The Cobb County Police Department
offers a lateral entry program in an effort to
recruit applicants with prior experience and proven abilities in law enforcement.
To be eligible for lateral entry all applicants
must have served a minimum of two (2) years consecutive service as a sworn
officer with a full service police agency. The full service law enforcement
agency must have had a minimum staffing of fifty (50) sworn police personnel at
the time of employment.
Lateral entry candidates must not have more than
two (2) years break in service in order to apply for lateral entry credit.
The lateral entry program will allow up to five
(5) years of previous service to be compensated.
Lateral entry candidates must meet all
requirements and qualifications of employment and must successfully complete all
state required training programs before being awarded lateral entry credit for
previous service.
All out of state
certified police officers will be required to attend a Lateral Cobb County Police Academy program
of approximately 13 weeks to become certified in
the State of Georgia. Georgia certified officers may not have
to attend the entire academy, but will attend seven weeks of in-house
training. A review of previous training records will determine if additional
training is required.
Lateral Entry Pay begins upon the date of
employment for those candidates who are currently certified through the State of Georgia.
Lateral Entry Pay will start
for those certified in another state upon completion of the Cobb County Police Academy.
Prior military police service will not apply towards lateral
entry experience.
Lateral entry approval will not apply towards the
retirement calculation. (Years of service with another department will not be
calculated towards retirement with Cobb County.)
Lateral entry candidates must serve a minimum of
seven (7) years active service with the Cobb County Police Department in order
to be considered vested for retirement purposes.
Upon being hired, lateral entry candidates will
serve an eighteen (18) month working test period (probation) regardless of pay status.
