Base Salary

Starting:         $61,495.00
After your 1st year:    $64,570.00
After your 4th year:    $74,748.00

• Additional general wage increases are typically added each year in accordance with police union contract negotiation.
• Longevity pay increases also are applied at 5-year increments.
• 5% pay increases upon each promotion.
•  Additional pay for specialty positions
• Shift Differential pay
• Pension upon retirement

Hiring Incentives

• $500 sign-on bonus - Paid upon hire
• $500 Academy bonus - Paid upon graduation from Police Academy
• $1,000 Field Training bonus - Paid upon successful completion of Field Training Program
• $1,000 Probation bonus - Paid upon successful completion of Probationary Period

Vacation Time                 

• 80 hours/year (years 1-6)                 
• 120 hours/year (years 7-9)            
• 135 hours/year (years 10-14)           
• 185 hours/year (years 15-19)            
• 200 hours/year (years 20+

Insurance

• Health Insurance (single, double, or family)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance        
• Optional Life Insurance
• City Wellness Center

Additional paid time off/compensation:

• 32 hours personal time/year
• 96 hours sick time/year
• 72 hours holiday time
• 1 ½ X hourly rate of pay for working holidays
• Bereavement time
• Up $2,000 in college tuition/books reimbursement
• Deferred Compensation Plans
•  All uniform/equipment provided
• Clothing allowance for plain clothes assignments
• Fully equipped workout room at the department
• Housing and financial assistance through Live-Work Rock Island Employer Assisted Housing Program 

COMPLETE AN APPLICATION

Start by completing an online application.

Our application process is on-going, once a sufficient number of applications have been received, you will be notified of the testing schedule. The testing consists of a Physical Ability Test and a Written Exam.

OPTIONAL STUDY GUIDE

In preparation for the written exam, you can purchase a study guide.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

All applicants must be between 21 and 34 years of age at the time of hire and have successfully completed four years high school or equivalent. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license equivalent to a Class D Illinois Vehicle Operator’s License.

PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST

All police applicants are required to pass a physical ability test known as the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report (P.O.W.E.R.) Test before any further consideration in the recruitment process. The P.O.W.E.R. Test includes a Sit and Reach Test, a One-Minute Sit-Up Test, a One Repetition Maximum Bench Press, and a 1.5 Mile Run. For complete details and standards for each of these tests in our New Applicant Packet.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Everyone who successfully passes the Physical Ability Test will then move on to take the written examination, usually immediately after the Physical Ability Test is complete. The written examination requires a minimum passing score of 70%. Applicants will be notified by email as to the outcome of their testing.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Once you have passed the written examination, based on testing scores, background investigations begin on the top thirty candidates. The background investigation consists of verification of your application material, with past employers and personal references checked at this point.     

ORAL INTERVIEW

The top thirty candidates are provided with an oral interview before the Police and Fire Commission at a date and time to be determined. This Commission, along with the Police Chief, ask a series of questions in order to properly evaluate and grade each candidate. Candidates failing to secure a minimum grade of 70% are automatically eliminated from all further consideration.     

ELIGIBILITY LIST

An initial eligibility list will be prepared for candidates successfully passing all tests. The list is subject to change with the addition of military preference points as provided by law. A maximum of five (5) additional points are added for veteran’s preference if the applicant has had a minimum of one (1) year of active duty in the United States Armed Forces with an honorable discharge. These additional points must be requested by the applicant after the initial list is posted. The Commissioners will prepare a Final Eligibility List based upon the application of any preference points added to the original weighted score of the applicants. The Final Eligibility List contains all successful candidates in order of their total score. The list remains in effect for a two-year period, or until exhausted.    

CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

At the time a vacancy occurs, a candidate is made a conditional offer of employment and must then successfully complete a thorough medical examination, a spinal examination, vision and hearing examination, a drug screen, and a psychological examination conducted by a qualified psychologist. Once all these conditions have been met, the candidate will be given a hire date and be assigned to a date to attend a police academy.

THE POLICE ACADEMY AND TRAINING

All new officers will attend a 16-week basic police training academy at one of several different academies throughout Illinois. Academy training provides and requires on-site housing during the week, with commuting home on the weekends. While in the academy, recruits learn criminal law statutes, the Illinois Vehicle Code, problem solving, defensive tactics, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques, emergency vehicle operation, and basic marksmanship.

After successful completion of the police academy, new officers are assigned to their first of three Field Training Officers and will spend the next approximately four months learning to properly perform basic police functions, applying department policies and procedures, becoming familiar with businesses, parks, schools, and neighborhoods, and developing their report writing skills. Each new officer will spend approximately one month on each shift before rotating back to their primary Field Training Officer in preparation for release to solo patrol.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

By the end of your probationary period (18 months) the Rock Island Police Department requires that you live within a one-hour response time of the police department. That includes both Illinois and Iowa! 

LATERAL ENTRY PROGRAM

Our Lateral Entry Program gives experienced, trained law enforcement officers an accelerated hiring and training process to transfer to the Rock Island Police Department. Lateral Officers are eligible to start at a higher salary, with additional financial incentives, and are typically not required to attend the basic law enforcement academy. To qualify, you must:

• Have successfully completed a certified basic law enforcement academy program (which is accepted by the Illinois Training and Standards Board).
• Be presently employed full time as a Police Officer
• Complete the appropriate portion of the City of Rock Island Lateral Entry Program application in addition to all other application materials. 
• Pass the Physical Ability Test.

Lateral Entry Program applicants have the option of taking the written test or they may elect not to take the test and receive the minimum passing score of 70%. Based on their written test scores, the top thirty applicants who successfully pass the background investigation will then be interviewed by the City of Rock Island Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and Police Chief. 

Lateral Entry Officer – Enhanced Incentive – Total Value $6,075

While not exclusive, an example of a candidate who could qualify for an enhanced incentive would be one who is an active fulltime police officer in good standing with at least one year of service with a recognized law enforcement agency outside of Illinois, and with police academy certification that is eligible for recognition by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, subject to approval.

• Starting salary of $64,570 ($3,075 above entry level salary)
• $500 Hiring Bonus – this is paid upon hire.
• $1,000 Field Training Bonus – Paid upon successful completion of the field training program, Phase II Board of Review, and released to solo patrol.
• $1,500 Probation Completion Bonus – Paid after successfully completion of 18 months of probation.

Lateral Entry Officer - Maximum Incentive – Total Value $10,004

While not exclusive, an example of a candidate who could qualify for the maximum incentive would be one who is an active fulltime Illinois-certified police officer in good standing with at least two years of service with an Illinois law enforcement agency, subject to approval.

• Starting salary of $67,799 ($6,304 above the entry level salary)
• $700 Hiring Bonus – Paid upon hire.
• $1,000 Field Training Bonus – Paid upon successful completion of the field training program, Phase II Board of Review, and released to solo patrol.
• $2,000 Probation Completion Bonus – Paid after successfully completion of 18 months of probation.

For further information regarding the testing and hiring process, you can email us at policemail@rigov.or or call us at (309) 732-2502.

For more information about working at the Rock Island Police Department, see our RIPD Recruitment Packet