One of the best things about a career in policing, is you can have dozens of “career changes” without ever having to leave the Department.  As the largest Law Enforcement agency in Washington State, the unique demands of an urban environment, natural surroundings and dense population supports a wide variety of specialty units.   From cruising Lake Union in a high-speed patrol boat, patroling Discovery Park on horseback or collecting forensic evidence as a CSI Detective – if you have a special interest or skill, we most likely have a corresponding specialty unit at SPD. 

Learn from the best in the field
In addition to the amount of specialty unit options, at SPD you will be working and learning from the best of the best.   Specialty units such as SWAT, Training, and Cold Case have a strong reputation regionally and nationally.  And many of our units, such as bike patrol, domestic violence and our Sex Offender Detail were pioneers in the field of policing.   In addition to specialty units, Officers can also be assigned to special taskforces to address specific issues such as Human Trafficking and Auto Theft.  Officers can also be assigned to special project teams, often in the areas of information technology and new equipment.  

Specialty Unit Options at SPD:

Some of the specialty unit options at SPD include but are not limited to the following: