EPD Lateral Transfer Program

 The Evansville Police Department’s lateral transfer program is in effect and would be of greatest interest to an officer from another agency wanting to join EPD. A “lateral officer” is an officer that has graduated from a certified police academy and is actively serving in a sworn law enforcement agency in a state, county, or municipal agency with the full powers of arrest. Potential lateral transfer officers must successfully complete the applicant testing required of new hires (including physical assessment, written exam, written essay, interview, background investigation, polygraph, and psychological exam). Academy waivers will be granted when possible. Potential lateral transfer officers must also complete a medical exam if they are not already members of the INPRS 1977 Police and Fire Pension and Disability Fund. Once a potential lateral transfer officer meets all applicant testing requirements, such officer shall go to the top of the hiring list. 

Lateral officers will complete a one-year probationary period and complete the field training program (an accelerated program may be used). Lateral officers may enter employment with salary and vacation benefits up to those of an eight-year EPD officer, dependent on the number of full years of service that such officer has had with another agency. “Transferred” years of service are for salary and vacation purposes only and do not apply to promotions, specialty unit eligibility, shift bids, etc. A $2,500 bonus shall be paid to each lateral officer upon completion of his or her one-year probationary period and again upon completion of his/her third year of service. 

Arrangements to host a testing process (physical, written, and interview) for only active law enforcement from other agencies sometime will occur in mid to late September. It will be designed so that an interested officer would be able to complete the entire process in one day, similar to the consolidated format that EPD currently uses for applicants who test from far distances away. If an officer applicant passes all the required pre-employment testing, they will have an elevated status on EPD’s eligibility list and can be considered for vacancies right away. For officers from other agencies that are already in the INPRS 1977 Fund, EPD would likely have that individual working on the street within about 6-7 weeks after receiving an offer. For someone working for an agency not in the 1977 Fund, it would be around 11-12 weeks. 

*Any current officer wishing to apply for the lateral process can fill out an application located at www.evansvillepolice.com under the “Become A Police Officer” section