Professional Staff

The professional staff of the Los Altos Police Department strive to provide high-quality police services to the community. We are proud of the outstanding partnerships we enjoy with our community and are dedicated to working together to identify and resolve issues that impact the quality of life in Los Altos.

Professional Staff Positions

If you’re interested in joining Los Altos Police Department, check out the open positions and apply today.

Police Dispatcher

The Police Communications Center is a fast-paced environment serving first responders and the community during emergency and non-emergency events.

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Salary

$114,762.95 – $139,495.09 Annually

Incentive Pay

Incentive pay is in addition to your base salary.

CIT pay: +1%
Holiday pay: +5%
Anti-Bias pay: +1%
Intermediate POST Certificate: +5%
Advanced POST Certificate: +2.5% (7.5% total above base if you have Intermediate and Advanced POST Certificates)

Benefits

Medical Coverage

CalPERS Medical Program
Health Coverage Opt Out Option

Wellness Program

Quality of Life Benefit
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Flexible Spending Accounts

Work/Life Balance

Vacation
Comp Time
Sick Leave
Holidays In Lieu
On-Duty Workout

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

EXPERIENCE:

A minimum of one year of public safety radio dispatching and/or basic clerical experience is required

EDUCATION:

Possession of a High School Diploma or G.E.D. equivalent is required.
Completion of college-level coursework is highly desirable

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:

Proof of successful completion of either the Criticall Dispatcher test with a passing score OR P.O.S.T. Entry-level Dispatcher Test with a T-score of 50 or above.
- (Lateral applicants that are currently employed as a Public Safety Dispatcher (non-probationary) do not need to submit proof of test scores, however a California POST Dispatcher Academy Certificate is required.)
Possession of a typing certificate with a minimum of 50 wpm dated within one year of the application date must be included as an attachment.
Possession of Basic P.O.S.T. Dispatch Certificate is highly desirable and may be substituted for work experience.

Per-Diem Dispatch Public Safety Specialist

Part-time Dispatch Public Safety Specialists interact daily with the public and law enforcement personnel through phone calls, 9-1-1 events, in person and over the police radio system.

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Salary & Benefits

Salary

$66.21 – $80.48 Hourly

Benefits

Financial Wellness

OBRA Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Sick Leave

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

EXPERIENCE:

A minimum of one year of public safety call-taking and radio dispatching is required
Experience with Intergraph/Hexagon CAD is highly desirable

EDUCATION:

Possession of a High School Diploma or G.E.D. equivalent is required
Completion of college-level coursework is highly desirable

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:

Possession of Basic P.O.S.T. Dispatch Certificate is required

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911 Dispatcher

At the Los Altos Police Department, professional staff play a vital role in keeping our community safe and our department running strong. But here, your opportunities go far beyond traditional roles like dispatching and records management. We’re proud to offer career paths that are unique in the world of professional staff. From supporting investigations to managing technology and operations, our team members have the chance to specialize and grow in ways that few agencies can match.