The Thornton Police Department is an innovative department whose defined Core Values of Leadership, Accountability, Teamwork, Safety, Service and Integrity guide us towards our vision of being the standard of excellence in law enforcement. The city of Thornton is currently the sixth largest city in the State of Colorado. With only 50% of the city of Thornton land currently developed, our expected growth will provide an excellent opportunity for career advancement. With 258 authorized sworn police officers, and 88 non-sworn positions, we are currently the fourth largest metro police department.

A key factor contributing to the success of our department is our dedication in pursuing top candidates to join our team. We believe in hiring the best, recognizing that you will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals. We value all members of our organization and create an environment that encourages teamwork, diversity, innovation and excellence.

 2025 Pay and Benefits

Police Officer Recruit pay: $79,423

Police Officer pay range: $84,179 - $116,758

Lateral Police Officer pay: Commensurate with years of patrol experience

Police Officer pay progression: The city of Thornton has a step and merit pay plan in place for Police Officers. Step increases are received annually on anniversary dates contingent upon successful performance and availability of budget dollars. Merit pay may also be awarded on performance.

Longevity pay: Police Officers receive an additional 2% on their base salary for every 5 years of service up to 12%.

Paid Vacation Accrual

vacation accrual chart

Sick leave: Each employee accrues sick leave at a rate of eight hours per month.

Holiday pay: Each employee will receive 11 paid holidays plus two floating holidays.

Medical insurance: The city of Thornton offers group health, dental, and vision benefits to all regular full-time employees.

Retirement: Sworn officers hired on or after July 11, 2017 will make a pre-tax contribution to the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) Defined Benefit Plan of 12%. This mandatory contribution is in lieu of social security. In addition, the city offers a Deferred Compensation Plan (457 plan) administered by Nationwide. The city will match one-half of an employee’s voluntary (pre-tax) contribution up to 1 percent.

Retiree Healthcare: New retirees who have been enrolled in one of the city’s medical plans prior to retirement, and have reached 20 years of service and are 55 years old, or 30 years of service and are 50 years old, may continue healthcare benefits through the city until they are Medicare-eligible or 65 years old, whichever comes first.

Uniforms: Each officer is completely outfitted upon appointment (excluding firearms and footwear). Each officer also receives a uniform allowance of $884 annually.

Collective Bargaining Agreement: Sworn officers at the rank of sergeant and below have the right to bargain collectively with the city with respect to wages, rates of pay, hours, grievance procedures, working conditions and all other terms and conditions of employment except pensions and public management rights.

Multilingual pay: Employees who meet certain requirements as determined by Human Resources in Spanish, Hmong or American Sign Language are eligible for multilingual pay up to $1,500 per year. Pay is determined based on proficiency level.

Military Veteran: click here for more info.

Academy and Field Training

 

Our new police officer recruits will attend the North Metro Police Academy, a 21-week, 810 hours POST certification academy that will prepare new recruits for a career in law enforcement. NMPA is a regional academy that hosts outside agencies along with our own Thornton Recruits. Upon successful completion and graduation of the academy, recruit officers will then begin their phase training.

Our lateral police officers will attend an abbreviated In-House Academy covering firearms, defensive tactics, emergency driving and other required certifications to be an officer in the City of Thornton. Upon successful completion, officers will then begin their phase training. Field Training may be accelerated for lateral officers based on performance.

In our Field Training (FTO) program, officers will be assigned to three different Field Training Officers prior to their solo assignment. Thornton patrol officers work four 10-hour shifts a week on either days, swings, or graveyard shifts. Thornton Officers bid annually based on seniority within the department.

 

Academy FAQs

  • All new hires are required to attend and successfully complete the In-House Academy training.

  • Primarily, the academy is during day shift; however, there are some classes that require an alternate schedule.

  • No. Officers will be issued CCWs upon successful completion of the POST Academy.

  • The Smith & Wesson M&P 9MM, the Glock 17 (9 MM), or the Glock 47 (9mm) are the only authorized weapons for recruits. However, a lateral with extensive experience may request an interview with a range officer to determine if another duty gun is authorized.

  • Recruits must participate in kinesics-based physical training throughout the North Metro Police Academy.

  • The department will provide all the necessary gear except your boots, your handgun, and any handgun accessories. Accessories include a department approved Red Dot Sight and a gun-mounted light.

Career Growth and Advancement

  • Youth Academy

    14 - 18 years old

  • police explorer

    Police Explorer

    14 - 20 1/2 years old

  • police cadet

    Police Cadet

    18 - 23 years old

  • Police Officer Recruit

    20+ years old

  • Police Officer

    21+ years old with POST certification

  • Special Assignment

    18 - 36+ months TPD employed

  • Police Sergeant

    3+ years TPD employed (5+ years as Officer)

  • Police Lieutenant

    5+ years TPD employed (3+ years as Sergeant)

  • Division Commander

    5+ years TPD employed (2+ years as Lieutenant)

  • Deputy Police Chief

    8+ years TPD employed (2+ years as Division Commander)

  • Police Chief

    10 years of progressively responsible law enforcement experience

Career Opportunities

  • Community Relations Unit

    Public Information Officer

    Planning and Research Unit

  • Training Unit

    Recruiting Officer

    Background Investigator

    Field Technology Unit

    Professional Standards

    Risk Management

  • Patrol Division:

    Field Training Officer

    SWAT Team

    Crisis Negotiations Unit

    K9 Unit

    Youth Services Unit

    Impact Unit

    Drug Recognition Expert

    Honor Guard

    Dignitary Protection Team

    Community Liaison Officer

    Range Instructor

    Defensive Tactics Instructor

    EVOC Driving Instructor

    Traffic Enforcement Unit

    Criminal Investigation Division:

    Property Crimes Detective

    Persons Crimes Detective

    Criminal Intelligence Investigator

    North Metro Task Force

    Rocky Mountain Safe Streets

    R.A.V.E.N.

Upcoming Recruiting Events

Hiring FAQs

  • Applicants must be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, proof of eligibility to work in the US, a valid driver’s license with safe driving record, no felony or domestic violence convictions, no marijuana in the last year, no hard drugs in the last 5 years, and a Colorado POST certification.

    If you are applying for the recruit position, the POST is not required, and you may apply at 20 years old.

  • We only accept online applications during active recruitment periods. Follow us on social media to stay current with our hiring schedule.

  • Please visit https://post.colorado.gov/certification/disqualifying-incidents to view information about disqualifying criminal charges.

  • Typically a process lasts around 3-4 months from application to date of hire.

  • You can anticipate two to three trips to Thornton during the hiring process.

  • We require that an applicant has not smoked or ingested marijuana one year from the date of application.

  • The City of Thornton follows all regulations as stated in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 which legalized CBD that is derived from hemp and contains no more than 0.3% THC (by dry weight). However, after using CBD, there is a potential for you to fail a pre-employment drug screening if there is a high enough THC content. As such, we recommend against the use of CBD.

  • Application

    Written Test

    Oral Board

    CVSA

    Ride Along

    Background Investigation

    Chief’s Interview

    Medical/Drug Testing

    Psychological Examination

    If you no show to the written test or interview, you must sit out one recruitment process.

  • We use the IOSolutions NCJOSI^2 written test. You may purchase study guides and practice tests at https://iosolutions.com/shop/?swoof=1&pa_examination=ncjosi2

  • Yes, we look at all employment files to include previous internal affairs files and training files. We take each documented incident on a case-by-case basis and look at the circumstances. Prior discipline is not an automatic disqualifier.

  • Our policy is that members may not display tattoos and body art that are profane, demeaning, or containing messages that may be disruptive in the workplace, impact productivity, or give the appearance of a preference or bias to the public or other members of TPD. Visible tattoos will be reviewed by a committee to ensure they comply with policy. Tattoos on the head, face, hands, and neck above the collar bone are prohibited.

  • Our policy is that members are permitted to wear facial hair, including beards, within certain grooming standards.

  • Currently the Thornton Police Department does not have a residency requirement or take-home cars for officers.