Join WPD

$10,000 hiring bonus for all newly hired police officers including trainees, certified, and lateral officers.The pay rates below represent the 2026 pay plan.

• Police Officer Trainee: $80,745
• Police Officer - Certified: $80,745 to $119,620
• Police Officer - Lateral: $92,705 to $119,620 depending on years of patrol experience

Police Officer Pay Progression: The City of Westminster has an aggressive step pay plan in place for police officers. Step increases are received on anniversary dates, contingent on job performance. Officers can reach top-out pay after their fifth year.

Medical Benefits

Health, Dental, and Vision plans for employees and dependents are offered, with the city paying a portion of the premium cost. An Optional Medical Flex Spending Account is available. Employees may designate up to $5,000 pre-tax dollars per year for qualified child or elder care expenses. Employees may designate up to $3,200 pre-tax dollars per year for qualified medical, dental or vision expenses. 

The Employee Center for Healthy Living is available, which employees can use for annual physicals, blood work, routine sick visits, vaccinations, prescriptions, etc.

City employees who are members of the Comprehensive Wellness Program and are nonsmokers will receive a $20, $40, or $60 reduction in their insurance premium per pay period. Other benefits include use of recreation centers at no cost to the employee and at a reduced cost to family members, free or reduced cost health screenings, and educational programs. All benefited employees joining the wellness program must complete an annual Health Risk Assessment (HRA), blood/lipid profile and consultation with a clinician at The Center for Healthy Living, the employee health clinic.

Pension & Retirement Plans

Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) administered plans that include a defined benefit plan or hybrid defined benefit and money purchase plan. Death, disability, and deferred compensation plans are also available through the city. Benefits upon retirement depend on years of service and the highest salary reached during employment.

Officers can enroll in additional 401k retirement plans such as; ROTH, 457, 527 medical.

General Leave, Vacation, & Holidays

142 to 190 hours of general leave accrued annually, depending on years of service. 126 to 222 hours of paid vacation allowed per year, depending on years of service. Additionally, all employees receive 11 paid holidays and one floating holiday per year. Employees also receive 120 hours of sick leave for use during the year.

All benefited employees hired on or after January 3, 2022 will receive 40 hours of leave upon their hiring. The hours are prorated based on Full Time Employee (FTE). These hours do not expire and do not carry any cash value.

• Volunteer leave up to 10 hours per year
• General Leave Cash Out program
• Personal Leave up to 40 hours per year
• Parental Leave up to 4 weeks
• Caregiver Leave
• Military Leave - 15 days of paid leave per year

Term Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, & Survivors Benefit

The city pays the full premium for life insurance coverage equal to 1 ½ times of employee's salary. Long-term disability at 60% of monthly salary up to $7,500. Survivor's benefits are payable at 20 to 60% of the base salary. An additional life insurance plan is available.

Education, Training & Uniforms

The department provides in-house training and may also pay for employees to attend external job-related training. Educational tuition reimbursement is available to employees after one year of employment at 50% of the tuition/fees, up to $4,000 per year.

Officers receive a uniform allowance of $700 annually. Uniforms and equipment are purchased by the department, excluding firearms and footwear.

Bilingual Bonus

The City of Westminster has a Multilingual Stipend Program to encourage and reward benefited employees who are conversationally fluent in languages other than English. Benefited employees have the opportunity to test their language proficiency skills and qualify for a bi-weekly stipend that will vary based on the employee’s level of proficiency and usage.

Requirements - All Applicants

• 21 years of age
• High School Diploma or GED
• High Moral Character

Police Officer Trainees

Candidates who are hired will be sent to a state-certified law enforcement academy. Upon successful completion, the trainee will be promoted to entry-level police officer.

Police Officer - Certified

Graduation from a certified police academy, Colorado POST or Colorado Provisional POST Certified

Police Officer - Lateral

• Graduation from a certified police academy, Colorado POST or Colorado Provisional POST Certified
• Minimum of two years of full-time patrol experience within the last three years

WPD values prior military experience.

Career Opportunities

Patrol, Investigations, Traffic Unit (Vehicles and Motorcycles), North Metro Drug Task Force, Special Enforcement Team, Parks and Recreation Officers, School Resource Officers, Public Information Officers, Court Marshal Unit, K-9 Unit, Liquor Enforcement, SWAT Team, Hiring/Background Investigations, Internal Affairs Investigations, Field Training Instructor, Range Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Officer Survival Instructor, Honor Guard Program, 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Team, North Metro Traffic Accident Investigation Team

30 X 30 Pledge

We are excited to announce the Westminster Police Department's involvement in the 30x30 Initiative.

To solidify our department's goal of advancing women in policing, Chief Norm Haubert recently signed the 30x30 Pledge, which aims to increase the number of women recruits to 30% by 2030 and support women officers throughout their careers. Nationally, women make up only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership as of 2022. WPD is committed to developing strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing.

The Westminster Police Department's Student Intern Program is designed as a broad overview of department assignments and operations for students interested in a career in Law Enforcement. Interns will attend the department's Citizens Academy course, participate in ride-alongs, shadow officers and personnel in specialty assignments, and participate in other training exercises and duties as assigned.

Program Composition

• Citizens Academy

• Ride-alongs

  • Patrol
  • Traffic
  • Accident Investigation
  • Special Enforcement Team (Undercover/Surveillance)
  • K9
  • School Resource Officers
  • Municipal Court Marshals
  • Animal Management

• Shadowing

  • Investigations
  • Public Information Officers
  • Criminalists/Crime Lab
  • Victim Services,
  • Dispatch
  • Graffiti Enforcement
  • Code Enforcement 
  • Records
  • Property/Evidence Technicians

• Municipal Court Jury Selection/Trial Observation

• Other possible duties

  • PD community/special events
  • SWAT/Officer Survival Scenario training
  • Special projects

Program Duration

• Fall Semester (Mid-August to Early December)
• Spring Semester (Mid-January to Early May)
• The schedule is flexible, depending on the student's availability and specific assignments

Compensation

• Interns are unpaid volunteers

Qualifications & Eligibility

• Currently enrolled in a 4-year baccalaureate program at an accredited college/university with Junior or Senior standing. Graduate students will be looked at on a case-to-case basis
• Currently enrolled in an internship or independent study course at their college/university
• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Strong writing and interpersonal skills to interact with law enforcement, citizens, supervisors, coworkers and fellow interns
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Schedule flexibility

Disqualifications

• Any felony arrest will disqualify an intern from participating in the program. All misdemeanor arrests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may cause exclusion from the program.
• No marijuana use within the past three years. No other illegal drug use within the past five years.
• Any arrests or negative police contact during the duration of the program will result in dismissal, with notification to the college/university.

How to Apply

• Complete the Internship Application (PDF) to include personal references, employment history, and personal history
• Cover Letter or Letter of Interest
• Unofficial academic transcript
• Please email all of the above documents to Sgt. Ray Esslinger
• Apply by July 15 for fall semesters and December 1 for spring semesters. Qualified applicants may be selected prior to these dates. Applying early is recommended.

Selection Process

Applicants will be required to comply with the same standards as other volunteer positions with the department. They will be required to submit the above information, interview with appropriate department member(s), complete a CVSA evaluation, and go through a background investigation. There will be several applicants for a limited number of positions, and the most qualified applicants will be selected for the position.

Victim Advocates with the Westminster Police Department respond to crime scenes to provide crisis intervention, support, information, and referrals to victims of crime and or personal tragedy. Advocates act in an on-call capacity, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and each advocate works 3 shifts a month. This is a great volunteer opportunity for those interested in giving back to the community or with an interest in Criminal Justice.

How to Become a Volunteer Victim Advocate

• Fill out a volunteer application
• Pass a background check, including a polygraph examination
• Successfully complete a 40-hour training program
• Attend monthly meetings
• Sign up for three 12-hour, on-call shifts each month