FAQ
Below are the questions we get asked most frequently.
Hiring Process
- All applicants must complete a standard City of Sonora “Application for Employment” form available on line. You may also pick up an application at City Hall or the Police Department.
- Lateral or Entry level applicants must also provide a copy of a California P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate.
- Resumes are optional but encouraged.
- You can email your completed application, California P.O.S.T. Certificates, and resume to tskelly@sonoraca.com or you can mail or drop off your application at:
- City Hall Administration
94 N. Washington Street
Sonora, CA 95370
- City Hall Administration
You can find these documents on the City of Sonora’s website at: http://www.sonoraca.com/cityservices/departments/administration/employment/jobs.
Alternatively, you can visit the Sonora City Hall Administration or the Police Department in person to obtain these materials.
To learn more about the Police Department, contact Sergeant Eric Nygard via email at enygard@sonorapd.com or call (209) 532-8143. He can answer specific questions about the job duties and schedule a tour of the Police Department or a ride-along session to observe day-to-day activities.
Click here for the current salary range.
Additionally, you may be eligible for up to 25% more pay in additional steps and incentives.
Once your application has been selected, Human Resources will coordinate a test date/time for you. If successful, your name will be placed on an eligibility list and ranked in accordance with your performance.
The Chief of Police will conduct an administrative interview with the top qualifying candidates to determine if you will be selected for further assessment.
Once you are selected to move forward, the following steps can be expected:
- Pre-Background Conditional Offer – Within 1 week of the decision to start background.
- Background Investigation – 1 to 2 weeks following the Chief’s Interview.
- The Background Investigation process generally takes 30 days. This process involves completing and returning a Personal History Statement (PHS) and undergoing a background interview
- Conditional Offer of Employment – Upon completion of Background
- Psychological Evaluation – 2 to 4 weeks of Conditional Offer
- Physical Evaluation/Drug Screening –Within 2 to 4 weeks of Conditional Offer
- Final Offer of Employment –Within 2 weeks from Physical Evaluation/Drug Screen
- Field Training or Academy Assignment–2 to 3 weeks of receiving the Final Offer
Your Department Sponsor will be your point of contact and mentor throughout the recruitment process. They will answer general questions, provide updates on your screening process, and guide you through the steps.
The Personal History Statement will be provided to you as part of the background packet or accessed online as a fillable PDF on the California Commission on POST website at: https://post.ca.gov/Forms.
A Conditional Offer of Employment is given after completing the Background Investigation and is contingent upon successfully passing the Psychological Evaluation, Physical Evaluation, and Drug Screening.
The Psychological Evaluation is conducted by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist to assess your suitability for the position. The results are confidential and not shared with the applicant.
The Physical Evaluation and Drug Screening involves a medical assessment based on the job duties and working conditions as defined by the California Commission on POST. A licensed medical professional will conduct these evaluations.
The Field Training Program introduces you to agency personnel, policies, and procedures. You will receive formal and informal training specific to your role and general duties. The training period for recruits and academy grads is sixteen weeks, lateral applicants can expect an eight week training period.
Sworn Officers and Dispatch personnel work four (4) ten (10) hour days per week. As an option, the administration may implement a twelve (12) hour schedule across two weeks to fulfill an eighty (80) hour pay period.
You must be at least 21 years of age to work as a sworn officer.
Applicants applying for entry-level peace officer positions or lateral peace officer positions must have a valid California P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate. Applicants applying for a recruit position do not need to attend the academy prior to the application phase.
Dispatch candidates must be able to attend a POST dispatch academy within 12-months of appointment. As an employee, the City will sponsor you for this training and cover associated expenses.
Out-of-state applicants may meet California’s Regular Basic Course (academy) training requirement by completing the Basic Course Waiver process. The Regular Basic Course is the training requirement for POST-program police officers. Each state is different, and out-of-state candidates are encouraged to visit the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards (POST) and Training webpage for more information.
Benefits
The City of Sonora offers Anthem Blue Cross medical insurance with EmpiRX prescription coverage, Combined Benefits dental insurance, VSP vision insurance, and PORAC Life and Long-Term Disability insurance.
For new hires, insurance coverages become effective the first calendar day of the month following the date of hire, unless the date of hire is the first calendar day, in which case coverage is effective immediately.
Employees contribute 20% toward the monthly premium cost of the medical plan which will be deducted from each payroll check.
Employees who either discontinue dependent coverage or currently have no dependent coverage will receive an additional $150.00 in taxable compensation per pay period.
All SPOA employees are required to have a Hepatitis B vaccine, which will be paid by the City. Exceptions for religious or personal convictions must be documented.
Classic Safety members are those who were hired before January 1, 2013, and who have not had a break in service of more than six months. They are typically under the pre-2013 pension rules.
PEPRA Safety members are those who were hired on or after January 1, 2013, or who have a break in service exceeding six months and are subject to the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) rules. PEPRA introduced higher employee contribution rates and changes to benefits.
Classic Safety members contribute 9.0% of their salary to their CalPERS retirement plan.
PEPRA Safety members contribute 13.75% of their salary to their CalPERS retirement plan.
You cannot switch between these categories. Your membership classification is determined by your hire date and your service history. If you are a Classic Safety member, you remain under the Classic rules, and if you are a PEPRA Safety member, you follow the PEPRA rules.
For personalized information, you should contact CalPERS directly who can provide detailed information specific to your situation, including projections for your retirement benefits and how your contribution rates are applied.
Police Department employees accrue 4 hours per pay period. Holidays must be used within the fiscal year, and any remaining hours are paid out at the end of the fiscal year.
Vacation time is accrued based on years of service. Employees can accrue up to two years of vacation time.
Sick leave accrues at 8 hours per calendar month and can be used in 15-minute increments. Employees can accumulate an unlimited amount of sick leave but can only use up to 480 hours for service retirement at full or half salary.
Employees with 10 years of continuous service are eligible for a maximum payoff of 240 hours at full salary and 240 hours at half salary upon termination or retirement.
Employees may use sick leave to care for an ill or injured immediate family member, up to the current year’s sick leave accrual. Proof of need may be required, and this leave is subject to State and Federal laws.
At the end of each fiscal year, unused sick leave can be traded for vacation time at a rate of 2 days of sick leave for 1 day of vacation.
The annual uniform allowance is $1,500, distributed as $750 in July and $750 in December. New employees or those separating from City service receive a prorated allowance. Uniforms damaged in the line of duty are replaced on a prorated basis.
P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Certificates are professional qualifications that recognize different levels of law enforcement training and expertise. These certificates affect salary increases based on the employee’s certification level and role.
Intermediate P.O.S.T. Certificate: Employees who hold this certificate will receive a 2.5% increase in their base salary.
Advanced P.O.S.T. Certificate: Employees with this certificate will receive a 5.0% increase in their base salary.
Supervisory P.O.S.T. Certificate: Employees in a supervisory position with this certificate will receive a 2.5% increase in their base salary. This increase is automatic upon the Chief of Police submitting the necessary documentation to the City Administrator.
Dispatcher Intermediate P.O.S.T. Certificate: Employees who hold this certificate will receive a 2.5% increase in their base salary.
Dispatcher Advanced P.O.S.T. Certificate: Employees with this certificate will receive a 5.0% increase in their base salary.
Under the Education Pay policy, employees receive a salary increase for completing higher education degrees from accredited institutions. The increases are as follows:
- Associate’s Degree (or equivalent): 2.5% increase
- Bachelor’s Degree: 5.0% increase
- Master’s Degree: 7.5% increase
Yes, employees are only compensated for the highest degree obtained. The increase is not cumulative. For example:
If an employee has a Bachelor’s Degree and later obtains a Master’s Degree, their salary will increase to 7.5%, not 5.0% + 7.5%.
Only one degree per educational level will be recognized for the salary increase. For example, having two Bachelor’s Degrees will only qualify you for a 5.0% increase, not a 10% increase.
The City will reimburse 50% of the costs for tuition, books, and registration expenses for courses that are preapproved by the Chief of Police. The employee is responsible for the remaining 50% of these costs.
Reimbursement will only be provided for courses that are successfully completed. If you do not complete a course, you will not be eligible for reimbursement of the associated costs.
Employees designated to use bilingual skills receive a 2.5% pay differential for hours worked as a bilingual interpreter. There is a limit of two bilingual positions within the SPOA.
Lateral hires relocating from outside a 50-mile radius are reimbursed up to $2,500 for relocation costs upon successful completion of 90 days of service and Field Officer Training.
Hiring Bonuses
The policy provides a structured incentive plan for new Police Officer Recruits, with different amounts being paid out at various milestones, contingent upon meeting performance expectations.
For Entry Level/Academy Eligible recruits, the bonus is distributed as follows:
- $3,000 to be paid on the 1st check after POST Academy Graduation.
- $3,000 upon completion of probation and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $3,000 upon completing 3 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $4,000 upon completing 4 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $5,000 upon completing 5 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
The total potential bonus for an entry-level recruit is $18,000.
For Lateral recruits, the bonus is distributed as follows:
- $4,000 to be paid on the 1st check upon hiring.
- $5,000 upon completing 1 year of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $5,000 upon completing 2 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $5,000 upon completing 3 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
- $5,000 upon completing 4 years of service and meeting expectations on evaluation.
The total potential bonus for a lateral recruit is $24,000.
Yes, the sign-on bonus is subject to federal and state income taxes and will be included in your taxable income.
Minimum Qualifications
The minimum educational requirement for a Police Officer is the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade. This is typically supplemented by specialized training in law enforcement, criminal justice, or a related field. Having an associate degree and experience in law enforcement is desirable, but not mandatory.
While an associate degree is not strictly required, it is considered desirable and can enhance your qualifications. The essential requirement is the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade along with relevant specialized training.
You must possess or be able to obtain by the time of appointment, a valid California Driver’s License. Additionally, you need to have a Basic Certificate issued by the California State Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.).
To obtain a Basic Certificate from P.O.S.T., you need to successfully complete a P.O.S.T. Certified Basic Academy, which includes rigorous training in law enforcement practices and procedures. After completing the academy, you can apply for the certificate through the P.O.S.T. website or office.
If you are from out of state, you will need to meet California’s specific qualifications. This includes obtaining a valid California Driver’s License and completing a P.O.S.T. Certified Basic Academy or equivalent training.
Still Have Questions?
Contact a recruiter, we are happy to answer your questions about joining the Sonora Police Department.
Use the form below.