Police Officer

Cleveland Metroparks Police Department, a CALEA accredited and nationally recognized law enforcement agency, is hiring full-time Police Officers. This law enforcement position provides for park visitor's safety and the protection of Park District natural resources. Police Officers enforce Park District ordinances and State laws, and enhance park user experience through assistance, information, and education. 

Cleveland Metroparks prides itself on providing an opportunity for quality work life balance for its employees.

• Membership in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System


• Vacation, Holiday and Sick Leave programs


• Compensatory time


• Comprehensive healthcare benefits


• Paid life insurance with additional and/or dependent coverage at employee's expense


• Deferred compensation program


• Medical and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts


• Long-Term Disability coverage


• Employee Assistance Program


• Compensation & Benefits package also includes discounted golf at eight Park District golf facilities (employee only), and discounted admission for employee and family to other Park District facilities including Cleveland Metroparks Zoo


• Tuition Reimbursement 

Applicants may be accepted as lateral transfer candidates under the following conditions: 

• Applicant is currently employed as a full-time law enforcement officer in the State of Ohio, or has been laid off from such a position within one-year of appointment.


• Have a minimum of two years of full-time law enforcement experience (the two-year minimum of on-duty experience would still apply in cases of a layoff).


• Not currently under Internal Affairs investigation for any reason.


• Must be in good standing at current agency with no pending discipline and/or internal investigations, or have retired within the past 2 years in good standing. 

A lateral transfer is eligible for starting salary (below) based on qualifications and whole years of law enforcement experience (partial years of service will not be considered): 

• Two Years - up to $34.599 per hour


• Three Years - up to $36.991 per hour


• Four or More Years - up to $40.022 per hour 

Hiring Process: 

1. Candidates meeting the minimum qualifications will be eligible for a phone interview.


2. Candidates selected after the phone interview phase will be invited to participate in an in-person panel interview.


3. Candidates selected from the panel interview will be required to pass a physical fitness assessment, background investigation, and law enforcement index or equivalent position assessment.


4. Candidates who successfully complete step 3 will be provided with a conditional offer of employment. The offer of employment will be conditioned upon passing a psychological exam(s), a drug screen, and medical examination.


5. The entire process can take between 2-3 months upon completion of the phone interview. 

Candidates who are not selected for employment, and were not disqualified during the background investigation, may reapply after six months have passed.

If you are not prepared or qualified for this process, but will be in the future, we encourage you to submit a “Notify Me” on the career site. By submitting a “Notify Me” you will receive an email whenever a position in your area of interest becomes available.