How to hire a police captain

How to hire a police captain, step by step

Here's a step-by-step police captain hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a police captain job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new police captain
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a police captain, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a police captain to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a police captain that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of police captains and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Police Captain	Description	Hourly rate
   Police Captain		$28-61
   Staff Sergeant	A staff sergeant is a noncommissioned officer under the supervision of a staff sergeant. Staff sergeants train junior officers who enter the unit for marine operation study... Show more	$14-25
   Sergeant	A Sergeant is responsible for supervising a group of five or more Soldiers. Sergeants must oversee their daily activities, ensuring they are in proper disposition and are living under the conditions that adhere to the laws and regulations and training them according to the standards of the military... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Public Safety
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Criminal Justice
   • CPR
   • Policy Development
   • Internal Affairs
   • Performance Evaluations
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • Emergency Management
   • Police Operations
   • Direct Supervision
   • Crime Prevention
   • Criminal Investigations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Orchestrate the day to day demands, managing deficiencies/opportunities and prioritization of unit operations throughout specific target areas within NYC.
   • Addressed continuous staffing concerns and adapt to changing demands of the community by implementing innovative patrol techniques.
   • Plan, direct, and supervise daily activities of field-operations division, including patrol, investigations, and correctional-unit activities.
   • Orchestrate the day to day demands, managing deficiencies/opportunities and prioritization of unit operations throughout specific target areas within NYC.
   • Arrange quarterly Compstat, take complaint reports (CRs), handle special attentions and conduct roll call training.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your police captain job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A police captain salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, police captains' average salary in louisiana is 48% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level police captains earn 54% less than senior-level police captains.
   • Certifications. A police captain with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a police captain's salary.

   Average police captain salary

   $87,076yearly

   $41.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level police captain salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

4. Writing a police captain job description

   A police captain job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a police captain job description:

   Police captain job description example

   The Police Captain Reports through Police Chain of Command. Provides management for one or more significant police department / divisions. The police department is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation. Establishes objectives and work plans, and delegates assignments to subordinate managers. Responsible for managing, preparing, administering, and directing resources. Reviews and approves recommendations for functional programs. Involved in developing, modifying and executing policies that affect immediate operation(s) and may also have campus-wide effect. Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve goals results in additional costs and personnel.
   Application deadline is October 22, 2022.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   * Bachelor's degree preferably in the field of administration of justice, and/or relevant experience and training.
   * Possess a valid California Driver's License.
   * Non probationary Police Lieutenant or higher classification and California POST Advanced Certificate or Police Sergeant with a minimum of ten years' experience with progressively more responsibility including significant managerial duties and POST Supervisory certificate.
   * Possession of a POST Supervisory certificate and successful completion of the probationary period as a sergeant.
   * Ability to successfully earn the POST Management certificate by completing a POST-certified 104-hour Management course within one year of appointment and serving as a Captain for a period of two years.
   * Ability to successfully complete other training or prerequisites as required by regulation, law or policy.
   * Thorough experience performing all aspects of police officer, sergeant of police and lieutenant of police functions.
   * Thorough knowledge of modern policing issues, philosophies, practices and trends. Thorough knowledge of current law enforcement management theory and administrative standards.
   * Thorough knowledge of budgeting and financial practices applicable to law enforcement in the University environment.
   * Excellent ability to communicate effectively in person and in writing. Excellent ability to take decisive action based upon sound judgment. Excellent ability to independently manage a large and complex organization with multiple priorities and limited resources.
   * Excellent ability to effectively orchestrate the ongoing deployment of multiple employees and resources. Excellent ability to supervise and train staff in the relevant and necessary aspects of their duties.
   * Ability to operate computers and other relevant or specialized technology.
   * Excellent knowledge of use and legal application of firearms and other police weapons, equipment or tools.
   * Excellent ability to credibly represent the police department in an official capacity.
   * Ability to safely operate motor vehicles and possess a valid California Driver's License.
   * Excellent problem solving ability.
   
   Note: Physical/Health Screening Required
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   * Advanced degree.
   * Thorough knowledge of law, regulation and University policy regarding public safety and law enforcement functions.
   * Knowledge of institutional policies, procedures, rules and practices including administrative guides and polices such as UC Personnel Polices for Staff Members, UCSF Administrative Policy Guide, University wide Police Polices and Administrative Manual, UCSF Campus Emergency Operations Plan, applicable labor agreements (Teamsters/AFSCME and FUPOA) and UCSF Police Department Manuals.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right police captain for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your police captain job on Zippia to find and recruit police captain candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit police captains, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new police captain

   Once you've selected the best police captain candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new police captain. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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