UP TO $15,000 SIGN-ON BONUS

• PROBATIONARY OFFICER $70,500

• POLICE OFFICER $72,093

  • 1 Year $73,535
  • 2 Years $75,005
  • 3 Years $76,505
  • 4 Years $78,036
  • 5 Years $79,596
  • 6 Years $81,188
  • 7 Years $82,812
  • 8 Years $84,468
  • 9 Years $86,158
  • 10 Years $87,881

• CORPORAL Promotion $89,639

• SERGEANT Promotion $91,431

  • 1 Year after Promotion $93,260
  • 2 Years after Promotion $95,125
  • 3 Years after Promotion $97,027

• LIEUTENANT Promotion $106,344

  • 1 Year after Promotion $108,471
  • 2 Years after Promotion $110,640
  • 3 Years after Promotion $112,853

• DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF Promotion $137,177

  • 1 Year after Promotion $139,920
  • 2 Years after Promotion $142,719
  • 3 Years after Promotion $145,573

Any person desiring to become a city of temple police officer must meet these basic requirements: 

• Must be a citizen of the United States of America 
• Pass a civil service written entrance test 
• Be at least 21 years of age at the time the applicant presents themselves to the texas commission on law enforcement but not have attained 56 years of age at the time of the written entrance test 
• Be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an equivalency certificate issued by the Texas Education Agency (or the equivalent agency in another state or District of Columbia)
• If a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, must possess an honorable discharge after a minimum of 24 months of active duty and be eligible for re-enlistment 
• Must meet all requirements of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement for licensing of peace officers 

Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Minimum Standards for Enrollment and Initial Licensure

**an applicant younger than 21 years of age may apply if the applicant is at least 18 years of age and meets the educational qualifications as set forth in section 23(viii) of the rules and regulations of the temple fire fighter’s and police officer’s civil service commission; OR will turn 21 years of age by academy graduation date, successfully completes all phases of the selection process, and obtains the approval of the chief of police. 

Conditions of employment: 

• Must be able to respond to a civil emergency within a 45-minute travel response time 
• Must agree to take and pass an annual physical row test 

1. Apply
2.  Begin gathering required documents @ completing the Personal History Statement (PHS). A link to the PHS is provided in the job posting
3. Pass Civil Service Entrance Examination (Includes 3-part written test & 2000-meter row. Row Time Calulator)
4. Provide required documents/PHS within 5 business days of passing the Entrance Exam
5. Background Investigations
6. Oral Hiring Board/Interview
7. Polygraph Examination
8. Conditional Job Offer with Tentative Start Date
9. Psychological, Medical, Hearing, Vision, & Drug Screening Examinations
10. Chief’s Interview
11. First Day as a City of Temple Employee.
12. Attend the Temple Police Academy
13. Complete 6 month Field Training Program

Applicants who do not pas the written examination or fail to complete any of the steps in the hiring process will not be considered for appointment as a Police Officer for the duration of that eligibility list. These applicants may reapply and retest for the next posted civil service examination.

Individual vehicle assignment program (ivap) 
Upon completion of Field Training, all sworn officers will be assigned a patrol vehicle that can be taken home.

Pay incentives 

Education incentive pay 
police officers are eligible to receive education incentive pay for associates, bachelors and masters degrees and for semester hours earned with a grade of C or above.

• Master’s Degree: $250/month
• Bachelor’s Degree: $175/month
• Associate’s Degree: $100/month

Certification pay 
police officers are eligible to receive certification pay for intermediate, advanced and masters peace officer certifications and CPR certification. 

• TCOLE Master Peace Officer Certificate: $150/month
• TCOLE Advanced Peace Officer Certificate: $100/month
• TCOLE Intermediate Peace Officer Certificate: $75/month

Field Training Instructor (FTI) pay 
veteran officers may be appointed by the chief of police to serve as field training instructors to the newly appointed officers.  Appointed officers are allotted monthly field training instructor pay. 

• FTI Designation: $200/month

Shift differential pay 
uniformed officers working the night shift or evening shift patrol are allotted shift differential pay. 

• Night Shift (1700-0500 or 1800-0600): $150/month
• Evening Shift (1400-midnight): $75/month

Uniforms & cleaning allowance 
all uniforms are furnished by the police department and certified personnel are allotted a monthly uniform cleaning allowance.  Plain-clothes officers are allotted a monthly clothing allowance. 

• Uniformed Officers: $25/month
• Plain Clothes Officers: $60/month

Retirement program 

City of temple police officers are required to participate in the texas municipal retirement system.  This plan takes the place of social security withholding.  A police officer may retire with 5 years of service at age 60, or with at least 20 years of credited service. 

• Employee contributes 7.00% of gross earnings on a tax deferred basis 
• City of temple matches 2 to 1 (14.00%) upon retirement 

ICMA 457 
employees may elect to participate in the supplemental 457 retirement program in addition to their texas municipal retirement system. Contributions to the 457 are tax deferred and are not to exceed the annual maximum rate. 

Types of leave 

The city of temple personnel policies and procedures manual provides for military, jury/court, funeral, and injury leave. 
     
Vacation

Less than 10 year of service accrue 5 hours, 24 times per year 

10-14 years of service accrue 6 hours, 24 times per year 

15 and more years of service accrue 6.67 hours, 24 times per year 

Maximum accrual of vacation is 2 years. 

Holidays 

The city of temple offers 14 paid holidays in the year:

• New year’s day 
• Martin luther king day 
• President’s day 
• Good friday 
• Memorial day 
• Independence day 
• Labor day 
• Veteran’s day 
• Columbus day 
• Thanksgiving day 
• Day after thanksgiving 
• Christmas day 
• Christmas eve 
• 1 personal day to be taken at the employee’s discretion
• New Pilot Program allows sworn personnel to sell three (3) holidays back to the City.  

Sick leave 
police officers accrue 5 hours of sick leave, 24 times per year, regardless of the number of years employed with the city of temple.  There is no maximum accrual amount and sick leave will be paid out, not to exceed 720 hours, upon separation from service. 
  
Longevity pay 
as an added benefit, all full-time employees hired on or after september 12, 2014, are eligible to receive longevity pay for each consecutive year of active service from their date of employment, after they have been employed for five consecutive years.  The maximum amount an employee may receive is $225 per month. 

Insurance 

Insurance elections are effective 30 days from the date of hire for all benefits with the exception of life insurance.  Life insurance is effective 30 days from date of hire, to the first of the next month. 

Medical insurance 
the city of temple offers a fully insured medical plan offering employee and dependent coverage.  The plan year runs october 1 – september 30.  Elections are made annually during open enrollment and may be made throughout the plan year with a qualifying event.   
  
If you decline the medical insurance and show proof of current coverage in another plan, the city of temple offers an insurance credit option. 

$100 per month included in the paycheck 

$125 per month deposited into the 457 plan 

Dental insurance 
the city of temple offers a fully insured dental plan offering employee and dependent coverage.  The plan year runs october 1 – september 30.  Elections are made annually during open enrollment and may be made throughout the plan year with a qualifying event. 
  
Supplemental worksite benefits 
the city offers supplemental worksite benefits through a contracted vendor.  The plans include but are not limited to:

• Accident 
• Hospitalization 
• Critical illness 
• Cancer 
• Short term disability 
• Vision 

Long term disability 
the city of temple provides long term disability to the employee at no cost.  The benefit is paid at 60% of the monthly salary after 180 consecutive days. 
  
Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment 
the city of temple provides a life insurance policy and an AD&D policy to the employee at no cost of 1x their annual salary.  Supplemental life and AD&D policies may be purchased by the employee for themselves and their dependents. 
      
Flexible spending accounts 
the city of temple offers flexible spending accounts for eligible expenses and dependent care expenses. 

Disclaimer:  this summary is provided for your convenience, but is not to be considered substitution for existing polices or regulations governing the city of temples’ practices.  Where there is a discrepancy between this summary and the city of temples’ policies, ordinances, or resolutions, the applicable policy or resolution shall prevail. 

To be eligible for hiring under this article, an applicant must: 

• Have a current TCOLE peace officer license or challenge the TCOLE exam and complete the required training within 6 months from the date of hire; 
• Be no more than 56 years of age on the date they apply for employment with the department; 
• Be currently employed with a Law Enforcement Agency or have been substantially engaged in Law Enforcement duties within the twenty-four (24) months immediately prior to application with the department; 
• Be in good standing within their previous department; 
• Not be under any type of investigation with their previous department; 
• Have two (2) or more years of work experience as a sworn State or Federal Law Enforcement officer; 
• Take and pass a Civil Service Entrance examination; 
• Complete and pass a background investigation, and the City of Temple and Temple Police Department hiring process; 
• Successfully complete a Field Training program of not less than eight (8) weeks at the discretion fo the Department Head, and 
• Successfully complete a twelve (12) month probationary period. 

To be eligible for re-hire under this article, an applicant must: 

• Have a current TCOLE license; 
• Be no more than 56 years of age on the day they apply to be re-hired; 
• Be in good standing with their current employer; 
• Have been previously employed with the temple police officer for at least two (2) years; 
• Have been in good standing with the Temple Police Department at the time of separation; 
• Apply for re-hire no more than; 
• Six (6) months after the applicant’s date of separation from the temple police department, or 
• Twelve (12) months after the applicant’s date of separation from the Temple Police Department on the condition that the officer has maintained their TCOLE license, or 
• Twenty-four (24) months after the applicant’s date of separation from the temple police department on the condition that the applicant was employed by another law enforcement agency in texas during the entire 24-month period. 
• Have separated from the department no more than once during their Law Enforcement career at the time of application, 
• Complete and pass a background investigation and the city of temple and Temple Police Department hiring process, and 
• Successfully complete a twelve (12) month probationary period. 

The City of Temple Police Department is subject to civil service as defined in local government code chapter 143. The first step to becoming a Temple Police Officer is passing the Civil Service Entrance Exam.  Exams are given on an as-needed basis, no less than once per year.  
 

The registration packet will contain the qualifications and requirements necessary for the position of Police Officer.  All questions regarding qualifications or requirements may be directed to the City of Temple Human Resources office at 254-298-5650, or the City of Temple Police Department at 254-298-5572 or email.  

The City of Temple is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). 

The Temple Police Department has no affiliation with nor benefit from these sites and only offers these as suggestions to aid in the location of similar study materials for testing. Applicants should make every effort to use diverse study materials to prepare themselves for testing.

• Police Test Practice on tests.com 
• Police Exam Practice on kaptest.com 
• Police Exam Questions on policeteststudyguide.com 
• Frontline Police Test on jobtestprep.com (Math + Reading/ Grammar, TPD does not use the police situational questions) 
• Free Online GED test on ged.com (Math + Language)