Located along the shores of the Columbia, Yakima, and Snake Rivers in southeastern Washington, Kennewick is a growing community of 84,620 that enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year. Kennewick, along with the neighboring cities of Richland and Pasco, comprise the Tri-Cities metropolitan area with a population of nearly 275,000. Kennewick is the largest of the Tri-Cities and is a regional shopping and entertainment hub and an outdoor recreational paradise. Kennewick offers breathtaking parks, a vibrant downtown, upscale dining and retail, art galleries, antique shops, and a variety of entertainment venues.

The Columbia Center Mall is one of the largest covered malls in Eastern Washington, and downtown Kennewick is undergoing a revitalization focusing on creating a great gathering place in a comfortable, hometown setting, where merchants and customers are friends and neighbors. The Tri-City area also boasts more than 200 wineries and micro-breweries within a 50-mile radius, producing some of the finest wines in the country.

The Tri-Cities is a sports minded community, which is reflected in the many public athletic facilities and is home to two professional sports teams: Tri-City Americans WHL Ice Hockey and Tri-City Dust Devils, a professional Single A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The Toyota Center in Kennewick hosts the Tri-City Americans WHL ice-hockey team, along with many great sporting and entertainment events throughout the year. Golf is one of the most popular sports enjoyed year-round in Kennewick, with over ten premier courses challenging the most experienced golfer as well as providing opportunity for the beginner.

The confluence of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia Rivers has produced an aquatic playground that brings water lovers from all over the region together to enjoy sailing, boating, water-skiing, swimming, fishing, windsurfing, and more. The annual Benton-Franklin County Fair and Rodeo showcases National Championship cowboys and bull riders and brings in country and pop music entertainment stars.

Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities urban campus are located in the neighboring cities of Pasco and Richland. CBC offers a full array of Associate degree and vocational/technical career programs, while WSU provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The City of Kennewick is an equal opportunity employer and has an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) plan. This is a comprehensive plan that analyzes relevant labor market data, as well as employment practices, to identify possible barriers to the participation of women and minorities in all levels of the workforce. Its purpose is to ensure the opportunity for full and equal participation of men and women in the workplace, regardless of race, color, or national origin. The current EEO Workforce Diversity Plan and EEOP form are available for review in the Human Resources Department section of our website following this link www.go2kennewick.com

The Kennewick Police Department is a high energy, progressive organization whose motto is, “Committed to Your Safety”. By implementing community oriented policing programs and working with the other city municipal departments our collective vision is, “One Team – One Future.” Our commitment to the citizens who live, work, and play in Kennewick to continue with the work of “Leading the Way.”

We are an agency of 130 employees with an authorized commissioned strength of 108 officers. We have four divisions – the Patrol Division, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Special Services Division, and Administrative Services Division.

• The Patrol Division is under the command of a Commander with seven direct-report Sergeants. It consists of six 12-hour patrol squads supervised by Patrol Sergeants and a Traffic Unit supervised by a Traffic Sergeant. The department currently has one (1)Patrol K-9 officer. Officers may also test for specialty positions, such as SWAT, Traffic, Detectives, Criminal Apprehension Team, METRO Drug Task Force, US Marshal Fugitive Task Force, Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, School Resource Officer.
• The Special Services Division is under the command of a Commander and includes Youth Services, Crime Prevention, Crime Resistant Community Living (CRCL), and the Records Unit. A lieutenant supervises Youth Services, consisting of one DARE and five School Resource Officers (SRO’s) and also serves as the department’s Public Information Officer (PIO). The CRCL Officer also monitors the Registered Sex Offenders in the community and conducts monthly community meetings to keep citizens informed on the status of this offender group. The Staff Services Unit (Records) consists of 1 Supervisor,  and 11 Support Specialists. The division also includes our volunteer group also known as Citizens Helping in Police Services (CHIPS).
• The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is under the command of a Commander. The Division is divided into separate specialty units. The first is the Crimes Against Persons Unit consisting of a detective sergeant and six detectives. One Investigator specializes as an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Investigator. The second is the Crimes Against Property Unit consisting of a detective sergeant and six detectives. The third unit is the Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT). CAT is a proactive group of 1 sergeant and 4 detectives who target criminal gang activity, property crimes such as vehicle prowling and auto theft. CAT detectives work during the evening hours and operate unmarked cars. They also respond to and assist with major crime scenes investigations as needed. 
• Additionally, detectives are assigned to regional task forces. There is 1 sergeant and 1 detective assigned to the Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force,  1 sergeant and 1 detective assigned to the regional Metro Task Force, 1 detective assigned to DEA, 1 detective assigned to the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, 1 evidence technician and 1 crime analyst that are assigned to Criminal Investigations. 
• The Administrative Services Division is under the direction of the Chief of Police. The division is comprised of one commander (Chief of Staff), one lieutenant and one administrative assistant. The Division includes the Office of Professional Standards, Internal Affairs, and Animal Control (ACA). The division also oversees the Department’s accreditation program and reviews and up-dates policies, procedures, and practices so they reflect “best practices” in law enforcement. The Kennewick Police Department is currently accredited by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).

Kennewick Police Department - Police Officer has 8 vacancies.

The deadline to test for the next hiring cycle is June 30, 2024.

We typically pull test results once each month. These test results are processed and successful candidates are added to our Police Officer eligibility lists. The eligibility lists are presented at the monthly Civil Service Commission meeting scheduled for the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Once the Civil Service Commission has approved the eligibility list, we can begin processing applicants in the next step of the recruitment process, the background investigation. To view our most recently approved Civil Service lists, visit https://www.go2kennewick.com/585/Civil-Service-Commission

Our Civil Service rules allow us to process candidates at a rate of 6+ the number of vacancies. If we have 10 vacancies we can process up to 16 candidates at the background step at a time. This is total, not 16 from each list. We have eligibility lists for Police Officer – Public Safety Testing, Police Officer – National Testing Network, and Lateral Police Officers.

When we have the capacity to process additional background packets, successful candidates will receive an email invite from blanca.reyna@ci.kennewick.wa.us with instructions for submitting background investigation documents. Please make sure that you add these individuals as safe contacts and check your email on a regular basis including your SPAM folder. If you do not respond by the deadline, you may be required to go through the testing process again.

Background: Applicants for the Police Department may be rejected if the Police Department deems that it does not have the resources to conduct the background investigation required pursuant to chapter 43.101 RCW. Resources mean materials, funding, and staff time. All applicants for the Police Department shall be fingerprinted, and a thorough search is made of fingerprints through local, state, and federal fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record. Applicants for the Police Department shall not have had a conviction for any crime, the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in a federal or state prison or similar institution, and shall not have been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude, narcotics, or drugs. For the purpose of these rules the term “conviction” means a final conviction in a federal, state, or municipal court; and un-vacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure an accused person’s appearance in court; the payment of a fine; a plea of guilty or a finding of guilt regardless of whether the imposition of sentence is deferred or the penalty suspended. Every applicant must furnish proof of good character, temperate habits and physical ability to perform the duties of the position to which he/she seeks employment. The Civil Service Commission may refuse to examine an applicant, or, after examination, refuse to certify as eligible an applicant, and may remove the applicant’s name from the eligible list for any of the following reasons:

• Dismissal from any employment for delinquency or misconduct
• Mental or physical unfitness for the position
• Dishonest criminal, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct
• Intentional false statement in any material fact, or deception, or fraud, in securing an examination, certification, or appointment
• Dishonorable discharge from military service
• Habitual use of intoxicating liquors or use of narcotics
• Failure to meet requirements as contained in examination announcement
• Any other willful violation of the provisions of this rule

An oral interview by the hiring authority or his/her representative shall be given to determine if an applicant has any serious defect in background or ability to communicate which would render the applicant ineffective as an employee of the Police Department.

2023 Salary Information: $88,548 to $114,336 / Year (excludes holiday pay)

Monthly Salaries*: Hire-$7,379; 18 months-$7,746; 30 months-$8,209; 42 months-$8,662

*Lateral hires are recognized with service credit based on the salary schedule listed above.

Career Development Program:
Police Officer First Class: $8,879
Senior Police Officer: $9,182
Master Police Officer: $9,528

Union Affiliation: Kennewick Police Officers Benefit Association, Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance, Annual Leave, Bereavement Leave, Deferred Compensation 457 Plan (with current 5% City contribution and no match required), Life Insurance, State Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters (LEOFF 2) Retirement Plan, Employee Assistance Plan, Flex-Plan program. See additional benefits in the recruiting brochure. Here is the link: Recruiting Brochure

Name: Tausha Lenkersdorfer

Phone: (509) 585-4240
Email: tausha.lenkersdorfer@ci.kennewick.wa.us

Or KPD-Recruiters@ci.kennewick.wa.us