Cadet starts at:  $1,969.00
Police Recruit starts at:  $2,215.00
Police Officer starts at:  $3,383.00
Police Corporal starts at:  $3,699.00

Lateral Entry at the Corporal Level

Effective October 1, 2007, the Odessa Police Department will begin accepting lateral entry at the corporal level for new officers who meet certain requirements. The requirements apply to an applicant’s law enforcement experience and for individuals with three (3) years of continuous, full time sworn law enforcement experience, will include the following:

1. Current Texas peace officers from another agency.

2. Former Texas peace officers who have been unemployed as a peace officer for less than two (2) years and who successfully has his/her peace officer license reactivated.

3. Current or former peace officers from another state with less than two (2) years of inactivation and who successfully challenge the TCLEOSE test in order to become licensed in Texas.

4. Military personnel who successfully challenge the TCLEOSE test and who have three (3) years of continuous, full-time service as a military police officer or other similar assignment.

This change is intended to serve as an incentive to potential applicants in a very competitive job market. It will result in experienced officers not starting at the bottom of the pay scale and to receive pay which is more closely commensurate with their level of experience.