Northlake Police Department

Northlake Police Department

Northlake, Illinois

The Board of Police Commissioners of the City of Northlake, Illinois is accepting applications for the position of police officer with the Northlake Police Department.

Salary: 

Entry-Level Officers:

• If starting in 2025: $85,387 (starting pay); estimated $128,000 (after 4 years)*
• If starting in 2026: $88,376 (starting pay); estimated $132,000 (after 4 years)*
  * All salaries beginning in 2026 (and after) are pending current CBA negotiations

Lateral Officers:

• For full-time Officers already certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), they will be placed in the wage schedule based on their years of qualified previous service, not to exceed 4 years, upon completion of the Field Training Program. 
• If starting in 2025: $94,817 (with 1 yr. experience), $96,057 (with 2 yrs. Experience), $100,420 (with 3 yrs. Experience), $111,682 (with 4 yrs. experience) NOTE: Salaries beginning in 2026 and later are to be determined pending the current CBA negotiations

Population: 12,500
Sworn Police Officers: 38

Benefits include:

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Personal, compensatory, sick, and vacation days/time
• 12 paid holidays (annually)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee assistance plan
• Special duty stipends
• City provides all uniforms and equipment; annual $850 clothing allowance
• Optional flexible spending account and deferred compensation (457) plans
• New police facility
• Police pension program (Article 3: Downstate pension plan)
• Union representation through MAP
• Employee health insurance paid for by City upon retirement per CBA

Current Officer Schedule: 6 days on/3 days off rotation (8.25 hour daily shifts)

• Day Shift: 6:45 AM to 3:00 PM
• Afternoon Shift: 2:45 PM to 11:00 PM
• Midnight Shift: 10:45 PM to 7:00 AM

All applicants - both Entry-Level and Lateral candidates - must meet the following minimum requirements established by the City of Northlake (unless noted otherwise): 

• Must be a citizen of the United States and/or legally authorized under federal law to work in the United States and be authorized under state and federal law to obtain, carry, or purchase or otherwise possess a firearm (see 55 ILCS 5/3-6033);
• Must be a resident of the State of Illinois, or become a resident upon certification;
• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent high school education;
• Must have a valid state-issued driver’s license;
• Must possess 20/20 corrected vision;
• Must be a minimum of 21 years of age by the application deadline (June 9, 2025);
• Must be under 35 years of age at the time of hire (unless exempt by statute as provided in the Fire and Police Commissioners Act);
• Must not have any felony convictions (NOTE: Certain misdemeanor or serious traffic offenses may disqualify applicants from further consideration); 
• Must have completed a minimum of 60 credit hours at an accredited college, university, or junior college -OR- have at least two years of active military or naval service (documented by an honorable discharge) by the application deadline date (June 9, 2025);
• Entry-Level Officers Only: Must possess a valid POWER Test Card obtained from an ILETSB entity (such as NIPSTA, Triton College or Jolliet Junior College) issued within the last 12 months prior to the testing date (June 24, 2025);
• Tattoos allowed—except for on face, neck or hand;
• Must pay a $45.00 non-refundable application processing fee.

Lateral Transfer Police Officer candidates (only) must meet the following additional requirements:

• Must have been employed—whether currently or in the past—as a full-time, non-probationary sworn police officer by a Federal, State, County or municipal law enforcement agency for at least 1 year. (NOTE: Part-time certification does not meet this requirement.);
• Must be certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB);
• Must be in good standing with the agency in which they served.

NOTE: Lateral transfer police officer candidates are not required to take the POWER Test, nor are they required to take the written exam. However, they MUST participate in the oral interview with the Board of Police Commissioners. 

Preference points will be awarded as determined by the City of Northlake for the following:

Each of the following areas may earn you 5 preference points. However, you may only apply a total of 5 points (or points from any one of the three categories). Preference points shall not be cumulative.

• Military: Persons who were engaged in the military or naval service of the United States for at least one year (and were honorable discharged) -OR- who are now, or may hereafter, be on active or reserved duty in such military or naval service. A copy of Form DD-214 or equivalent proof of current military service must be submitted wit application to qualify.
  
  
• Education: Persons who have obtained an Associate’s degree in criminal justice from an accredited junior college or a Bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university. A copy of unofficial transcripts must be submitted with application to qualify.
  
  
• Experience: Persons who are certified as a police officer from the Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board (ILETSB) and currently serving in a full-time capacity for a municipality within the United States. A copy of the state-issued certification must be submitted with application to qualify.

Submission of Application:

Applications MUST be submitted online by Monday, June 9, 2025 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 Next Steps in the Hiring Process for Applicants

Entry-Level Applicants:

Following completion of all application materials and review of minimum qualifications, successful entry-level applicants will be invited to participate in remote on-line written exam testing starting at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 through Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM.  The test will only be available during this time period.  Candidates will need to have access to a laptop or desktop computer.  All candidates 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. Many email account providers automatically send our emails there in error (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.).   

Lateral Transfer Applicants:

Lateral transfer applicants are not required to take the on-line written exam. Their next step will be an oral interview with the Board of Police Commissioners. 

Important Disclaimer for Potential Applicants:  As part of this application form, you will be required to submit various documents, records and/or additional forms. Be sure to allow sufficient time to gather this documentation and fully complete the application before the deadline. In other words, do not wait until one day before the deadline to collect and submit additional required documentation. In order for your application to be accepted, all materials must be submitted and received prior to the deadline. 

All applications are subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Police Commissioners of the City of Northlake. This Department strives to attract and retain men and women who reflect the diversity of our community. The residents of Northlake desire applicants who believe in our law enforcement mission to enforce the law while protecting the constitutional rights of all persons and improving our quality of life. The Northlake Police Department is (CALEA) nationally accredited department and an equal opportunity employer.