Hiring new officers, checked Nov 13, 2026
Open now
Laterals: open now. Posting: POLICE RECRUIT . Closes: 11/29/2026 at 6:00 PM Pacific Time.
The 10 steps, in order 1 Online application Apply through the city's job site. All notices arrive by email.
2 Pre-Background Questionnaire The strongest applicants are asked to complete this screening questionnaire.
3 Written exam Pass/fail PELLETB, waivable with a recent T-score of 47 or higher. Prep for this step 4 Physical Agility Test Six events, usually held at the Southwestern College Police Academy. Prep for this step 5 Personnel Information Questionnaire and oral interview Candidates at or above the threshold complete the PIQ and may be invited to interview.
6 Background investigation Includes fingerprinting, a questionnaire of about 293 questions and a CVSA exam.
7 Conditional offer, medical and psychological exams The offer depends on exams by a city physician and a city psychologist.
8 Meeting with the Chief and final offer Cleared candidates meet the Chief of Police and get a start date.
9 Police academy Recruits attend the San Diego Regional Police Academy for 25 weeks, Monday through Friday.
10 Field training A 16 to 20 week Field Training Program on patrol with a Field Training Officer.
How long hiring takes Each agency's own stated figure. They do not all measure the same span, so check the note on each bar.
Minimum requirements High school diploma or GED At least 21 years old at appointment, per the 2026 postings Legally authorized to work in the United States Valid California Class C driver's license at appointment Meet POST requirements for admission to a Basic Police Academy Pass a background check, CVSA, psychological evaluation and medical exam Not published by this agency Length of the hiring process PELLETB cutoff for the city-run exam Pass times for physical events other than the 1.5-mile run Written test retake rules Tattoo and grooming policy Academy fitness standard Current budgeted sworn count Scheduled raises under the 2025 to 2028 contract Field training 16 to 20 weeks
The city's Police Officer Details page gives a minimum age of 20 and a half and older pay rates. The 2026 job postings say 21 and are used here.
The patrol page cites over 60,000 calls a year. The communications page cites about 120,000. The two likely count different things.
Sources, checked Nov 13, 2026: NCPD home page (mission, chief, address, staffing) · NCPD Join Us · NCPD Police Officer Hiring Process · NCPD Police Officer Details (benefits, academy, field training) · NCPD Uniformed Patrol (calls for service) · NCPD Communications (calls for service) · NCPD Spanish-language page (92 sworn, 43 professional staff) · Police Recruit posting 26-PR3, job-board copy (recruit salary) · Police Recruit posting, job-board copy (process, PELLETB, PAT events) · Police Officer posting Jun 2026, job-board copy (officer salary, bonus) · City HR: Employee Benefits and MOUs · City HR: Salary Schedules · California DOJ stop data, 2024
Agency colors not applied yet. They are only used once pulled from the agency's own site.
Photo: The Sweetwater River, which divides National City from Chula Vista. National City Banner.jpg by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and tinted.
How to read this. Stop figures count people stopped in 2024, from the California Department of Justice stop data for San Diego County. A stop is a detention or search, so calls with no detention are not counted. "On foot" means any stop that is not a vehicle or bicycle. Pay is base pay a year, without overtime. Hiring and pay details come from each agency's own pages on the date shown and can change. "Not published" means the agency does not publish it.
The Police Index covers 11 agencies in San Diego County. It is independent and not affiliated with any agency. Figures come from public records and can be out of date, so confirm with the agency before you rely on one. Report an error .
