Career Benefits

A police officer position means adventure, outdoor work, security, prestige, job satisfaction, professional training, and advancement opportunities. These are only a few of the many advantages available to officers with the Burlington Police Department, a nationally accredited department, which is widely recognized as one of the finest law enforcement organizations in the southeast. The primary responsibility of every Burlington police officer is the protection of life and property. By virtue of his or her position, the officer fills a vital role in the well-being of the community. While effective police techniques and modern equipment are important factors in the continuing struggle against crime, the driving force in crime suppression is the individual police officer.

Great Reasons to Work for BPD:

Thank you for considering employment with us. There are a lot of great reasons to work with the Burlington Police Department. We are a nationally accredited agency with a great track record of officer safety and ongoing improvements. We offer competitive benefits for both new hires and lateral officers. We are located in a great community, which shows the department immense support from both community members and government officials. We also make a concerted effort to reward and recognize the hard work of our officers and staff, and we provide ample opportunities for advancement and additional training. All of our officers are certified in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), and new hires will be provided with this training after they join the department. Please see below for more information on the many benefits of working for the Burlington Police Department and review our recruitment plans for 2021. 

Competitive Benefits:

Employees with the Burlington Police Department receive competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, including longevity pay, annual salary supplement, health and life insurance, retirement benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, and education assistance. View our benefits package.

Opportunities to Advance:

The Burlington Police Department encourages and facilitates officer advancement to different units and sections through training and job shadowing opportunities. You can read more about our different divisions, units, and sections as well as the requirements to advance to them here. A new officer hire will start as Police Officer I and from there can advance to Police Officer II after three years service with BPD or a combination of time with another agency, followed by Master Police Officer which requires seven years of service with BPD or a combination of time that adds up to seven years with another agency and an advanced certificate. Additional promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, or assistant chief requirement a promotional process of application, interviews, and review to obtain.

Extra Duty Opportunities:

Once officers have completed all onboarding training, including field training and their probationary period, they are eligible for extra-duty opportunities. The hours, locations, and pay of these opportunities can vary but the minimum hourly pay is $30.00 per hour.

Community Support:

BPD is heavily involved in our community through a variety of opportunities. We yearly participate in National Night Out where we engage with members of the community for fun and discussion. We have Student Resource Officers who create positive relationships with students. 

Our Community Relations Division works to build positive relationships with our community through programs like our Community Academies, Coffee with a Cop, and other programs. We experience an abundance of support from our community through random displays of support like letters or food drop-offs from community groups or through our Community Police Advisory Team (CPAT). The community of Burlington strongly supports its police department because they know we do good work and truly care about our community.

Training Opportunities:awards ceremony 3

We require a minimum of 100 hours of additional training annually for our officers (this exceeds the state annual requirement of only 24 hours.) We provide a high-quality training facility and a top-notch gym for officers to train. Officers are provided with crisis intervention training (CIT) and must re-up every few years, and officers are provided with a variety of other training opportunities. This includes specialized training for individual units, firearms, de-escalation, investigative techniques, forensic interviews, and more.

Internal Support and Recognition:

The department works hard to support its staff through various initiatives. We have a Partners Off Duty program which provides periodic lunches, including Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for those on duty, care packages, and more. We provide mental health services after stressful incidents and in general. We also recognize staff efforts and success through awards and an annual awards ceremony.

Code of Ethics:

All sworn and civilian personnel will abide by the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). All law enforcement officers must be fully aware of the ethical responsibility of their position and must constantly strive to live up to the highest possible standards of professional policing. The IACP believes it is important that police officers have clear advice and counsel available to assist them in performing their duties so as to be consistent with these standards. It has adopted the following ethical mandates as guidelines to meet these standards: confidentiality, cooperation, discretion, impartiality, and integrity.