Denver Police Improve Training for New Lateral Recruits

Denver Police Improve Training for New Lateral Recruits

Published on December 12, 2024

Expedited process gets qualified, experienced officers out into the community faster

Denver - Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Today, the Denver Police Department announces they are recruiting and hiring lateral Colorado police officers, and thanks to DPD's revised lateral training process, those officers (who are already Colorado P.O.S.T certified) will be trained in a more succinct manner. The Denver Police Department created a lateral officer training process that reduces the training period by 85 percent.

The modified DPD lateral program is currently accepting applications for the abbreviated four-week academy that is ongoing, which removes the waiting period that is typical for a new academy class. During the lateral academy, these officers will focus on Denver-specific policy and procedure, for example, case investigations and workflow, use of force, vehicle pursuit policy, and immediate action rapid deployment (IARD). Once the academy training is complete, the lateral officers will join a district station for their field training program, which is now reduced from 16 weeks to a 12-week program.

"Creating this abbreviated, ongoing training program allows us to expedite training and deploying officers who are already certified, have experience responding to calls, and understand the value of community," said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas. "We look forward to adding qualified officers to our DPD family."

Additional benefits of joining the DPD as a lateral officer are the salary and benefits. Within the Denver Police Department, there are different levels of police officers - first through fourth grade, with first grade as the highest level for the most experienced patrol officers. When an entry level recruit graduates the training academy and begins their field training, they start as fourth grade officers. With DPD, lateral officers with two years of prior experience will start the academy training portion as second grade officers with a $81,511 salary. A lateral officer with four or more years of experience will start as a first grade officer with $101,889 annual income.

Below are the current hiring standards to qualify as a Lateral Entry officer:

• Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T) certification or state equivalent
• Currently employed fulltime as a police officer by a state, county, or municipal police or sheriff's department within Colorado
• Applicants who are retired or separated due to layoffs can be considered providing:
  • Retired officers or officers separated as a result of layoffs must apply within one year of separation;
  • Must have been in good standing at the time of retirement or layoff, and;
  • Must possess a current Colorado P.O.S.T certification or state equivalent.

• Two years of patrol duty: Additionally, all applicants must possess a minimum of two years patrol duty (calls to service/street duty) while employed full time by Colorado, county or municipal police, or sheriff's department. Academy training does not count toward the two-year minimum experience requirement. Experience accumulated as a deputy or officer employed at a correctional facility, college, university, District Attorney's office, or as a Federal or Military Police Officer is not applicable experience. Applicants employed by "Full Service" university police departments, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. "Full Service" is defined as an agency in which the officers respond to calls for service, make arrests and file criminal cases without having to do so through another law enforcement agency.

To learn more about DPD's new Lateral Training program or to apply to be a Denver Police Officer, please visit, Denvergov.org/policerecruit.

• Police Department