Certified
Job Announcement:
Join the South Hadley Police Department
The South Hadley Police Department is seeking to hire a qualified candidate for a couple of vacant police officer positions. We are considering both CERTIFIED (academy-trained) officers and NON-CERTIFIED officers. Certified officers may be given hiring preference. Certified officers may be hired at a step rate commensurate with their years of experience. The South Hadley Police Department is an accredited, non-civil service agency with a long and proud history of serving the community. Our goal is to meet the community's needs by providing the highest quality police services, helping resolve problems, and promoting positive values through equitable, impartial policing that reflects the community's shared values.
The South Hadley Police Department is budgeted for (27) sworn officers (Chief, 2 Lieutenants, 6 Sergeants, 3 Detectives, 15 Patrol Officers, and 1 administrative assistant). Specialty assignments include detective, CIT, DART, TRIAD, FTO, Drone Unit, CT River Task Force, bicycle patrol, and more. Officers work 8-hour shifts on a rotating 4x2 schedule.
The Town of South Hadley is centrally located in the scenic Pioneer Valley along the eastern bank of the CT River. We are 14 miles north of Springfield and 90 miles west of Boston. South Hadley covers 18.3 square miles and has a population of just over 18,000 residents. It is also the home of Mt. Holyoke College.
Our ideal candidate must meet the following conditions
- U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years of age
- High school graduate/GED equivalent (college degree or military experience preferred)
- Possess a valid MA driver’s license & the ability to obtain a MA LTC
- Our ideal candidate must possess strong oral and written communication skills
- Our next team member(s) should be thoughtful, self-motivated, disciplined, and service-oriented
- Candidates must be willing and able to meet the duties and obligations of a South Hadley Police
- Candidates must possess the physical ability to perform duties required of a police officer
- Candidates must be able to obtain certification by the Massachusetts P.O.S.T. Commission
Note: Any felony conviction or untruthfulness during any portion of the hiring process will be considered automatic disqualifiers for employment
Our hiring process
- Complete the Police APP application + Town Application (resume & cover letter)
- Oral interview(s)
- Physical fitness test based on Cooper Physical Fitness Assessment. Specific requirements can be found in the MPTC Recruit Health & Wellness Preparation Guide. For more info click HERE
- Complete a comprehensive background investigation, medical, and psychological examinations
Anticipated Recruitment Process
- October 19, 2026 - Posting of the vacancy
- November 30, 2026 - Application Deadline
- Week of December 7, 2026 - Interview Panel #1
- Week of December 7, 2026 - Background investigation will commence
- December 12, 2026 - Cooper Physical Fitness Assessment - More information can be found here
- Week of December 14, 2026 - Interview Panel #2
- Week of December 21, 2026 - Conditional offer of employment to the top candidate(s)
- March 15, 2027 - Academy start date @ Holyoke
Salary & Benefits
- Academy pay is $1,800 bi-weekly
- Probationary pay (1 year after graduation) is $55,594 ($28.51 p/hour) plus holiday pay = $ 2,736 & roll call pay = $ 1,756 ? $60,086
- Year 2 Salary: Step 1 is $63,472 ($32.55 p/ hour); plus, holiday pay = $ 3,124 & roll call pay = $ 2,055 ?$68,651
- Year 3 Salary: Step2 is $65,130 (33.40 p/hour); plus, holiday pay=$3,206 & roll call pay=$2,068 ?$70,404
- Year 4 Salary: Step3 is $67,723 (34.73 p/hour); plus, holiday pay=$3,334 & roll call pay=$2,140 ?$73,197
- Our top salary: Step 3/Yr 15 is $ $73,198($37.71 p/ hour); plus, holiday pay=$3,620 & roll call pay=$2,323 ?$80,086
- A 2.5% wage increase becomes effective 7/1/2027
- Plus Education incentive: Associates - $6,000, Bachelors - $11,000, and Masters - $12,000
- Additional pay for shift differential, longevity, and fitness incentive
- Annual uniform allowance of $900
- Detail pay is currently $75 per hour for private details and $69 per hour for municipal details.
- Schedule is 4/2, 4 days on, followed by 2 days off. 8 hours per shift
www.southhadleypolice.org (Please visit website for more info/FAQ)
https://www.facebook.com/SouthHadleyMassPoliceDepartment
https://www.instagram.com/southhadleypolicedepartmentma
https://vimeo.com/1011089395 (SHPD Ride Along Video)
Pay Scale 2026 – 2028 Pay Scale
Police Labor MOU 2026-2028 26-28 Police MOU
See the South Hadley Police Union Labor agreement, 2023-2025 here
See the position description for South Hadley Police Officer here
Application Deadline is November 20, 2026. Complete the application via Policeapp.com here and upload the required resume and cover letter. The Town of South Hadley is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Please direct questions regarding this position to baranm@southhadleypolice.org
About Public Safety Jobs
Jobs close at 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the deadline date specified, or when the position capacity has been met, or unless otherwise specified in the announcement. If the deadline date is not specified in the announcement, the agency has sole discretion on setting the deadline and jobs may close without notice. It is the applicant's responsibility to thoroughly read and understand the deadline requirements and capacity limits as outlined by the agency.
Applicants are responsible for checking their email and logging into their PublicSafetyApp account to monitor for updates.