Under a new lateral hiring program, the Moline Police Department is looking to recruit certified police officers to its ranks.
The new program, approved by the Moline Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and Moline City Council, provides sworn officers with other agencies the opportunity to be hired and paid based on their experience.
“One of the biggest hurdles for an experienced police officer moving to another department is losing pay and starting at the bottom of the pay scale,” Moline Chief Darren Gault said in a news release. The new program, he added “now allows an experienced police officer to make exactly what they would have made at Moline with their same years of service by giving them a credit on the pay scale up to seven years of service.”
“An officer with seven years of experience would be eligible for a base salary of $69,750 rather than starting at $59,834,” the chief said.
A lateral candidate is any person who has previously been a full-time sworn officer of a regular police department in any municipal, county, university or state law enforcement agency. They must be certified and have been with their respective law enforcement agency for at least two years.
According to the chief, law enforcement nationwide has been struggling the past two years with staffing shortages amid mass retirements and departures.
The Moline Police Department currently has 10 openings for sworn police officers and is seeking skilled, experienced police officers to serve the community.
The department’s benefit package includes health insurance, pension, vacation, sick time and bonus days. Moline police officers also enjoy a popular 5-2/5-3 rotating shift schedule in which officers work 5 days on, 2 days off then 5 days on and 3 days off. That gives them weekends off of work every six weeks.
Employees may live anywhere within a 40-mile radius of the downtown Central Station. Employees who also chose to live in Moline are eligible for an additional $1,200 per year incentive.
For more information or to apply, visit here or the city’s website at www.moline.il.us.
