Staffing and Employee Demographics
Thanks to the citizens of Livonia, the Livonia Police Department is a self-sufficient police agency that maintains the capability to respond to and investigate nearly any crime that occurs in the City of Livonia.
The Police Department has a budgeted staff of 189 sworn and civilian members.
The Police Department is organized by divisions: the Uniform Division, the Investigative Division and Support Services/Administrative Division. Each division has a Division Commander.
The Uniform Division is divided into two twelve-hour patrol shifts and Patrol Operations, which oversees the Traffic and Community Services Bureaus. Each of the shifts and Patrol Operations are commanded by Lieutenants.
The Investigative Division is responsible for all criminal investigations, including prisoner interviews, warrant applications, crime scene processing, and more.
The Support Services/Administrative Division is responsible for budgeting, information technology, records management, property & licensing, and more.
In 2020, the Office of Professional Standards was created. The office is commanded by an Administrative Lieutenant, who reports directly to the Chief of Police. The Office of Professional Standards is responsible for policy development, community outreach, accreditation, training, hiring, and more.
The Livonia Police Department continues to proactively recruit to achieve full staffing levels. Of the 190 budgeted positions, 167 are filled. The bulk of the open positions are for the rank of police officer.
15 members of the Livonia Police Department are non-white, 43 are female, and the remaining members are identified as white males.
Police Officers, PSAs, and Dispatchers Hiring Statistics
From January 2021 thru January 2024, 269 individual applicants have been interviewed for police
officer and police service aide positions.
Of those vetted, the Livonia Police Department has hired 32 Police Service Aides and 41 Police Officers.
In the same period of time, we have had 42 Police Officers and 9 Police Service Aides separated from the
organization. Separation of service can occur from failure of probation, retire from service, termination
or resignation.
Hiring Process
Hiring employees for the City of Livonia falls under the Civil Service Department. Some public entities utilize a human resources division for recruiting and hiring while others utilize the civil service model. The charter of the City of Livonia dictates a Civil Service process.
The director of civil service reports to the Civil Service Commission. The commissioners are appointed by the Mayor. The civil service commission approves the examination process and eligibility lists for new hires and promotions within the City of Livonia.
The Police Service Aide position is a non-sworn support position within the Livonia Police Department. This position could be utilized as a career path to become a Livonia Police Officer or the individual may remain a Police Service Aide until a point of retirement.
The position of a Livonia Police Officer is a sworn position, meaning the individual is required to take an oath of office upon becoming a Livonia Police Officer.
For each of these positions, candidates must pass a written examination, successfully complete an interview before a panel, submit to an intensive pre-background interview, successfully complete a background investigation, pass a psychological examination and then pass a drug screening and physical examination.
The background investigation requires the candidate to submit tax returns, educational documents, selective service requirements, neighbor interviews, home visits by the investigator, family interviews, reference interviews, police contact disclosures and credit examinations.
The psychological examination is conducted by a licensed psychologist who is a board certified specialist in police and public safety psychology. This examination requires a written test along with interviews with the psychologist. The psychologist submits the report of examination to Civil Service for determination.
Recruiting Process
Recruiting for open positions within the Livonia Police Department is handled by both Civil Service and members of the Livonia Police Department.
Open positions are listed on the City’s Civil Service web page.
In addition to the City web pages, open position announcements are made via: the Detroit News, National Minority Report, Governmentjobs.com, Indeed, Careerbuilder.com, Handshake, Hotjobs.vet, Veteranjoblisitngs.org and MCOLES (Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards).
Recruiting also occurs at each of the police academy’s in lower Michigan, and many colleges including; Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Ferris State University, Madonna University, Schoolcraft College, Henry Ford Community College, Wayne County Community College, many regional high schools and many job fairs.
Recruiting for law enforcement positions has been extraordinarily difficult not only here, but nationally. It is even more difficult to recruit minority groups into the profession. As of January 1, 2022, the Livonia Police Department has 24 open positions.
