The Punta Gorda Police Department will be testing candidates for the position of Police Officer. Upon successful completion of the testing process candidates will be eligible for consideration for police officer positions. Starting salary will be $64,078.56.
We are currently accepting applications only from the following:
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Candidates who are currently law enforcement certified in Florida;
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Candidates who are eligible for Equivalency of Training (EOT) in Florida;
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Candidates who are currently enrolled in a Florida law enforcement academy;
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Candidates with prior sworn or civilian experience in the law enforcement field (including as officers, corrections officer, dispatchers, etc.)
Applications and all required documents must be received by Human Resources no later than 4:00pm on Friday, August 21, 2026. Please only provide specified documents.
COMPLETE RELEASE FOR CREDIT/PERSONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION FORM AND ATTACH TO YOUR APPLICATION. THIS IS REQUIRED UPON SUBMITTAL.
COMPLETE DRUG FREE AND CERTIFICATION FORM AND ATTACH TO YOUR APPLICATION. THIS IS REQUIRED UPON SUBMITTAL.
The City of Punta Gorda employs three tools in determining the qualifications of each Police Officer candidate:
Written Examination: The written examination will be administered virtually and may be taken at any time between
Monday, August 24, 2026, and Sunday, August 30, 2026. Candidates will be provided with the website and login information once the application process has closed. The written examination is comprised of three section: Grammar, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics. Candidates must receive a passing score of 70% on both the Grammar and Reading Comprehension sections and a minimum composite score of 60% for all three sections to move forward in the process. Study guides are available through the testing company website for a nominal fee.
Oral Board Examinations: The oral board examinations will be held in-person or via Zoom video conference on
Thursday, September 10, 2026, for those candidates who successful pass the written examination. Candidates will be assigned the time for their oral board after written examination is completed.
Applicants who successfully complete this pre-hire testing process will be placed in the Police Officer Eligibility List and are not automatically in position of employment. They may be considered for a Police Officer position as such positions become available. Eligibility for consideration of employment will last for one year from the date of the written exam or until the eligibility list is depleted.
NOTICE
Florida Administrative Code 11B-27 provides guidelines for the certification, employment, appointment, revocation and denial of certification for sworn law enforcement officers in the State of Florida. In addition to those guidelines, candidates for employment will be removed from consideration under the following circumstances:
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Any previous Professional Standards (internal affairs) investigations or the like involving excessive use of force with a sustained finding;
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Any previous Professional Standards (internal affairs) investigations or the like involving untruthfulness with a sustained finding;
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Any illegal misdemeanor narcotic possession or usage within the past 24 months; and
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Any illegal felony narcotic possession or usage within the past 60 months.
The City of Punta Gorda is a Drug Free Workplace, Equal Opportunity and Veterans’ Preference Employer. All elements of the selection process shall be job related and the criteria for selection of candidates is not based upon a candidate’s race, color, religion, sex, age or national origin.
- Observe, detect, and apprehend violators of traffic and other laws;
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Observe and take appropriate action regarding any hazards to the community and any illegal criminal activities;
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Respond to emergency calls for service and assist the Fire Department and EMS as necessary;
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Conduct investigations as needed;
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Determine appropriate action to be taken at each incident;
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May be required to complete a written report of various activities during a shift.
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Complete all appropriate forms when required for an incident, including reports to other local or state law enforcement agencies, departmental forms, logs, and summaries;
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Complete the processing of evidence, as needed;
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Review necessary reports and documentation of incidents.
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Provide testimony concerning an incident, as may be required by the court; and safely operate a police motor vehicle in an emergency-mode.
- Must possess a high school diploma or equivalency.
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Associate degree in police science, sociology or related field preferred.
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Must meet the minimum requirements as established by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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Previous experience dealing with the general public preferred.
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Must possess a valid Florida driver’s license.
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Must possess a current Florida Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Certificate, or be able to acquire it within six months of being hired by the Department.
Disclaimers:
All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Individuals who cannot perform some of the requirements because they pose health or safety risks to themselves or other employees may be excluded from this position. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by this supervisor. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE STATEMENT:
Every City employee has emergency response responsibilities, though not every position will require routine assignments during an emergency event. All employees may be subject to recall around the clock for emergency response operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the normal work location, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official job description. Assignments in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature, with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically and operationally challenging conditions.
The City of Punta Gorda is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City will not knowingly permit discrimination in hiring, promotion, or other conditions of employment with regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or national origin.
The information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, environmental conditions, or qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
Certain Service Members and Veterans, and the spouses and family members of such Service Members and Veterans, receive preference and priority, and that certain Service Members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled.
