City And Job Overview
The City of Garden Grove is currently accepting online applications for the position of:
RESERVE POLICE OFFICER - LEVEL I.
Deadline to apply for this recruitment is March 3, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Click here to apply online: Join Our Team
Or Scan To Apply Online
THE GARDEN GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Police Department consists of 182 sworn staff including a chief, three (3) captains, seven (7) lieutenants, 23 sergeants and 148 police officers, in addition to civilian personnel. After sufficient experience in the department, specialization is available in Patrol, Investigations, Juvenile Services, Motorcycle Traffic Enforcement, Accident Investigation, Vice-Narcotic Enforcement, Gang Unit, Community Impact Unit, or Canine Handler. An outstanding in-service training program provides officers with extensive, continuous instruction in basic and specialized police techniques.
Job Overview
Under the general supervision of a sergeant or designee, Level I Reserve Police Officers perform respective law enforcement duties in a support role. Duties include performing a variety of peace officer duties in the enforcement of laws, the protection of persons and property, crime prevention and suppression. Reserve Police Officers also have the opportunity to perform specialized assignments to include, but are not limited to, prisoner transport, gang suppression, DUI enforcement, or street crime prevention that target specific problem areas.
The Garden Grove Police Department offers a certification process that allows Level I Reserve Police Officers to be eligible for promotion to a full-time police officer after a minimum of 200 hours in our Field Training Program, successful completion of a POST-approved Basic or Level I Academy, and acceptable evaluation and recommendation from the field training officer and sergeant.
This is a great opportunity to serve the community of Garden Grove and become part of a law enforcement organization that is dedicated to protecting the lives and property of its citizens.
Essential Duties
Under general supervision, police officers perform law enforcement and crime prevention work within a community policing philosophy; control traffic flow; enforce state and local laws and ordinances; and perform investigative work.
Requirements
EDUCATION: High school graduate or successful completion of the GED (General Educational Development) exam.
Candidates must possess a valid POST Basic certificate, Basic Academy certificate, or Level I module certificate from a California POST-approved reserve academy.
A valid copy of the California POST Level I module certificate, POST Basic Academy certificate, or a POST Basic certificate must be attached to the online application.
AGE: Applicants must be at least 21 years of age or older at time of appointment
PHYSICAL CONDITION: Must be in excellent condition and physically capable of performing all tasks required of a police officer; fitness standards must be maintained throughout employment as a police officer.
VISION: Bilateral vision must be at least 20/100 correctable to 20/30 with no evidence of color blindness.
HEARING: Hearing aids are not acceptable. Applicants with an average hearing loss of 26 dB or more in the better ear in the 500 to 2000 c.p.s. range, and 46 dB in the 3000 c.p.s. range in the other ear are disqualified. (ANSI standard).
WORK AUTHORIZATION: Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States under federal law.
DRIVER'S LICENSE & DRIVING RECORD: Applicants must possess a valid California Class "C" driver's license and an acceptable driving record prior to and throughout employment. An acceptable driving record is one that has three (3) or fewer DMV points issued within the past five (5) years, and no more than one (1) DUI within the past ten (10) years.
ADDITIONAL ABILITIES & SKILLS: Applicants must demonstrate strong customer service skills and that they possess the ability to: pay close attention to detail; understand and accurately apply oral and written orders or instructions, laws, departmental policies and procedures; effectively communicate, both orally and in writing; and work closely and interact cooperatively and effectively with City staff members, our diverse citizens and representatives of other agencies.
BILINGUAL SKILLS: Applicants possessing the ability to speak Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean are highly desirable.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must be legally authorized to carry a firearm and have no felony convictions.
Other Important Information
How To Apply
Applications may be completed online by visiting www.ggcity.org/hr. Questions regarding this recruitment should be sent to ggjobs@ggcity.org. Operating hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and every other Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Online Application Packet Must Include
- A completed online employment application,
- An attached copy of a valid California POST Level I module, POST Basic Academy, or POST Basic certificate,
- Responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
The job application must be completely filled out. A resume may be submitted but cannot substitute for the application or for some of the other required information. Be sure to detail any education, training or other relevant course work that would make you a particularly strong candidate.
Your application will be reviewed very carefully, and only those who appear to have the best qualifications will be invited to continue in the selection process. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to further testing.
APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE COMMUNICATION THROUGH EMAIL ONLY. Applicants should be diligent in checking their email and spam mail as all notices regarding their status in the current recruitment will be emailed to them.
SELECTION PROCESS
- APPLICATION SCREENING
- PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST - tentatively scheduled for March 22, 2026
- PANEL INTERVIEW - tentatively scheduled for March 22, 2026
- THOROUGH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
- COMPUTER VOICE STRESS ANALYSIS (CVSA) EXAMINATION
- PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
- PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION (which includes a back x-ray, drug and alcohol screening test)
The City of Garden Grove will administer the Physical Agility Test.
The Physical Agility Test and Panel Interview may take place on the same day. More information will be available as the recruitment progresses.
The selection process takes approximately 180 days from initial application to final selection depending on the duration of each step during the selection process. Some of the steps may take longer than anticipated due to availability and scheduling.
Applicants who fail any part of the selection process will not be considered for the position.
Candidates who may need accommodations during the selection process must contact the Human Resources Department at ggjobs@ggcity.org at least one week prior to any test dates.
RE-APPLICATION
Candidates Who Applied For The Reserve Police Officer - Level I Position With The City Of Garden Grove In The Past And Did Not Pass The Following Tests In The Selection Process May Re-apply As Indicated
- Physical Agility Test: May apply as often as given.
- Panel Interview: Applicant must wait twelve months to re-apply.
- Background Investigation (including CVSA exam): Applicant must wait twelve months to re-apply.
- Psychological Evaluation: Applicant must wait twelve months to re-apply.
Who To Contact
For further questions, please contact Corporal Benjamin Elizondo at bene@ggcity.org or Human Resources Analyst Ashleigh Anderson Camba at ashleighc@ggcity.org.
NEPOTISM POLICY
The City has adopted a Nepotism Policy. Please refer to the Garden Grove Municipal Code 2.44.440 Nepotism Policy for more information.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The City of Garden Grove is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, religion, ancestry, national origin, medical condition, non-disqualifying disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or other protected class covered by appropriate law.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
Per Government Code 3100, in the event of a disaster, employees of the City of Garden Grove are considered disaster service workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.
Follow GGPD On Social Media
Facebook (keyword: Garden Grove Police Department Recruitment)
Twitter @GgpdR
Instagram ggpd_recruitment
City of Garden Grove's Excellent Part-Time Benefits!
BILINGUAL PAY: After certification, employees are eligible for pay for the use of their Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean bilingual skills.
RETIREMENT: Part-time employees participate in a deferred compensation package, which means that payroll retirement payments will be deducted from their pay and placed in a deferred compensation account, to be available after the employee leaves or retires. If the employee works in excess of 1,000 hours within a single fiscal year, the employee must then enroll in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), instead of continuing in the deferred compensation program, as above. If this occurs, employees contribute half of the normal cost into PERS.
SICK LEAVE: Employees receive sick leave time in accordance with the California Health Workplace Healthy Family Act (AB1522).
RIDESHARE PROGRAM: A variety of Rideshare incentives are provided, such as gift certificates and transportation subsidies.
01
Please carefully read these instructions: Your responses to the supplemental questions below will be used to determine your qualifications for the position. You are required to answer ALL of the supplemental questions as truthfully and accurately as possible. Your responses to these questions are subject to verification and may be assessed in subsequent examination parts. Any sign of deliberate misinformation or intentional exaggeration may result in disqualification from this examination process.
- Yes – I have read, understood, and agree to these terms.
- No – I have read, understood, and do not agree to these terms. I wish to withdraw my application from this process
02
Do you possess an education equivalent to graduation from high school or higher? (You may be asked to provide documentation to verify this educational requirement).
03
Our sworn positions have a minimum age requirement. By the filing deadline of March 3, 2025, will you be age 21 or over?
04
What is the highest certificate that you currently possess?
- Level I Module Certificate
- Basic Academy Certificate
- POST Basic Certificate
- POST Intermediate Certificate
- POST Advanced Certificate
- POST Supervisory Certificate
- POST Management Certificate
- POST Executive Certificate
- None of the above
05
If you do currently possess a valid POST Level I module or Basic Academy (or higher) certificate, what academy did you attend and when was the date of graduation?
Otherwise, please write "N/A" in the box below.
06
Have you attached a copy of your certificate to your online application?
If you have not attached a certificate to your online application, please save your application and attach a copy of your certificate in the "Attachments" section of the online application.
If you do not currently possess a valid certificate, please check "Not applicable."
07
Candidates who fail the panel interview with the City of Garden Grove must wait 12 months to re-apply for the same position. Have you failed the panel interview for Reserve Police Officer - Level I within the last 12 months?
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable - I did not participate in the panel interview process for this position within the last 12 months
08
Candidates who fail the background investigation process (including CVSA exam) with the City of Garden Grove must wait 12 months to re-apply for the same position. Have you failed the background investigation process for Reserve Police Officer - Level I with the City of Garden Grove within the last 12 months?
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable - I did not participate in the background investigation (including CVSA exam) process for this position within the last 12 months
09
Candidates who fail the psychological examination with the City of Garden Grove must wait 12 months to re-apply for the same position. Have you failed the psychological examination for Reserve Police Officer - Level I with the City of Garden Grove within the last 12 months?
- Yes
- No
- Not applicable - I did not participate in the psychological examination process for this position within the last 12 months
10
The ability to read, write, or speak Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean is highly desirable, but not necessary to be successful in this position.
Of the following languages, please check all of the languages in which you are fluent. (Being fluent is defined as having the ability to read, speak, or write a foreign language effectively and with relative ease)
Check all that apply.
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
- Korean
- Other
- Not Applicable
11
As an adult, have you ever been convicted (or are currently out on bail or out on your own recognizance pending trial) of a felony?
12
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please give the date(s) and provide relevant details, such as the offense, where the violation occurred, sentence, status, etc.
If you answered "No" to the question above, please write "N/A" in the space provided.
13
As an adult, have you ever been convicted (or are currently out on bail or out on your own recognizance pending trial) of a misdemeanor (including DUI, street racing, driving with a suspended license, etc.) other than a minor traffic violation(s)?
14
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please give the date(s) and provide relevant details, such as the offense, where the violation occurred, sentence, status, etc.
If you answered "No" to the question above, please write "N/A" in the space provided.
15
Which of the following have you attached to your online application?
- A California POST Level I module certificate
- POST Basic Academy certificate
- POST Basic certificate
- None of the above
- Required Question
