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Roughly 10 percent of its positions are vacant and must be filled.
The police force’s full complement is 127 officers; as of this month, it has 114 sworn officers, police spokesman Randy Rody said.
Rody said Surprise has “adequate police coverage at this time” but “could utilize additional police personnel.”
The City Council recently approved the hiring of an additional eight police officers.
The Surprise Police Department is among the three top-paying agencies in the Valley. Cadets are paid $45,000. Once they graduate, their salary goes up to almost $51,000, Rody said.
Rody said there are now six cadets in training who will graduate in December.
So far this year, the police department has hired six lateral officers who came from Pennsylvania, New York, Kansas and Wisconsin.
The agency offers as an incentive for lateral transfers a 5 to 10 percent increase from the regular starting salary, depending on how long the candidate has served as an officer, Rody said.
Rody said Surprise is a good place for new officers to begin their careers because there are more opportunities for advancement amid rapid growth in the city and the department.
“We’re a young, growing community, we’re bringing in a lot of people,” Rody said. “With growth, there’s always opportunity.”
The department tests applicants monthly and accepts applications online. Testing dates, salary and benefits can be accessed online at agency.governmentjobs.com/surprise/ default.cfm.
“The Surprise Police Department is one of the top-paying cities in the state with great benefits for the employees, and provides a great working environment for all employees both sworn and civilian,” Rody said.
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