Description/Distinguishing Features

*THIS POSTING IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY   If you are interested in submitting a job interest card to receive email notification when we post the position, please email KDPSHiring@kalamazoocity.org or complete the following: *1. Select "Menu" (top left corner) 2. Select "Job Descriptions and Subscribe to Email Job Alerts" 3. In Search bar, enter "Public Safety Officer" 4. Select Public Safety Officer (PSO)(PO-02) 5. Select green Subscribe button (top right corner) 6. Enter your first/last name and email address 7. Submit

Seeking a career that leaves room for life? KDPS has a schedule for you. Balance Life and Career: *PSOs assigned to patrol work 12-hour shifts. During a 28-day rotation, PSOs are scheduled to work 14 days and have 14 days off. Our unique schedule encourages a healthy balance between life and career with ample time off. Workdays vary during a 28-day rotation, creating two weekends off every month and a run of seven days off in a row, starting on a Friday. *This stretch of days commonly referred to as the '7-day' allows PSOs to reset, take a trip, or complete a project every month.   *Have a special skill or interest? KDPS has a specialty assignment for you. Professional Development:  KDPS offers one badge, but endless career opportunities. PSOs can pursue more than forty professional growth tracks to include: **Aviation Unit, Bike Response Unit, Bomb Squad, Crime Reduction Team, Crisis Negotiator, Community Police Officer, Community Service Team, Court Officer, Crowd Management Team, Detective, Equipment Operator, Explorer Advisor, Field Training Officer, Fifth District Technical Team, Fire Marshal, Hazmat Team, Honor Guard, K9 Team, KVET (Drug) Investigator, Lab Specialist/Technician, Motorcycle Unit, Peer Fitness Trainer, Peer Support Team, Pipe and Drum Unit, Polygraph Examiner, Recruiter, School Resource Officer, Strategic Planner, SWAT Team, Task Force Officer (ATF, DEA, FBI), Traffic Unit, Training Officer, and Technical Rescue Team. *

*Starting wages listed below are effective January 1, 2024. Starting wages will vary depending on the Recruit's training and experience.  **As of 1/1/2024, Public Safety Officer top pay is $84,171.36. 

Recruits (no experience) and Police Academy Graduates:  $50,537.76 + overtime opportunities  Experienced Police Officers (full or part time/MCOLES certified or able to be certified through RPTE program) and/or Fire Fighter I & II *(full time and licensed MFR):        $56,565.60 (less than 1 year of service)        $59,841.60 (1 year to less than 2 years of service)        $62,615.28 (2 years to less than 3 years of service)        $65,388.96 (3 years or more of completed service)

Examples of Duties

PSOs perform a wide range of duties specifically related to providing police, fire, and medical services in the City of Kalamazoo. Some of the duties are listed below. However, the list is not exhaustive of every duty that a PSO may be required to perform:

Responds to calls for service that require police, fire, or medically trained professionals. *Police:  *Patrols an assigned zone, responds to calls for service to include high risk situations and those involving mental health crisis, enforces traffic laws, conducts criminal investigations, and makes lawful arrests. *Fire:  *Responds to working fires, investigates fire alarms and smoke, provides vehicle extrication, conducts traffic control during vehicle crash investigations, and m