Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum qualifications?
- Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
- Be a U.S. Citizen.
- High school graduate or possess a GED high school equivalency diploma.
- Possess a current driver's license and be eligible for a Wisconsin driver's license.
- Meet occupational health standard.
- No felony convictions (unless pardoned by the Governor of the State).
- Domestic violence convictions are automatic disqualifiers.
- No conviction record or pending charge which substantially relates to the work of Police Officer.
- Any new officer that does not possess a two-year associate degree or sixty (60) credits from an accredited college must meet this standard within five (5) years.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen?
Yes, you need to be a U.S. citizen to become a police officer with our department. If you have applied for citizenship, you can apply but you would need to be approved by the start of academy.
When does the next academy start?
We are currently accepting applications for our May 2026 academy until November 17, 2025.
How do I apply?
The first step in our hiring process is submitting an application. The application can be found here:
If you would like feedback on your application before officially submitting it reach out to Recruiting Officer Paige Decent at pdecent@cityofmadison.com.
How long is the hiring process?
The way our hiring process works you could receive a conditional job offer 90-120 days after you have submitted your application.
If hired, what does the academy look like?
We offer our own in-house academy. This academy is taught by our own officers. The state academy is 720 hour and our academy is about 1,000 hours. We pride ourselves on high quality service to our community and that starts with training in the academy.
You will receive full salary and benefits starting day one of the academy.
Do you offer an accelerated academy?
- We do offer an accelerated academy that is about 4-6 weeks long. This academy is followed by about 4-6 weeks of field training.
- To be eligible for the accelerated academy you need to have 3+ years of patrol experience. The years of service can be less than this. Please reach out if you are wondering if you are eligible.
- Those who complete our accelerated program are then potentially able to promote to Sergeant, Detective or Investigator sooner than pre-service officers based on their prior years of experience.
What specialty units does MPD offer?
One of the many ways that MPD stands out compared to other agencies is the amount of specialty units and career opportunities we offer our officers. Some of our specialty units include: neighborhood officer, gang and neighborhood crime abatement team, community outreach unit, drug task force, community policing team, mental health unit, training team, mounted patrol, K9 unit.
We also have part time units like SWAT, unmanned aircraft system, mental health liaison, mounted patrol, academy instructor, honor guard…
Generally, you are eligible to apply for a specialty unit after 3 years of service.
What are your promotional opportunities?
- You are eligible to promote to detective or investigator after 4 years of service.
- You are eligible to promote to sergeant after 5 years of service.
Do you have an education incentive?
- Yes, we offer an education incentive for our officers after 3.5 years of service with the department.
- Associates degree: 9% raise ($82,591)
- Bachelors degree: 18% raise ($89,411)
- Masters degree: 22% raise ($92,441)
Do you have tuition reimbursement?
Yes, we offer a tuition reimbursement program. · More information about the program can be found here?
What is included in the benefits package?
- Vacation, sick and comp time
- Health, dental, vision, pet and life insurance
- Paid parental leave for both parents
- Pension through the Wisconsin Retirement System
- Option to invest in a deferred compensation plan
- Annual uniform account balance
Do you have a residency requirement?
No, we do not have a residency requirement.