Community Service Officer
Salary
$85,271.06 - $99,329.36 Annually
Location
Berkeley, CA
Job Type
Career
Job Number
2026-07-7002
Department
Police
Opening Date
07/20/2026
Closing Date
7/27/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
Berkeley, California is a small city with a big reputation. At just ten square miles of land and seven square miles of water, Berkeley is famous around the globe as a center for academic achievement, scientific exploration, free speech, and the arts, and home to over 50 parks, a top-ranked university, and the largest public marina in the San Francisco Bay.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Join us as a Community Service Officer (CSO) in the Berkeley Police Department! In this role, you will have the opportunity to perform a wide range of duties, both in office support and in the field, to support various police functions. Assignments may include field services, jail facilities, property control, community services, crime scene, or traffic control.
Community Service Officers are essential non-sworn members of BPD. By maintaining positive working relationships with City staff and the public, CSOs help build trust in our community. With their ability to work with people of all backgrounds and stay calm under pressure, CSOs provide invaluable contributions to the Department in their everyday work.
See the full job description here: Community Services Officer Job Classification
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
A typical way of gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position is:
Equivalent to graduation from high school and two years of progressively responsible work experience involving public contact and utilizing in-person, telephone, and/or written communication skills. Previous volunteer or paid experience in law enforcement, emergency medical services, military service, probation, counseling or similar work requiring extensive public contact is desirable.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Must successfully complete a psychiatric evaluation and a Police Department background investigation and medical evaluation. Must possess a valid California drivers license and have a satisfactory driving record. Must be willing to work evening, graveyard, weekend, and holiday shifts for the 24 hour/day operational schedule. Must be able to obtain required Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification such as the Community Service Officer Academy, Jail Correction Course, which are conducted or recognized by the Berkeley Police Department, and accept and apply the principles learned in training. Must be physically able to perform the work including lifting heavy objects and controlling violent individuals, and possess the knowledge, skills and abilities for the successful completion of duties assigned to the position."
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications must be received by July 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific and must include a completed application with responses to any supplemental questions. Please note that resumes are not a substitute for a completed application.
Applications are available in alternative formats (audio-format, braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) upon request to ada@berkeleyca.gov. Please allow 10 days for production of the material in an alternative format.
EXAM PROCESS
The exam process will include, but may not be limited to:
Tests may consist of any combination of written, oral or other exercises or assessment procedures that test content and may include, but are not necessarily limited to, typing, math, reading, writing and analytical skills; problem solving ability; computer and software proficiency, or any other job-related knowledge, skill, ability or qualification. The examination process and dates are subject to change. The City may, without notice, change or eliminate any assessment component as needs dictate. Applicants passing all examination phases will have their names placed on an employment eligible list that hiring departments will use to conduct final selection interviews.
Reasonable Accommodations: The City is committed to making reasonable accommodations in the examination process and in the work environment. Individuals requesting reasonable accommodations in the examination process must submit a request in writing to hr@berkeleyca.gov at the time of application.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCESS
Candidates under final consideration for employment with the City will undergo an employment background check that may include, but is not limited to: confirmation of employment history, educational credentials and degrees, certificates, registrations, and licenses including drivers license; credit check; criminal history check; and Live Scan fingerprinting.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER
The City of Berkeley is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All employment actions shall be administered regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, political affiliation, veterans' status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All City employees are required to provide services as Disaster Service Workers in the event of an emergency/disaster.
Benefited employees receive a myriad of financial and other benefits, including CalPERS pension and other retirement plans, medical and dental coverage, tuition reimbursement, paid time off and more.
Benefit-eligible employees include those with a regular work schedule of at least 20 hours per week. Employees working less than 30 hours per week may receive pro-rated benefits.
Retirement
CalPERS
City employees are included in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). The retirement formula is either 2% at age 62 (PEPRA members) or 2.7% at age 55 (Classic members).
Supplemental Retirement Income Plan (SRIP)
The City contributes 6.7% of the first $32,400 of the employees salary (up to $2,170.80 annually) into a 401(a) account. The City is not a member of Social Security, therefore only the Medicare portion is deducted from employees salaries.
Deferred Compensation
The City offers voluntary 457 deferred compensation plans with CalPERS or Empower. Employees may contribute up to the IRS maximum on a pre-tax basis.
Medical Plans
Employees can choose coverage under Kaiser HMO or Sutter Health Plan HMO. The City contributes an amount equal to the cost of the Kaiser premium. Employees who have medical coverage under another group plan may choose to waive City-provided medical coverage and receive a monthly stipend.
Dental Plan
The City provides group dental benefits through Delta Dental of California. The City contributes up to the family coverage for the plan, which covers 90% of the dental charges up to $2,000 annually per person. Orthodontic benefits are offered at a $2,000 lifetime maximum per person. Employees who have dental coverage under another group plan may choose to waive City-provided dental coverage and receive a monthly stipend.
Life Insurance
The City provides employees with a Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment policy in the amount of $25,000. Employees have the option to purchase additional term life insurance up to a maximum of $300,000.
Sick Leave
Employees earn one day of paid sick leave per month.
Vacation
New employees accrue 80 hours of vacation annually. Vacation accrual rates increase at 4 years, 12 years, 18 years, and 25 years of service.
Holidays
15 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays annually
Uniform Allowance
Employees in select classifications receive up to $1,400 annually (see MOUs)
(SEIU MC)
01
Please provide a 500-word max response to the following situational question in your own words. If you go beyond the 500 word limit you would be automatically disqualified. We ask that you not employ any generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or others) to complete this assignment. In particular, please do not: feed any part of the question into a generative AI program; prompt it to generate appropriate language to support your response; ask it to produce answers to the questions or use it to spell check, edit, or format your work. If it is determined that you have used generative AI tools, your application may be subject to disqualification. In your answer, please describe: Your overall response to this situation. Steps you would take to support your partner and help calm the situation. Techniques you would use to maintain safety and professionalism. Be specific about your specific actions and describe the reasons why you would take these actions.
02
Please indicate where you first learned about this job opening.
03
I acknowledge that I have reviewed my application and my answers to all above supplemental questions for accuracy. I understand that an incomplete application, inconsistent or conflicting information, or incomplete answers to the supplemental questions may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.
Required Question
Employer City of Berkeley
Address 2180 Milvia Street (1st floor)
Human Resources Department
Berkeley, California, 94704
Phone (510) 981-6800