Cleveland is the second-largest city in Ohio with a population of over 365,000.1 Sitting on the southern shore of Lake Erie, the city anchors a metropolitan area of roughly two million people and hosts a mix of health care, manufacturing, and professional-services employers. The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) is the municipal police force for the city, with approximately 1,200 sworn members and an active recruitment program for new officers.2 Men and women who want to join the Cleveland Division of Police will find information on the application, selection, and training process below.

Cleveland Police Officer Requirements

To be eligible for appointment to the Cleveland Police Training Academy, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:3

  • Be at least 21 years of age and under 55 at the time of appointment
  • Possess a high school diploma or GED
  • Be a US citizen
  • Hold a valid Ohio driver’s license with fewer than six points

Hiring moves through a multi-step process administered by the City of Cleveland Civil Service Commission. Candidates complete an online application, sit for the civil service written examination, and take a physical agility test at the start and end of the process. Applicants then complete a personal history questionnaire and an initial personal history review interview, are photographed and fingerprinted, and sign waivers authorizing a comprehensive background investigation that covers residency, employment, traffic, and social media. Remaining candidates take a behavioral-based interview, and the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police make the final selections. Conditional hires complete a medical examination and a psychological evaluation before entering the police academy.3 A felony conviction is the only automatic disqualifier; all other offenses are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.3

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a big city like Cleveland, check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. For full application details, visit the CDP Police Recruitment Process page.

Cleveland Police Academy

All new CDP hires attend the Cleveland Police Training Academy, which runs approximately seven and a half months. Recruits train Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and earn an hourly wage during the academy before moving onto the Patrol Officer pay scale upon being sworn in.3 Candidates who already hold Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) certification are still required to complete CDP’s academy, though a separate abbreviated academy is used when the Division conducts lateral hiring.3 Following graduation and swearing-in, new officers complete field training before beginning their probationary period.

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Pay during the academy is set at an hourly training wage, which is 83% of the Patrol Officer IV rate under the 2025–2028 CPPA patrol officer contract; the 2026 academy rate is $26.52 per hour.4 Upon being sworn in, officers attain the rank of Patrol Officer IV and progress through the ranks at roughly one-year intervals, reaching the top step after five years of service. Recruits who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, or who have served at least 180 consecutive days on active duty in the US armed forces with an honorable discharge, enter at Patrol Officer III. The annual base salary at each step, effective April 1, 2026, is shown below.4

Service TimeAnnual Base SalaryMonthly Base
Patrol Officer IV (Year 1, Sworn)$66,466.75$5,538.90
Patrol Officer III (Year 2)$70,535.97$5,878.00
Patrol Officer II (Year 3)$72,995.96$6,082.99
Patrol Officer I (Under 5 Years)$79,747.27$6,645.61
Patrol Officer I (Over 5 Years, Top Step)$89,526.39$7,460.53

*Pay schedule effective April 1, 2026 under the 2025–2028 CPPA patrol officer contract. Contractual raises of 3% are scheduled to take effect April 1, 2027.

Additional compensation and incentives include a sign-on bonus of up to $5,000, paid in three installments tied to starting the academy, being sworn in, and completing field training. Longevity pay begins at $300 per year after five years of service and scales to $800 per year after 25 years. CDP also offers shift differentials, overtime and holiday premium pay, and marksmanship compensatory time, as well as an annual uniform clothing allowance and maintenance allowance.4 Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance are provided to all members, and officers participate in the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund, with member contributions picked up by the city.4 Tuition reimbursement is also available.5

In Ohio, employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 2% from 2022 to 2032, with approximately 1,920 new positions added each year on average, according to Projections Central.6 The number of officers hired by CDP in any given year is also affected by retirements and the city’s public safety budget.

Find open Cleveland police officer listings on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at CDP

All Cleveland officers begin their careers in basic patrol, assigned to one of the Division’s five police districts. After gaining experience, officers may apply for specialty assignments, which are filled through a bid and seniority process under the CPPA contract. Specialty units include the Detective Bureau, Vice, Narcotics, Homicide, Sex Crimes, Domestic Violence, the Traffic Unit, Community Services, the Downtown Services Unit, and the SWAT team, among others. The contract allocates a portion of vacancies in each unit to seniority-based selection and the remainder to command selection.4

Promotion to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and commander is made through competitive civil service examinations, with advancement through the supervisory ranks generally requiring prior service at the next-lower rank. Deputy chiefs and the Chief of Police are appointed by the mayor and Director of Public Safety from within the command staff. Supervisors above patrol officer are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Cleveland Lodge #8 rather than the CPPA.

Cities and Police Departments Near Cleveland

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 5,200 police and sheriff’s patrol officers work in the Cleveland, OH metropolitan area, with a mean annual wage of $77,280 as of May 2024.7 Law enforcement professionals in the region can also explore opportunities with the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Euclid Police Department, the Lakewood Police Department, and the Parma Police Department. For more information about police departments across the state, see our Ohio page.

Additional Resources

Cleveland Division of Police Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Cleveland city, Ohio: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/clevelandcityohio/PST045224
2. Cleveland Division of Police, 2024 Annual Recruitment Report: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/sites/clevelandohio/files/Public%20Safety/Police/CDP%202024%20Recruitment%20Report%20CDP%20Final%2010-2-2025%20Website.pdf
3. City of Cleveland, Police Recruitment Process: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/city-hall/departments/public-safety/police-recruitment-process
4. Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, Effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/sites/clevelandohio/files/hr/cba/2025-2028%20CPPA%20Patrol%20Officers%20CBA.pdf
5. City of Cleveland, Public Safety Careers: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/city-hall/departments/public-safety/public-safety-careers
6. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, Ohio, 2022–2032: https://projectionscentral.org/longterm
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2024/may/oes_17460.htm