TAPD doubles lateral pay credit, sets civil service exam for Sept. 4

TEXARKANA, Ark. — The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department has expanded its lateral entry program to credit officers for up to 10 years of prior law enforcement experience, doubling the previous five-year cap and pushing top lateral starting pay above $72,000.

The department announced the change Thursday alongside the date for its next Civil Service Entrance Examination, set for 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at the TAPD Union Training Center, 1701 Line Ferry Road.

Under the expanded pay scale, certified officers joining TAPD can start at $61,402 with no experience, $63,580 with three years, $66,682 with five years, $70,554 with seven years and $72,248 with 10 years. The figures include holiday pay, which officers receive whether or not they work the holiday.

Previously, a certified officer with a decade on the job would have started at the five-year rate. The expansion means an experienced officer making a move to TAPD no longer leaves half that experience behind on the pay scale.

The department said the change is part of its effort to recruit and retain experienced officers “in an increasingly challenging recruiting environment.”

TAPD is also pitching its schedule and benefits to prospective hires. Officers work 11-hour shifts with two weekends off each month and four to five consecutive days off. The department offers take-home patrol vehicles on workdays, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, and overtime opportunities.

Officers participate in LOPFI retirement with a 24 percent city contribution and a 3 percent compounded cost-of-living adjustment each year after retirement. Department policy allows beards and tattoos with restrictions.

For new applicants without prior certification, the Sept. 4 civil service exam is the first step in the hiring process. To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be at least 21 years old
  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Have a valid driver’s license
  • Have a high school diploma or GED
  • Have no felony convictions
  • Have no misdemeanor convictions related to domestic or family violence
  • Have no visible tattoos on the head, neck, face, scalp or hands, except a single wedding band tattoo
  • Have not used illicit drugs within the past two years

More information on the exam and hiring process is available from Cpl. Claudia Phelps at 903-798-3125 or at TAPDCOP.ORG.