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salary and benefits

why great falls?

Choose the Great Falls Police Department and become part of a community that prioritizes your well-being in every aspect. Our comprehensive Wellness Program underscores our commitment to your physical fitness, health, and mental well-being. Great Falls, ranked #2 in affordability in Montana, offers the perfect blend of big city excitement and small-town charm. We are committed to Community-Oriented Policing and value inclusion, integrity, innovation empowerment and hard work. 

SALARY RANGE AND TOP STEP INCENTIVES

      • Salary Range $63,857 to $92,760
      • Longevity pay (based on 1, 3, 5, 7 years ranging from 15%-40% on top of base pay) 
      • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision (City pays 85% of premiums)
      • 11 paid holidays per year + all general elections for the State of Montana + 1 personal holiday per year
      • 120 hours of vacation annually, 96 hours of sick leave annually
      • POST-certified lateral officers may qualify for a rate of pay at 1st or 2nd year, depending on experience
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Additional Benefits

The police department has numerous benefits that include:

 

    • Specialized units such as HRU, HIDTA, Field Training Officers, Drone Pilots
    • Promoting and celebrating healthy lifestyles with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement
    • Officers enrolled in the CBA can earn up to 2 extra paid wellness days
    • Retirement Plans are offered through Municipal Police Officers Retirement, with the employer contributing 14.41% and the State of Montana contributing 29.37%, vested after 5 years of service.
    • Overtime opportunities 
    • Shift differential pay and specialty pay

WE'RE HIRING

  • Committed to community outreach and award-winning policing techniques
  • State-of-the-art safety equipment and specialized units
  • Resources to solve real-life problems
  • Resources for career advancements
  • Positive work/life balance
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our hiring process

01.
Phase 1: Screening & Testing
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02.
Phase 2: Personal History Review
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03.
Phase 3: Interview & Background Check
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04.
Phase 4: Medical Screen & Commission Hearing
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our recruitment team

Captain Mahlum

Captain
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Detective Stadel

Detective
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Dispatcher Ratliff

Dispatcher
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Lieutenant LaBard

Lieutenant
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Officer Souza

Officer
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Sergeant Supalla

Sergeant
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Frequently asked Questions

  • A full list of qualifications can be found by searching Montana Code Annotated(MCA) 7-32-303 on the internet. Hear are a few of them:
    • Must be a citizen of the United States
    • Must be at least 18 years of age
    • Not have been convicted of a crime for which the person could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary
    • Have a high school diploma or have been issues a high school equivalency diploma
    • Must possess or be eligible to possess a Montana driver’s license
    • Visual acuity of, or corrected to, 20/20
    • Ability to pass a color vision test
    • College coursework in law enforcement or related fields is helpful but not required
  • Please contact a recruiter via our “Text A Recruiter” link at the bottom of every page.
  • You may also check open positions here. 

The hiring process is split up into 4 phases

Phase 1: Application/Testing

      • 4-part written test covering basic math, reading, grammar and report writing
      • Montana Physical Abilities Test (MPAT)
      • Oral boards, personal history, and a background investigation which takes about 3 weeks

Phase 2: Physical/Psychological Exam

        • Physical Exam/Drug Screening
        • Psychological Exam
        • Police Commission Review
        • Prep Week
          • On-boarding with HR
          • Swearing-in Ceremony
          • Online MLEA course work
          • MPAT for current score prior to leaving for MLEA

Phase 3: Academy 

  • 12 weeks Monday–Friday with occasional weekend trainings. 
  • Recruits will meet at the GFPD and car-pool to Helena in an assigned PD car

Phase 4: Post-Academy

      • Two weeks of hands-on training building on MLEA
      • 16 weeks Field Training with an experienced Field Training Officer (FTO)
      • Divided into 4 phases
      • Daily grading/evaluation of performance

You can find the additional information in our FAQ’s page. 

  • The Great Falls Police Department is committed to providing the highest quality of police service to the citizens of Great Falls, in partnership with the entire community. Officers are responsible for patrolling assigned areas, issuing citations, making arrests, responding to calls, monitoring traffic, preparing reports and operating mobile data terminals . The Department responds to over 45,000 calls for service each year.
  • There are currently three academy classes per year. We average onboarding 2-3 new officers per hiring round.
  • Yes, all officers are hired prior to attending the academy and will be paid their wage while in attendance.
  • The written test consists of 4 tests covering basic math skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and report writing. All tests require only the knowledge gained at the high school level and do not require any previous law enforcement training or experience. Applicants will be provided with an internet link to a study guide specific to the test we are using once they have applied.
  • The Great Falls Police Department conducts its interviews in such a way that no law enforcement training or experience is necessary. The questions are generally behavior based to challenge an applicant’s morals and ethics. General knowledge of the Great Falls Police Department and the City of Great Falls as organizations is also helpful.
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ABOUT US
The Great Falls Police Department is committed to providing the highest quality of police service to the citizens of Great Falls, in partnership with the entire community.
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