Joliet Police Department

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE CITY OR POLICE DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY WITH QUESTIONS.
PER REQUEST OF THE CITY, ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO APPLICATIONS@STANARD.COM

Joliet Police Department
Joliet, Illinois

The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the City of Joliet, Illinois, is accepting applications for Entry-Level and Certified Lateral Police Officer positions with the Joliet Police Department. The Joliet Police Department seeks dedicated individuals who want to make a positive impact in the Joliet community. All applicants must complete a written and oral assessment to establish a numerical ranking list. Two eligibility lists will be created; applicants will only be named on one list. Applicants who meet the two-year minimum requirement for a police officer will be placed on the Certified Lateral eligibility list.

The City of Joliet is known as the “City of Champions.” The Joliet Police Department is committed to providing exceptional, professional police service to our community and ensuring the safety of all residents, businesses, and visitors. 

 “WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR A SAFE CITY.”

Population: 150,362
Sworn Police Officers: Authorized strength of 300 officers

2026 Entry-Level Police Officer

• Step A: starting base salary $72,275 that includes a prorated holiday and a court stipend, both pensionable.
• Step B 2027: base salary $86,556 that includes $3,250 holiday and $2,100 court stipends.
• Step H: 18-year officer top-out base salary is $139,321 that includes an additional $5,243 holiday, $2,100 court, and $1,807 longevity stipends.

2026 Certified Lateral Police Officer

• Step C 2026: starting salary, minimum two (2) years of full-time law enforcement experience is $102,357 that includes a prorated holiday and $2,100 court stipends.
• Step D 2026: starting salary must have more than three (3) years of full-time law enforcement experience is $107,553 that includes a prorated holiday and $2,100 court stipends.

The City of Joliet offers full-time police officers an outstanding benefits package that includes:

• Generous insurance benefit package
• Police pension program
• Tuition reimbursement option

Additional Perks:

• Vacation and sick leave earned per calendar year, effective from the date of hire.
• 12-hour patrol shifts (every other Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off).
• Officers earn 4 floating holidays that must be used within the calendar year.
• The City of Joliet provides department-issued uniforms, equipment, duty weapons, flashlights, and all training.
• All stipends are pensionable.
• Allowed to accumulate compensatory time.
• Dedicated fitness facility for all City of Joliet employees.
• Various specialized units such as Crime Scene Investigators, Tactical, Traffic Unit, Neighborhood Oriented Policing Team, School Resource Officers, Special Operations Squad, Crisis Negotiator Team, Detectives, Narcotics Unit, K-9, Special Services Unit, and more.

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements established by the City of Joliet:

• All applicants must have U.S. Citizenship;
• Residency Requirement: All new employees may reside within the corporate limits of the City of Joliet or within 50 miles of the intersection of Essington Road and Jefferson Street within 18 months of the date of hire;
• No felony convictions or any misdemeanors involving moral turpitude;
• You must possess a valid state-issued driver's license with a good driving record (this will be required as proof of ID at all stages).
• Must have registered with the Selective Services System (https://www.sss.gov);
• No offensive and/or inappropriate visible tattoos, brands, or body piercings. No tattoos, body art, or brands are permitted on the head, face, scalp, neck, or hands, from the wrists to the fingertips;
• High school diploma or transcript, or an equivalent high school education certificate as recognized by the Illinois State Department of Education (GED certificate);
• All applicants must provide proof of completion of the P.O.W.E.R. test administered by NIPSTA, Triton College, or Joliet Junior College;
  • A POWER test card must be dated within 12 months of the application date (4/13/2026).  Proof of the power test can be provided during the initial application process but must be submitted no later than the Final Eligibility Register list posting. Applicants who advance through the application process and are offered a conditional letter of employment must pass a subsequent Power Test (expenses paid by the police department) before attending the police academy. Failure by any applicant to complete or pass any tests according to BOFPC shall be eliminated from further consideration.
  • Only P.O.W.E.R. Test administered by NIPSTA, Triton College, or Joliet Junior College will be accepted: https://www.nipsta.org/206/Schedule-Registration, http://www.triton.edu/power, https://www.jjc.edu/about-jjc/places-interest/power-testing
• All applicants must successfully complete an online written examination starting Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM through Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM. Applicants scoring in the top tier will progress to the oral board interview;
• Must have 20/20 vision in both eyes (or corrected 20/20 vision) -AND- color blindness could be a disqualifying factor;
• Must meet the requirements of a thorough background investigation and successfully pass psychological and polygraph exams, medical and vision exams, and drug testing;
• Pay a $25.00 non-refundable application processing fee;

(Failure by any applicant to complete or pass any tests according to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall result in elimination from further consideration.)

Entry-Level Police Officer requirements:

• At least 20 years of age and UNDER 35 years of age at time of the application deadline (April 13, 2026) -AND- Must be at least 21 years of age and UNDER 35 years of age at time of job appointment, unless otherwise exempt.
• Except as provided in 65 ILCS 5/10-2.16 (original appointments, full-time police department), all applicants shall be under 35 years of age.  No person 35 years of age or older shall be appointed to the position of police officer unless a military veteran exempt under this section. A veteran shall be allowed to exceed the maximum age provision of this section by the number of years served on active military duty, but by no more than 10 years of active military duty.  If an applicant becomes over age during the application process or while on an active eligibility list, such applicant shall not be allowed to continue with the application process, shall not be appointed, and such applicant’s name shall be deemed immediately stricken from the active eligibility list, except under the statute. An applicant is exempt under 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6(a); it is the applicant's responsibility to provide the required documentation.  Applicants who are 20 years of age as of the application deadline are eligible to take the initial examination but are not eligible for appointment (and will be passed over) until they reach 21 years of age.  Proof of date of birth will be required at the time of application.

Certified Lateral Police Officer requirements:

• All Certified Lateral Police applicants cannot reach their 39^th birthday by the time of appointment. If the applicant becomes over age during the application process or while on the Certified Lateral List, they shall not be allowed to continue the application process or be appointed, and their name shall be immediately stricken from the list.
• Must possess a State of Illinois Law Enforcement certification from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board as a full-time law enforcement officer. The applicant must submit a certificate attesting they have successfully completed the Basic Law Enforcement Academy as part of the application process.
• Applicants must have been previously employed or are currently employed as a full-time sworn law enforcement officer with a police department in any municipality, county, university, or state law enforcement agency for a minimum of two (2) years.
• Must have completed their probationary period and be considered in good standing or have resigned from their agency in good standing.

(You will be required to complete the Joliet Police Department Field Training Program and will be a probationary employee for 18 months from the date of hire.)

Preference Points:  The City of Joliet will award up to ten (10) points.  Valid documentation must be submitted at the time of application to qualify. 

• Veterans Preference: 5 points Persons who were engaged in the active military or naval service of the United States for at least one year and who were honorably discharged from there or who are now or may hereafter be on inactive reserve duty in such military or naval service, not including persons who were convicted by court-martial of disobedience of orders, where such disobedience consisted of the refusal to perform military service on the grounds of religious or conscientious objections against war, shall be awarded five (5) preference points.  Proof of such military service must include a copy of the most current Long Form DD-214 as proof of active military service and evidence of the honorable discharge;
• Education Preference: 2 points Persons  who have successfully obtained an associate’s degree in the fields of law enforcement or criminal justice, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, shall be awarded two (2) preference points (evidenced by submittal of official transcripts).
• Joliet Cadet Preference: 2 points. Persons who have participated in the Joliet Police Department cadet program for a minimum of six (6) months.
• Experience Preference: 2 points (entry-level only) Persons who have been awarded a certificate attesting to the successful completion of the minimum standards basic law enforcement training course as provided in the Illinois Police Training Act and are currently serving as a law enforcement officer on a full-time basis within the State of Illinois, shall be awarded two (2) preference points (evidenced by submittal of official certificate).
• Bilingual Preference: 2 points Persons who are bilingual and pass both an oral and listening test prescribed by the Board shall be awarded two (2) points. An applicant shall be eligible for bilingual preference points when they have demonstrated proficiency in an eligible language other than English to the satisfaction of the criteria set forth by the fire and police board. Eligible languages shall be determined by a threshold of 5% of the population of the City of Joliet, as determined by the most recent U.S. census. 
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): Applicants who successfully complete the Joliet CERT basic training program, and who maintain at least a 75% attendance at monthly CERT training sessions (minimum of nine (9) training sessions per year). Including a duration of two (2) years and participating in one (1) CERT event per year, shall be awarded one (1) point. Proof of CERT compliance must be confirmed by the City of Joliet Director of the Office of Emergency and Disaster Management. 

Submission of Application

Applications MUST be submitted online by Monday, April 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM (CST).  Faxed, e-mailed, mailed or dropped off applications will NOT be accepted. Applications submitted after the deadline will NOT be accepted. Only one application per person, per testing cycle will be accepted. 

Mandatory Online Written Examination Testing:  Following completion of all application materials and review of minimum qualifications, successful applicants will be invited to participate in remote on-line written exam testing starting at 9 AM on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 through Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 4 PM.  The test will only be available during this time period.  Applicants will need to have access to a laptop or desktop computer.  All applicants will receive an email approximately one week prior regarding their status in the process, along with further instructions for taking the on-line written exam. NOTE: Please be sure to check your email spam folder for emails from applications@stanard.com. Many email account providers automatically send our emails there in error (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.).   

For more information regarding the rules and regulations of the Board of Fire and Police, refer to www.cityofjoliet.info.

The City of Joliet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.