PAY and BENEFITS:
PAY SCALE
- DURING GEORGIA POST ACADEMY:
- $43,085 for trainees
- SPD pays for ALL required training and ALL uniforms / equipment
- PAY INCREASE AFTER COMPLETION OF GEORGIA POST ACADEMY (approx. 11-14 Weeks)
- $50,013 for newly certified officers
INCENTIVES/BONUSES
- $1,000 at the time of hire
- $1,000 at the end of the Patrol Officer Training phase (approximately 34 weeks)
- $1,000 at the officer’s 1-year anniversary
- $2,000 at the officer’s 2-year anniversary
LATERAL ENTRY
SPD offers Lateral Entry options for police officers and for military police officers.
Qualified candidates must be Georgia POST Certified or qualify for the Georgia POST Equivalency of Training (EQT) process.
The EOT process may allow an officer who does not possess a GA POST law enforcement certification to be exempt from having to complete the entire basic law enforcement training course.
Types of officers who may be eligible for the EOT process:
■ Eligible Federal Peace Officers;
■ Military Peace Officers (MP+ CID, or equivalent);
■ Out-of-State Peace Officers;
■ Pre-Service Candidates and Inactive Registered Georgia Peace Officers actively employed in law enforcement or who have graduated from a basic law enforcement training course;
■ Individuals who attended the basic law enforcement training course, in Georgia, and did not complete the certification process.
*Probation and Corrections experience does not qualify for the process. All others will be required to attend the entire basic law enforcement training course.
You may be eligible for an exemption from the full basic law enforcement training course if you also meet the following requirements:
■ You attended a basic law enforcement training course in another state or with the
federal government;
■ Your certification as a peace officer in another state or with the federal government is valid.
GI BENEFITS/PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER-ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM
GI BENEFITS FLYER details the estimated benefits taken from the GI Bill comparison tool.
BENEFITS/LEAVE
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
- The City of Savannah provides a number of employee benefits including:
- Group Medical Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Pension Plan
- Wellness Program
In addition, the Savannah Police Department provides all basic equipment including uniforms, body armor, weapon, leather gear, and footwear with an allowance for uniform maintenance.
VACATION AND HOLIDAY LEAVE
- City employees earn 10 paid holidays per year. The vacation year runs from January 1 to December 31. Vacation is earned from the date your employment starts but may not be taken during the first six-months of service. Vacation time earned is based upon years of service with the City of Savannah.
- 1 – 4 Years Service = 12 Days Per Year
- 5 – 9 Years Service = 14 Days Per Year
- 10 – 14 Years Service = 18 Days Per Year
- 15 + Years of Service = 20 Days Per Year
SICK LEAVE
- Sick leave is earned at the rate of one day per month. You may accumulate a maximum of 260 days of sick leave. Supervisors routinely assess employee sick leave usage.
MILITARY LEAVE
If you are a member of a National Guard or military reserve unit, you are permitted up to 18 paid days of military leave per year.
ASSIGNMENT/TRANSFERS TO SPECIALIZED UNITS
Once you’ve completed two years of continuous sworn service with SPD or have completed one year of continuous sworn service with the department and at least two years of continuous law enforcement service with another law enforcement agency, you will be eligible to apply for any of the department’s specialized assignments, if there is an opening in the Unit desired.
The City of Savannah is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
TESTING:
PHASE 1
- Conducted over approximately 2-4 days
- Complete Online Application and Upload Documents
- Physical Fitness Assessment
- Running
- Jumping (low hurdle)
- Low crawling
- Jumping (broad type)
- Climbing a fence (chain link – 4 ft.)
- Climbing through a window
- Moving/dragging a weight (150 lbs.)
- Changing direction on the run
- CLICK HERE FOR STANDARD AND REQUIREMENTS
- Oral Board
- Scheduled at time of post-physical agility exam orientation
- Polygraph Examination
- Scheduled at time of post-physical agility exam orientation
- Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Testing Examination
- This is similar to an ACT, SAT, ASSET, CPE, or Accuplacer Test
- This does not need to be completed in Savannah
PHASE 2
- Performed over approximately 4-8 Weeks – AFTER Completion of Phase 1
- Background Investigation is completed
- Ensure you notify the people you used as references that SPD will be contacting them during this phase of your testing process.
PHASE 3
- Conducted over approximately 2-4 days
- Final Interview for Employment (this may be conducted before Medical Examination)
- CONDITIONAL Offer of Employment (this does not guarantee employment)
- Medical Examination
- Date may be contingent on start of applicant’s hire date
- Psychological Evaluation
- You may be required to travel to the Atlanta area
- You will be notified of the results by Human Resources
- Fingerprinting
Attention Out-of-Town Applicants
If you live outside the Savannah area, you will need to plan two trips to Savannah and possibly a third to the Atlanta area.
The first trip will be to complete Phase 1 of the testing process. Please plan on being in Savannah as follows:
The second trip will be to complete Phase III of the testing/hiring process after successfully passing Phase I and II. The time frame between the completion of Phase I and the beginning of Phase III is approximately 4-8 weeks.
UPCOMING TESTING DATES:
The test dates depend on enough applicants being eligible to test. Therefore, if there are not enough applicants ready/eligible for testing, a test date may be canceled. Please return to this page often to check the dates and make sure the session you are scheduled for has not been canceled.
2022 Schedule (Physical Fitness Assessment and Oral Board Interview):
October 2022 (3 dates)
- 3rd – Monday
- 17th – Monday
- 29th – Saturday
November 2022 (2 dates)
- 7th – Monday
- 19th – Saturday
December 2022 (2 dates)
- 3rd – Saturday
- 12th – Monday
Projected 2023 Schedule (Physical Fitness Assessment and Oral Board Interview):
January 2023 (3 dates)
- 9th – Monday
- 21st – Saturday
- 30th – Monday
February 2023 (2 dates)
- 11th – Saturday
- 27th – Monday
March 2023 (2 dates)
- 11th – Saturday
- 20th – Monday
April 2023 (2 dates)
- 3rd – Monday
- 17th – Monday
May 2023 (2 dates)
- 8th – Monday
- 22nd – Monday
June 2023 (3 dates)
- 3rd – Saturday
- 12th – Monday
- 26th – Monday
July 2023 (2 dates)
- 10th – Monday
- 24th – Monday
August 2023 (3 dates)
- 5th – Saturday
- 14th – Monday
- 28th – Monday
September 2023 (3 dates)
- 9th – Saturday
- 18th – Monday
- 25th – Monday
October 2023 (3 dates)
- 7th – Saturday
- 16th – Monday
- 30th – Monday
November 2023 (2 dates)
- 6th – Monday
- 18th – Saturday
December 2023 (3 dates)
- 2nd – Saturday
- 11th – Monday
- 18th – Monday
