego School District shall receive an additional 3% of their base pay. 
• Shift Differential: Employees regularly assigned to work graveyard shift shall receive an additional 5% of their base pay for all hours worked in their graveyard shift.
• Collateral Skills Assignments: Certified Instructor, Drone Operator, Mobile Field Force, SWAT, HNT, DRE, Field Training Officer, Public Information Officer shall receive 5% of their base pay while working in those capacities. 

LATERAL POLICE SERGEANTS 

• Salary: 

In addition to the incentive pay available and in recognition of their previous work experience, the City reserves the right to place lateral new hires into a salary grade above step one (1).  

• Vacation: 

Qualified lateral police sergeants will be eligible to receive up to sixty (60) hours of banked vacation time. 

Qualified lateral police sergeants may be considered for accelerated vacation accrual rates based on their time as a sworn police officer. 

To Qualify as a lateral employee, the candidate must:

• Currently be employed in the equivalent position applied for or hold current certification for the position applied for;
• Currently possess any certifications as required by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST);
• Have completed a field training and evaluation program where required;
• Have three (3) or more years of experience in the position applied for; and
• Be in good standing with a State of Oregon Law Enforcement Agency

RETIREMENT:

• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)Member contributions are paid on your behalf by the City.
• Tier 1 & 2 PERS eligible employee contribution rate is 29.54% +6% pick up.
• OPSRP Police and Fire PERS eligible employee contribution rate is 27.34%+ 6% pick up.

City maintains a 457 deferred compensation plan and contributes 1% of base salary into the employee deferred compensation account.

For more detailed information on medical plans, benefits, incentives, and premiums, please review the Benefits tab on the job posting, or the full Lake Oswego Police Officers’ Association Labor Agreement: LOPOA-S

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Applications must be submitted to www.LakeOswego.City/jobs. Incomplete applications will not be accepted, and resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed job application. The City application must be submitted by:  5:00 P.M. Friday, November 20, 2026

Pre-Employment Profile: 

In order to be considered for employment with the Lake Oswego Police Department, you must complete and attach the supplemental questionnaire form called "Sworn Pre-Employment Profile."  

You will find the Pre-Employment Profile form at the link below. Please complete the questionnaire and then attach the document to your on-line application. Any ‘Yes’ answers in the Pre-Employment Profile document must have an explanation. Those explanations may be attached on a supplemental page in either a WORD or PDF document. You must complete this step before you certify and submit your application.  

Link to the Sworn Pre-Employment Profile: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/hr/recruitment-support-documents If you have questions regarding this step of the process, please feel free to contact Human Resources at 503-534-4244 or [email protected].