Police Officer - Lateral Program

Applications for the 10-week Police Lateral Academy are CLOSED. 

 

 

To be eligible for the lateral academy, applications must meet the requirements below:

  • Associate’s degree or equivalent – 60 college credits or 90 college quarter hours at the time of application OR Three years of active duty military service with an honorable discharge OR Three years of full-time law enforcement officer experience recognized by MCPD i.e., work as a sworn, government agent with full arrest powers.
  • Not less than 21 years old at the time of graduation from the academy.
  • United States Citizenship -OR- permanent legal resident of the United States who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces, and who has applied to obtain United States citizenship, and the application is still pending approval.
  • Certification and experience with a full-service law enforcement agency with full arrest powers.

Salary:

Starting Salary for police officer candidates is $66,815 a year. Starting salaries based on police or military police experience:

1 year experience

$69,157

2 years experience

$71,576

 3 years  experience

$74,081

4 years experience

$76,674

5 years experience

$79,362

Note: If you currently participate in a " Defined Benefit Pension Plan" at your Maryland law enforcement agency, you may be qualified to have your retirement benefits transferred.