FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The City of Meridian is 35 square miles and has a population of about 142,000 people.

The Meridian Police Department employs 149 sworn Police Officers and 40 non-sworn Civilians, for a total of 189 employees.

The Meridian Police Department does not offer a relocation package or provide any financial reimbursement for moving expenses.

While the Meridian Police Department does not require their employees to live within a certain distance of the Police Station, we do encourage employees to live in the City of Meridian. Please keep in mind, employees who choose to live outside of the city limits are not eligible for travel expenses or mileage reimbursement from the city or department.

Patrol and Community Service Officer uniformed males staff members shall wear their hair neatly trimmed, clean and well groomed at all times on duty. The hair shall be at least moderately tapered, shall not extend below the top of the shirt collar nor any portion of the ear. Patrol and Community Service Officer uniformed female staff members shall wear their hair in a short daytime style or worn fastened up off the necks and ears in a single bun, ponytail or braid. Pigtails, corn-rows, dreadlocks and dual cinnamon bun hairstyles are not permitted. Female Detectives and non-sworn staff members may wear their hair down onto their necks and shoulders or fastened up as outlined above. In either case, a professional business style is required. All staff members’ hair color shall be required to have naturally-occurring colors to the human species and be no more than two colors. While male staff members may have short and neatly trimmed mustaches, they must be cleanly shaven when reporting for duty in a uniform. Patrol officers are not permitted to have beards. While on-duty female officers may wear up to five earrings in each ear, whereas male officers cannot wear earrings of any type while in uniforms. Both males and females are not permitted to wear any type of facial jewelry in uniform (i.e. nose rings, tongue studs, eyebrow rings, lip rings, ear gages or stud, etc.). Non-sworn staff members may wear jewelry appropriate to the business community and their position, as authorized by their direct supervisor.

At no time while on duty or while representing the Meridian Police Department in any official capacity shall any employee wear a visible tattoo or body art, whether temporary or permanent, whether existing or proposed (collectively, "tattoo") without prior authorization from the Chief of Police. Any employee desiring to wear a visible tattoo shall be off of their introductory period and they shall submit a Request for Visible Tattoo Review Form to the Tattoo Review Committee. The Committee will evaluate the request and provide a recommendation to the Chief of Police, who will then make the final decision.

While the Meridian Police Department encourages its members to be tobacco-free, it does not require it. However, smoking on the Meridian Police Department campus and in all department vehicles is prohibited. While in direct contact with the public, members of this department shall not smoke or use any tobacco products uninvited in any residence or other location, under conditions that may be detrimental to good conduct, appearance, or procedure.

While the Meridian Police Department does not have a union, we do have the Meridian Police and Employee Association (MPEA). The MPEA is a non-profit organization focused on outreach in and around our community and supporting 1st responders statewide. Meridian Police Department employees are also eligible to join the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Please visit the FOP Lodge 11 - Treasure Valley site (https://foptv11.net/)for more information.

The Meridian Police Department participates in the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). As part of PERSI, employees may participate in an optional 401K plan (with a 2% city match) and a Deferred Compensation State 457 Plan. For more information on the retirement system, please visit the Police Officer’s Salary & Benefits page (javascript:void(0))or the Police Services Salary & Benefits (javascript:void(0))page.

The Meridian Police Department does not currently offer healthcare benefits to its retirees.

Applicants may apply while attending school but should keep in mind that most positions are full-time and require employees to work 40 hours a week. If you are interested in applying for a Police Officer position, it is recommended you reach out to the Recruiting Team (https://www.joinmeridianpd.org/recruiting-team)to inquire about academy dates for the current year. Based on your expected graduation date, the recruiting team can make a recommendation as to when you should apply.