TIPTON, Ind. — Hoping to attract a larger number of qualified officers for openings on the police department, the city of Tipton has approved financial inducements and other changes to department policy.
According to our newsgathering partners at the Kokomo Tribune, the police chief developed a plan recently to offer a $5,000 "lateral transfer award" for officers who move from other police departments to join the Tipton Police Department.
On Monday, the new information was added to a flyer announcing openings on the department.
“We’re this little hub with all these big counties around us, and they keep going up and up and up, and we’re staying right here,” Tipton Police Chief Jeff Stout said of officer pay. “We’ve got to do something to entice these people to come in and work for us.”
- RELATED: Read more from the Kokomo Tribune.
The changes include modification of residency requirements for officers as well as "other benefits for ILEA Tier 1 certified officers wishing to make a lateral transfer."
The employment announcement listed the following basic requirements for eligibility:
1. Shall possess a valid Indiana driver's license (or obtain one within 60 days of becoming an Indiana resident) and have no more than eight active points.
2. Shall be a U.S. citizen.
3. Shall be at least 21 years of age, and must be less than 40 years of age by date of appointment.
4. Shall be drug free, and have no convictions for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs.
5. Shall not have a conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, or operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or above.
6. Shall have no felony convictions.
7. Shall not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
8. Shall not have been dishonorably discharged from the military.
9. Shall be a high school graduate or possess a GED certificate.
10. Shall not have used an illegal drug in the last three years.
11. Shall have vision correctable to 20/50.
12. Shall live in an adjoining county to Tipton County and within a 30-mile radius of the City of Tipton boundary.
Applications are available at http://www.tiptongov.com or at 225 E. Jefferson St., Tipton. The application and all required attachments must be submitted no later than 3 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2020.
Beginning in 2021, the probationary officer starting annual salary is at least $45,000 and will increase to nearly $47,000 upon completion of all training. An available benefit package includes health insurance, paid vacation and holidays, instructor programs, health savings account, specialty teams, longevity pay, certification pay and a take-home vehicle program.
Applicants who currently hold certification from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (or applicants from other states who qualify for an ILEA waiver) are excused from physical and written testing. Such officers hired by the department are eligible for a $5,000 lateral transfer award, payable within thirty 30 days of hiring. In determining longevity pay, a certified lateral officer’s years of service will transfer to TPD.
If you have questions about a career with the Tipton Police Department, call 765-675-2152 or submit your inquiry via Messenger on the department's Facebook page.
