The Village of Winnetka is an affluent community of approximately 12,500 residents located on the north shore of Lake Michigan and is located approximately sixteen miles from downtown Chicago. While it’s a quiet, primarily-residential community, public safety careers in Winnetka offer ample training and leadership opportunities. It is regarded by many as a great place to pursue a career while offering work-life balance and great benefits. Candidates who are motivated by serving an appreciative community and team-oriented creative problem-solving will thrive in a Winnetka public safety career. Residents are friendly, supportive, and proud of their police and fire departments, often inviting them to present in schools and appear at Village events and local celebrations.

The Village has three public and four private elementary schools, one public middle school, one public high school and one private high school. There is one fire station, a public library, and twelve places of worship in the Village. Recreational facilities include four public beaches and a boat launch, numerous parks, an indoor tennis club, ice rink, public golf course and forest preserve areas. The community is served by the Endeavor Health system, including Evanston, Skokie, Highland Park, and Glenbrook hospitals. Three Chicago and Northwestern Railway (METRA) train stations and PACE bus systems provide public transportation. The proximity to north and northwest suburbs, as well as the City of Chicago, makes Winnetka attractive to prospective employees, and the fact that it is a scenically beautiful Village adds to the appeal.

The Winnetka Police Department is comprised of 35 full-time sworn officers and 8 civilian employees. The department’s fundamental mission is to provide the professional leadership and support required to sustain and improve the community’s efforts to remain free of crime and disorder.

The patrol section of the department, where all new hires begin their careers, consists of one Patrol Commander, six Patrol Sergeants and 16 Patrol Officers. The patrol section provides 24-hour service within approximately 4.0 square miles and responds to over 10,000 emergency and non-emergency calls each year.

The department also has a fully-staffed investigations unit comprised of an Investigations Unit Commander, three Detectives and a School Resource Officer. Its primary function is to conduct follow-up investigations on all major criminal activity in the Village. This unit also serves as a liaison to other law enforcement agencies. In addition to providing essential police services, the department provides continuing in-service training and opportunities for assignment to specialty functions such as firearms instructor, physical fitness coordinator, evidence technician, field training officer, crime prevention officer, school resource officer, juvenile officer, business liaison officer, and other specialty assignments. Opportunities for advancement in rank occur as positions become available.

The department participates in the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency Services Team (NIPAS), which consists of personnel from approximately 90 police agencies, and is a special weapons and tactics unit (SWAT) in operation in northern Illinois that may be called in to assist whenever local resources are not adequate to deal with an emergency situation. The department also participates in the NIPAS Mobile Field Force, a unit designed for crowd control at major events, the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF), a consortium that was created to bring 13 communities together to investigate homicides/non-parental kidnappings and a burglary task force, as well as a variety of other mutual aid agreements and cooperatives. Winnetka also participates in the Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT).

Department personnel develop and maintain an assortment of specialized skills and abilities allowing the agency to provide a full range of law enforcement services to the community.

The Police Patrol Officer performs routine vehicular and foot patrols, investigates criminal activity, enforces traffic and parking regulations, and conducts a variety of crime prevention activities to protect life and property, prevent disorder, and enforce laws and ordinances.  New hires have a two-year probationary period.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties

• Be present for roll call; receive and record pertinent information and instructions.
• Patrol specified beat on foot and in patrol vehicle; make periodic interior and exterior premises checks of businesses, schools and residences to determine the existence of unusual or hazardous conditions. Investigate suspicious persons, vehicles, places or activity. Take appropriate action when condition is warranted, including making arrests and issuing citations.
• Promptly respond to radio calls investigating crimes, complaints, disturbances, traffic accidents, and stray animals. Administer first aid in emergencies. Investigate conditions hazardous to life and property. Conduct initial investigations of crime and crime scenes, and collect and preserve evidence.
• Identify, pursue, apprehend, and assist in the prosecution of persons who violate federal, state, and local laws, statutes and ordinances; subdue resisting individuals; search arrested persons; seize contraband; transport arrestees to the police facility/lock-up; make warrant inquiries; fingerprint suspects; attend and testify during court appearance.
• Conduct enforcement stops for motor vehicle violations; enforce parking laws/restrictions; direct traffic; assist motorists with disabled vehicles; request emergency assistance when needed; remove debris to eliminate traffic hazards; and assist with moving disabled vehicles from the roadway.
• Intervene in and temporarily mediate domestic disputes; advise parties of their legal rights under state law; explain domestic legal procedures to all parties; and make referrals to other agencies when appropriate.
• Analyze, organize, and present intelligence and other information relating to suspected criminal activity.
• Interview, question, and interrogate when necessary, victims and complainants, witnesses, informants, and suspects of possible criminal activity.
• Prepare accurate written reports, records and diagrams and complete other paperwork necessary for court proceedings; attend court proceedings when required.
• Maintain positive law enforcement presence in the community; meet with and make presentations to various citizen groups.
• Engage in regular fitness for duty, firearms training, and professional development training.
• Reconstruct incidents, including traffic accidents, using mathematical, computer and other techniques.
• Evacuate persons from dangerous areas, secure buildings and areas and assist other departments or agencies in disaster and emergency situations.
• Assume special duties including beach patrol, bike patrol, and longer term assignments including that of investigator, school resource officer, juvenile officer, fitness instructor, department training officer, field training officer, evidence technician, accident investigator, firearms instructor, crime prevention officer, motorcycle officer, Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) and North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF) team member, and other assignments when required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

Work shifts are normally 12 or 8 hours in duration, 40 hours weekly, rotating and/or fixed shifts, both indoors and outdoors. Some work may occur during normal business hours in a typical office setting for limited lengths of time. The position involves being available for on-call emergency notifications and response when deemed necessary.

Winnetka Police Department - Patrol Officer has 5 vacancies.

The deadline to test for the next hiring cycle is August 17, 2026.

The Winnetka Police Department is actively recruiting five officers to begin employment in November 2026. New officers will attend either the Police Training Institute (PTI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) at the College of DuPage.

Candidate interviews will begin in September following the certification of the Final Eligibility List.

The Winnetka Police Department offers a competitive salary and benefits package designed to attract and retain high-quality police officers. The 2026 salary range is $88,386-$124,480 and is dictated by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP) collective bargaining agreement.  Actively employed officers with the Village on December 1, 2026 will receive a $5,000 retention bonus.

Patrol officers generally work a 12-hour schedule that provides consistent coverage and meaningful time off between work cycles. Typical patrol shifts are 7 AM to 7 PM or 7 PM to 7 AM.  Officers assigned to patrol generally work an 160-hour schedule within a 28-day work cycle, supporting both operational effectiveness and work-life balance.

The Village provides department-issued uniforms and equipment along with an annual uniform allowance and fitness and firearms incentives. With the support of Village Council and the community, the department is well-funded and equipped, and the department continually invests in officer training, wellness, and development to ensure officers have the tools and support needed to serve the community.

The Village of Winnetka offers a superior benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance and Village-paid life insurance valued at one-times an employee's annual salary.  Police Officers also participate in teh Winnetka Police Pension Fund.  Supplemental life and health benefits are also available.  Employees receive generous vacation, personal, holiday, and sick leave accruals; holiday pay; fitness and firearms incentives; and Village-provided equipment and uniforms.

Officers employed on December 1, 2026 will also receive a $5,000 retention bonus.