THE HISTORY & LEGACY OF THE
RALEIGH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Setting and Adhering to the Highest Standards of Police Service
Employment
The Raleigh Police Department is a 21st century progressive police department with the goal of making Raleigh one of the safest cities in America. We recruit year-round, seeking individuals who are at least 21 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, are US or naturalized citizens, and of good moral character.
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College and military experience are a plus. Our Lateral Entry Program allows law enforcement professionals from other jurisdictions to get credit for their experience when they join the Raleigh Police Department. In addition to a competitive starting salary, we offer a generous benefits package, tuition reimbursement, state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and continued training.
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41st LARGEST
Department in U.S.
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Population of Raleigh
500,000+ PEOPLE
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3rd LARGEST
Law Enforcement Agency in N.C.
Based on the city’s population size of nearly half a million people, the Raleigh Police Department is the 41st largest department in the United States, the second largest municipal agency in North Carolina, and the third largest law enforcement agency in the state. The Capital City is made up of a diverse community. In an ongoing effort to build trust and legitimacy as a law enforcement agency, the Raleigh Police Department continuously strives to develop a workforce that reflects the community it serves. Diversity and inclusion are top of mind in hiring, promotions, performance measures, planning, strategy, training, and all data-driven initiatives.
As of 2020, the Raleigh Police Department has 796 sworn positions and 105 civilian positions.
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Personnel
Serving Raleigh Residents
The Raleigh Police Department takes pride in upholding the directives that reflect its values of integrity, fairness, compassion, and transparency. The department is also proud to provide a wide variety of services to Raleigh residents. In 2019, there were 375,540 interactions between officers and residents in which services were provided.
