Employment (Public Safety)
Become a Public Safety Officer
Whether you’ve been considering a career in the public safety field for years, or if you’re brand new to the idea, you likely already know that the community you serve is integral to your long-term career happiness. Glencoe isn’t just a great place to work - it’s consistently rated one of the best communities to live and raise a family. We invite you to learn more about our community, the Public Safety Department and the unique role played by a Glencoe Public Safety Officer (PSO) by clicking through the pages listed below.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to the Village’s success. The Village is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive workforce in which all employees are valued, respected and have a sense of belonging. The Village is proud to have a diverse workforce in which all individuals are celebrated.
Entry-Level Hiring Process (no certification required)
The Village is not currently accepting applications for entry-level Public Safety Officer positions. We invite you to register your e-mail address to receive news from the department, including upcoming testing dates and position openings, sent right to your inbox.
Lateral Hiring Process (for experienced Illinois police officers)
Looking to expand your law enforcement career as a Glencoe Public Safety Officer? Experienced police officers interested in joining a dynamic department and gaining new public safety skills can apply to be a Public Safety Officer through the lateral hire application process. Individuals hired as Public Safety Officers will build on their skills as law enforcement officers by becoming certified firefighters and emergency medical technicians, serving the community in all aspects of public safety. Public Safety Officers are required to obtain and maintain firefighter and emergency medical technician certifications upon being hired, and the Public Safety Department will provide all required training, including the fire academy and EMT training.
Starting Salary: $85,187-$125,373 depending on qualifications, plus great benefits including generous paid time off, Glencoe Police Pension Fund, excellent health insurance and more!
Top Salary: $125,373
Plus:
- 80-96 hours of vacation, depending on qualifications
- 96 hours of floating holiday
- 96 hours of sick leave
- 8 weeks paid Family Care Leave after one year of employment
Qualifications: Lateral hire applicants must meet all of the following qualifications, pursuant to the Glencoe Public Safety Commission Rules and Regulations:
- U.S. citizen; or legally eligible to work in the United States or have had immigration action deferred by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process, and authorized to obtain, carry, purchase or otherwise possess a firearm
- Certified Illinois law enforcement officer (completion of the Minimum Basic Standards Law Enforcement Training Course, as provided in the Illinois Police Training Act)
- Prior work experience as a full-time police officer for at least 24 months in another law enforcement agency
- High school diploma or General Education Degree
- Completion of at least two years of college studies – equaling an associate’s degree or 60 hours of college credit – from a junior college, college or university accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency
- Completion of POWER test no earlier than six months prior to the date of application and no later than date of hire (you can take the POWER test before getting hired at facilities that offer it, or we can conduct the test onsite in Glencoe after you've been selected for hire)
- Ability to speak and understand the English language sufficiently to discharge the duties of Public Safety Officer
- Valid driver's license
Application Deadline: Presently accepting applications
It's Time to Make the Move: As a Glencoe Public Safety Officer, you'll take your career as a police officer to the next level by also becoming a firefighter and either an EMT or Paramedic so you can serve the community in all aspects of public safety.
Once you become certified as a firefighter and EMT/Paramedic, you'll work as a police officer, firefighter and medic throughout the year on different shifts – and sometimes you'll even perform all three responsibilities in one day, because you'll be trained, equipped and ready to serve any aspect of public safety. You'll be a community caretaker and protector, having the opportunity to actually get to know residents and businesses in a community that respects, appreciates and holds the Public Safety Department in very high regard.
You'll be among the most highly-trained public safety professionals in the country - Glencoe is one of just two communities in Illinois and a handful around the country that have adopted the cross-trained public safety model. If you want to learn more, we offer ride alongs to prospective lateral candidates. If you are interested, please call Deputy Chief Andy Perley at 847-461-1150 to schedule a 4-hour ride along.
The Glencoe Difference: The community you serve, the pay, the benefits, the schedule – they all matter. You know that already. You've been a successful police officer in another community and you're ready for a role with a more broad impact on the community and personal career fulfilment.
Here's what sets Glencoe apart:
- We'll pay you based on your experience. We recognize your experience – you can start as high as the top salary based on your experience.
- We value time off to recharge and take care of the people you love. Your wellbeing and that of your loved ones is important to us. We prioritize taking care of the people who take care of our community. That’s why we offer generous vacation and floating holiday time, and eight weeks of paid Family Care Leave after one year of employment. Your vacation accrual rate is also based on your experience.
- You won't be stuck on midnights for the first 10 years of your career here. Officers' schedules change every three months, working on 12-hour police shifts or 24-hour fire/EMS shifts. We intentionally schedule new officers on days and nights – it helps with learning the community and the department.
- You won't believe how many specialization opportunities there are. Our officers can work as detectives, field training officers, juvenile officers or older adult services officers in the department, besides serving on regional task forces and special teams. Glencoe officers serve on the NIPAS Mobile Field Force and Emergency Services teams; NORTAF Violent Crimes, Burglary and Major Crash teams; MABAS Hazmat, Dive Rescue and Technical Rescue teams; and more.
- The community appreciates and respects the Public Safety Department. Don't take our word for it, listen to the residents – 95%+ of residents surveyed said they were satisfied or highly satisfied with police, fire and EMS services. Adding that with visits to the station from residents just to say hi, invitations to block parties and the occasional holiday treat or “just because” pizza delivered by a resident reminds us every day that we’re fortunate to have a great relationship with the community and drives us to keep it that way.
- We value you for who you are, what you add to our team and we want you to be YOU at work. We want every member of our team to be their authentic self at work. The Village's team is diverse and inclusive, where each person belongs and contributes.
The lateral hire application process includes:
- Application
- Initial interview with the Glencoe Public Safety Commission
- Preference points
- Polygraph examination
- Background check
- Final interview with the Glencoe Public Safety Commission
- Psychological examination
- Physical examination and drug screen
Department Overview
The Public Safety Department was established in 1954 when the Village combined the Police and Fire departments into one single, cross-trained department. Today, the Public Safety Department has 36 sworn officers (from entry-level Public Safety Officer to the chief) who are cross-trained as certified police officers, firefighters and medical first responders. The department has 42 full-time employees including the command staff, Lieutenants, Public Safety Officers and civilian positions.
Services
- Police Division: Uniformed patrol, traffic enforcement, criminal investigations, youth services, parking control, specialized inter-jurisdictional task force participation, public education
- Fire Division: Fire suppression, fire prevention, fire inspections, hazardous material response, public education
- EMS Division: Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) emergency medical services, public education
Looking for career growth opportunities? The Glencoe Public Safety Department has them! Public Safety Officers have opportunities to serve on multi-agency special teams and have special assignments in the Public Safety Department, including specialized training and development. Examples include:
- Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) - Mobile Field Force, Emergency Services Team
- North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF) - Violent Crimes, Burglary, Major Crash
- Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) - Hazmat, Dive Rescue, Technical Rescue
- Investigations
- Field Training Officer
- Evidence Technician
- Juvenile Officer
- Older Adult Services
- Public Education
Benefits
Glencoe offers competitive and unique benefits, including:
- Generous vacation, holiday and sick leave packages
- Eight weeks of paid Family Care Leave (after one year of employment as part of a current pilot program)
- $5,000 stipend for licensed paramedics
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Excellent health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, health flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account and more
- Optional 457 deferred compensation plan, Roth IRA
- Glencoe Police Pension Fund
Schedules
A unique position means a unique schedule. Once fully cross trained, Glencoe officers as assigned to a police shift or a fire/EMS shift, for three months at a time. And, we purposely schedule new officers to rotate between day shifts and night shifts in their first few years – this helps with training, learning the department and learning the community. Here's how Glencoe's shifts are structured:
Fire/EMS Shift
Officers work 24 hours on followed by 48 hours off, working traditional Red, Black and Gold shifts.
Police Shift
Officers work 12 hour shifts, typically following this schedule that repeats every two weeks:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| Week 1 | Off | Off | 12 hours | 12 hours | Off | Off | Off |
| Week 2 | 12 hours | 12 hours | Off | Off | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours |
Learn more:
| Job Description | Post Date | Closing Date |
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