Police Officer Trainee

About the Department

The Police Officer Trainee is a recruiting and training level classification established to qualify candidates for duties as a Police Officer I in the Clearlake Police Department. Incumbents of this class undergo a formal, fulltime comprehensive training program in a P.O.S.T. certified academy. Incumbents must qualify for promotion to Police Officer I within one year of employment or separate from City service. Positions in this class are distinguished from Police Officer I and II in that Police Officer Trainee is a non-sworn class which has no peace officer powers and incumbents are temporary part-time employees. 

Once you complete the police academy, you will be promoted to a police officer ("Benefits" tab is for the Police Officer position, not police trainee).  In your new capacity as a police officer, we offer room for you to grow in your career. With special assignments including field training officer, traffic officer, K-9 handler, detective, school resource officer and corporal, there are opportunities for a variety of skill sets as you grow with our organization.

Police Officer Salary:  
$33.36 - $42.58 Hourly
$5,615.04 - $7,381.36 Monthly (up to $10,223 with incentives)

IMPORTANT

1.  A completed POST Personal History Statement (PHS) must be attached to this application. The form can be found at:

https://post.ca.gov/portals/0/post_docs/publications/2-251-phsPeaceOfficers.pdf

2.  If you have not completed a California Post Entry-Level Law Enforcement Test Battery (PELLETB) within the last 6 months with a score of over 45, and/or are unable to provide written verification of your score, you must participate in a PELLETB to be held at the Clearlake City Hall on February 28, 2026 at 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

PELLETB study guide can be found at:

https://post.ca.gov/portals/0/post_docs/publications/poWrittenPracticeTest.pdf

3.  During the academy, you will be participating in physical fitness.  In order to determine if you are at a sufficient fitness level to participate in routine physical training, you are required to complete a Pre-Law Enforcement Academy Physical Training Test.

4. Successful candidates will be put through a police academy by the city. The academy will be from June 2026 to December 2026. Successful candidates will be required to live at the academy in dormitory housing paid for by the city while attending the academy.  

Position Duties

Duties include but are not limited to those described below.

Receives instruction in the following areas: Identification and utilization of principles and techniques that promote community service, crime prevention, and appropriate behavior; enforcement and procedural aspects of criminal law and the legal obligations inherent in enforcement of those laws; proficient application of the rules of evidence; effective and professional communication through written, oral, and mechanical media; operation of an emergency vehicle which includes skid training, high speed pursuit, defensive driving, and emergency driving; firearm training in order to learn good judgment and competency in the use of deadly force, and ancillary police weaponry, and weaponless defense; safely and effectively accomplishing the patrol function consisting of patrolling a designated area of the City in a patrol car in order to preserve law and order, and to prevent and discover the commission of crimes; effectively dealing with common vehicle violations by learning to recognize the violation, locating the violations in the Vehicle Code, and safely and professionally contacting the violator; basic criminal investigation processes and techniques, including the identification, collection, and preservation of evidence, courtroom testimony, and witness interrogation; processing, confirming, and caring for adult and juvenile prisoners in such a manner as to protect the prisoner's rights and welfare; physical fitness and defense techniques program; first aid, including Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation techniques; and other related courses or programs as required.  

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Training Guidelines: Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: 

Education: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

Experience: None required.

License: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License as issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles.

Peace Officer Status Requirements: Police Officer Trainees train to become peace officers and must meet all of the minimum standards pursuant to state penal and government codes, including:

Age: Must be at least 21 years of age by the time of appointment.

Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien who has applied for citizenship. A permanent resident alien who has applied for citizenship will be required, if appointed, to provide yearly proof of application status with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Failure to cooperate with the INS or denial of citizenship will result in termination of employment.

Felony Convictions: Must not have been convicted of a felony. Convictions for misdemeanors and/or traffic offenses will be assessed to determine fitness for appointment.

Medical/Psychological Examination: Must submit to medical and psychological examinations if a conditional offer of employment is made. The psychological examination includes the completion of a written psychological assessment and an interview with a City-appointed psychologist.

Ability to: Pass extensive background investigation, which includes a polygraph examination; pass the academy entrance examination. Through training, acquire knowledge of modern approved principles, practices, and procedures of law enforcement, state laws, local ordinances and first aid; write clearly, accurately, concisely, legibly, and with correct English grammatical construction and spelling; demonstrate an aptitude for law enforcement work; understand and carry out oral and written instructions; observe, assimilate, remember, record, and recall pertinent facts and details, learn standard broadcasting procedures of the City radio system; apply selected knowledge (i.e. laws, statutes, court decision, department policies, criminal investigation theories, etc.) in collecting, organizing, and analyzing a variety of information in order to decide on an appropriate and reasonable course of action; analyze problems and have the potential to rationally and calmly take effective action in emergency and stressful situations; deal courteously with the general public assisting the residents in solving community problems to improve the safety and quality of life in the communities they serve; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, other city employees and the numerous agencies involved in the criminal justice field; develop skills and safety procedures in the use of firearms; undergo strenuous physical conditioning. Satisfactorily complete a Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) approved California Peace Officer Academy; and promote to Police Officer I within the one year. 

Stretching along the eastern shore of Clear Lake from Cache Creek to beyond Monitor Point, the City of Clearlake was incorporated in 1980. Known as "the Highlands"​ to longtime residents, the city meanders over hills throughout its 10.5 square miles. Development of the area began in 1922, with walnut orchards a common sight. Some of those original orchards remain today in the Burns Valley area. The city, with a growing population now over 15,000, prides itself as a tourist destination with small-town charm.