Founded in 1845, our city is the oldest permanent Western settlement on Puget Sound. Originally known as New Market, the City later adopted the name Tumwater from the Chinook word for waterfall. Located at the southern tip of Puget Sound, the City spans approximately 15 square miles with a population of 25,350. In close proximity to the state capital, Tumwater offers ample opportunity for both rural and urban living. The City also boasts an award winning and consistently high performing school district. Since Tumwater’s incorporation in 1869, the City has continued to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.

The Tumwater Police Department (TPD) helps maintain a safe community for all residents. The department creates community partnerships and maintains a high standard of conduct for officers and staff, while proactively enforcing federal, state and local law to keep the City safe.

As of the beginning of 2024, the Police Department has a Chief, one Commander, three Lieutenants, seven Sergeants, 34 commissioned officers, two limited-commissioned officers and seven non-commissioned administrative staff.

The department comprises three divisions: Patrol, Investigations, and Administration. Patrol includes two K-9 teams and one metro officer, while in Investigations two detectives are assigned as School Resource Officers. The department also offers opportunities for specialties such as SWAT, Firearms Instructor, EVOC Instructor, DT Instructor, Less Lethal Instructor, Active Shooter Instructor, Patrol Tactics Instructor, Collision Investigator and Crisis Negotiator.

We hire motivated, professional people with the highest ethical standards. We are committed to our employees and their wellness. This includes time for officers to recharge and refocus on-duty, as well as a physical fitness incentive for those with qualifying service time. We also provide our staff with exceptional equipment and training. Commissioned staff are assigned take-home vehicles and a generous uniform allowance. Additionally, our schedule allows for plenty of rest and relaxation: the Patrol division officers work a 4-on/4-off schedule (four 11-hour days followed by four days off.) Non-patrol officers generally work a 4/10 schedule (4 days/week, 10 hours/day) or a 9/80 schedule (9 hours/day with one extra day off every-other week.)

Tumwater Police Department - Police Officer has 4 vacancies.

The City has adopted a continuous recruitment process. Oral boards are conducted on an as needed basis on the first Tuesday of each month and oral board participants are invited based on their Public Safety Testing score. Rank on the eligibility list is a combination of the written and oral board scores as established by the Tumwater Civil Service Commission. The top seven candidates on the eligibility list can be considered by the Chief.

Current Number of Vacancies: Three positions

$6,503-$9,389

The City of Tumwater is a great place to work. We provide a generous benefit package. Positions are represented by the Tumwater Police Guild. Members receive medical, dental, vision coverage, retirement, basic life and AD&D, supplemental life, and long term disability options. The City provides twelve paid holidays, plus vacation and sick leave.