A lateral police officer is an experienced, already-certified officer who transfers from one law enforcement agency to another, rather than being hired and trained as a brand‑new recruit. They bring prior patrol or investigative experience and usually go through a shortened, local‑focused training before working independently in the new department.

What Is a Lateral Police Officer?

In plain terms, a lateral hire is a police officer who already works as a full‑time sworn officer somewhere else and moves “sideways” into a new department at roughly the same rank, instead of starting over from scratch. Many departments define a lateral officer as someone with a minimum amount of recent service (often around two or more years) and completion of an accredited police academy.

Key points:

  • Already a fully sworn, certified police officer in another agency.
  • Has a required minimum of recent experience (commonly 2+ years).
  • Transfers to a new department at a similar level, not as a raw recruit.

What Lateral Officers Do

Day to day, a lateral police officer performs the same core duties as other patrol officers in the new agency:

  • Enforce laws and local ordinances, respond to calls, handle emergencies, and conduct traffic stops.
  • Investigate crimes, interview victims and witnesses, collect and document evidence, and write detailed reports.
  • Work with supervisors and specialized units, testify in court, and engage in community‑oriented policing.

Because they are already experienced, they often:

  • Complete an abbreviated academy or orientation focused on local laws, policies, and procedures.
  • Go through a field training program tailored more to “how we do it here” than basic skills.

Why Departments Use Lateral Officers

Agencies recruit lateral officers because they:

  • Bring proven on‑the‑job experience and can often work independently faster than brand‑new recruits.
  • Help fill staffing gaps more quickly, as they need less basic training time.
  • Add diverse perspectives from other jurisdictions, which can improve problem solving and community engagement.

In recent years, especially post‑2020, lateral hiring has been a major trend as departments compete for experienced officers and offer incentives or higher pay scales for laterals.

Example Scenario

Imagine Officer Smith has worked five years in a mid‑sized city police department. She has patrol experience, has completed a state‑certified academy, and holds the required certification. She applies to another city that’s offering a “Police Officer – Lateral” position, passes their background, physical, and psychological evaluations, and is hired directly as a lateral. She then completes a shorter local training phase and field training, and quickly moves into full patrol duties without repeating a full academy.

TL;DR: A lateral police officer is an experienced, fully certified officer who transfers from one agency to another at a similar rank, bringing prior law enforcement experience and usually going through only shortened, locally focused training in the new department.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.