Officers with the Tucson Police Department receive some great benefits.

Offered through the City, they have access to a variety of health and dental plans, as well as life insurance, disability, pension and other programs. Better yet, officers are covered once they start, there is no probationary period.

During the week, an officer works a minimum of four 10-hour work days. Many have found this compressed work schedule allows for more opportunities to relax and tend to personal matters.

Vacation and Sick Days

Each officer with up to 10 years on the force will receive 13 paid vacation days each year, or, four hours per pay period. Officers who have served between 10 and 15 years on the job will have 15 days of vacation each year and those with more than 15 years of service get 20 days of vacation annually. A maximum of 36 days of vacation can be held at any one time.

Sick days are accrued the same way as vacation days – four hours per pay period – which totals out to 13 days a year. Sick days can also be accumulated with no maximum.

Health Insurance

One HMO option
One PPO option
Employee coverage paid by City of Tucson up to a capped amount
Dependent coverage available (Premium cost shared by City and employee)

Dental Insurance

One pre-paid plan
One PPO plan
Dependent coverage available (Premium cost shared by City and employee)
Employee coverage paid by City of Tucson

Spouses and dependents enrolled in the officer’s medical insurance plan have coverage of $5,000 each, with a 25 percent premium paid by the employee. Dependent coverage includes same-sex, domestic partner.

Life Insurance

There’s always a risk serving as a police officer and in the event that a tragedy occurs, there are numerous ways a family can be assisted financially.

Life insurance is paid by the City and equals the officer’s annual salary up to a maximum of $50,000. Supplemental insurance is also available in three tiers. Each tier is worth twice the officer’s maximum annual salary up to a maximum of $100,000 per tier.

Long and Short-Term Disability

Like life insurance, disability benefits provide an officer with financial backing in the event of an accident or illness. Short-term disability covers accidents that occur away from work, as well as sickness for up to 52 weeks. It pays 75 percent of an officer’s salary up to $600 per week.

Long-term disability provides coverage of up to 50 percent of an officer’s salary, with a maximum of $2,000 each month. Buy-up coverage is also available, paying out 60 percent of an officer’s salary up to $4,000 per month until age 65.

In the event an officer is injured and taken off work by a doctor, they will receive worker’s compensation. If injured at the academy, the city doctor must confirm the injury before the officer is eligible to get compensation. Once confirmed officers will receive a full paycheck for the first 14 calendar days they are off work and thereafter a check from the city for 1/3 of their pay and the other 2/3 by worker’s compensation.

Graduates of the academy will receive 100 percent of their base pay if a doctor takes them off work.

Holidays

Like all City employees, police officers receive 10 paid holidays each year. But because of the nature of the job, they may have to work a few holidays each year. Officers working a holiday shift will be paid extra for their time. The 10 paid holidays each year include:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Birthday