Important Links:
Job Announcement:
Yale University Police Department
Now Accepting Applications for Entry Level Officers
The Yale Police Department (YPD) is the nation’s oldest campus police department. YPD was formed in 1894 with two New Haven Police Officers as its first members. Since that time, the full-service department has grown to 93 uniformed police officers who protect and serve the campus community and the surrounding New Haven area. The YPD solves crimes through its patrol and detective divisions.
YPD also works closely with the New Haven Police Department and local, state, and federal police agencies (including the FBI, Secret Service, and Department of Justice) on campus events, regional law enforcement matters, training, and significant investigations concerning the campus community.
Our Community. Our Mission.
As a Yale Police Officer, you will protect and serve a diverse, dynamic Ivy League community woven into the heart of historic New Haven, Connecticut. We operate without walls, protecting a world-class open campus of over 30,000 students, faculty, and staff from across the globe.
One Community, Two Shared Spaces
Because our campus is embedded within the city, your impact extends far beyond the classroom. Through a powerful partnership with the New Haven Police Department, our state-certified officers hold full law enforcement authority. You will patrol historic campus quadrangles, high-tech medical complexes, and vibrant urban neighborhoods.
Policing with Purpose
We are looking for dedicated professionals ready to practice true community policing. In this role, you will build trust, solve local challenges, and ensure a safe environment where global education and the local community thrive together.
Minimum Requirements:
- Minimum Age Requirement
- 21 years of age at the time of appointment.
- Educational Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Citizenship
- United States citizenship is required.
- Criminal Convictions
- A candidate may not have a conviction for any Felony, or Class A or Class B misdemeanor, or of any crime in any other jurisdiction that would, if committed in this state, constitute a Class A or Class B misdemeanor, or have committed any act which would constitute perjury or false statement.
- Motor Vehicle Operator’s License
- A candidate must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license, and his/her right to operate cannot be under suspension. At the time of appointment, the candidate must have a valid operator’s license in the State of Connecticut.
Job Description/General Duties:
Essential Job Functions:
Responsible for the preservation of public peace and order, the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the protection of persons and property in assigned areas, and the enforcement of Laws of the State of CT, the ordinances of the City of New Haven, and the regulations of the University.
Required Skills and Abilities
- Ability to assess and make logical decisions during routine and emergency scenarios.
- Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license as a condition of employment.
- Ability to qualify and maintain certification in firearms proficiency as required by state guidelines.
- Ability to work with some degree of independence or as part of a team as required.
- Ability to take direction from superior officers and work within the framework of the department’s rules, regulations, and mission.
Salary:
As of 7/1/26, the starting salary for a YPD Police Officer, Grade C, is $88,273.67 and increases in two years to $114,795.53 at Grade A, plus eligibility for shift differential and stipends.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary
- Paid holidays and vacation
- Shift Differential (2.75% for evening shift/3.25% for overnight shift)
- Uniform, ammunition, and dry-cleaning allowance
- Education Incentives
- Competitive health and pension benefits
- College tuition assistance for officers and dependents
- Yale Homebuyer Program
Testing Requirements:
The written component:
Candidates must take a written exam that may be administered as validated written or online examination, which measures a candidate’s:
- Judgment, comprehension, and learning ability.
- Background, experience, interests, and preferences.
- Job-related personality factors.
You must achieve a passing score of 70 percent on the cognitive portion and 75 percent on the non-cognitive portion to be placed on the list of eligible candidates. Once written test results are received, a list will be prepared of those achieving a passing score. The department may call persons in to be interviewed from anywhere on the eligibility list.
Hiring Process:
- Physical Fitness Standards
- Applicants must successfully pass the POST CT Cooper Standards Test, which will be administered by the department. (Please see information regarding physical fitness standards)
- Written Examination
- A candidate must pass a written examination designed to evaluate predictors of job-related skills and behaviors.
- Personal Interviews
- An interview by a panel that includes one or more law enforcement officers is designed to evaluate predictors of job-related skills and behaviors, including interpersonal communication skills. The YPD uses a two-tier interview process. The first tier is a panel interview;successful candidates are passed on to interview with the Chief of Police.
- Fingerprint Examination
- Examination of fingerprints submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine the existence of any criminal history record. In our process, fingerprints are taken as the background investigation begins with fingerprints submitted to the state of Connecticut for review and forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- Background Investigation
- Before appointment, candidates will be subjected to a personal background investigation which will include, but not be limited to the following: (1) Completion of a personal history questionnaire;(2) Check motor vehicle record for convictions(s) for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating beverages, narcotics or controlled substances, or evasion of responsibility;(3) A polygraph examination administered by a trained polygraph examiner.
- Medical Certification
- Candidates must be cleared medically to participate in extensive physical agility requirements of basic recruit training.
- Test For Controlled Substances
- Before appointment, candidates will be subjected to a test for controlled substances as a part of YPD’s pre-employment process. The controlled substance test is conducted as part of the physical examination.
- Psychological Examination
- Before appointment, candidates will be subjected to a psychological examination conducted by a licensed professional. A written opinion of the candidate’s overall psychological stability to fill a position as a police officer will be forwarded to the department for review.
- Polygraph Examination
- Before appointment, candidates will be subjected to a polygraph examination conducted by a licensed professional. Results of the polygraph examination will be forwarded to the department for review.
- Certification
- As part of the application process, acknowledgment by the candidate that falsification of any part of the information required constitutes grounds for termination, whether discovered prior to or subsequent to the appointment of the candidate.
- Candidates must possess, or be eligible to obtain, Connecticut POST certification upon successful completion of academy training and department requirements.
Thank you for your interest in employment opportunities with the Yale University Police Department. Yale police officers are fully certified law enforcement professionals and carry full jurisdiction within the city of New Haven. In fact, Yale police officers are approved for appointment by the New Haven Board of Police Commissioners. Each officer candidate must meet the entry-level requirements set forth by the State Police Officers Standards and Training Council.
Yale University Police Department is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer as part of an ongoing open recruitment campaign.
Yale University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
Please direct questions regarding this position to sabrina.wood@yale.edu
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.