Transport Police officer – safety on public transport.
Over 200 trained police officers ensure safety and order in public transport areas throughout Switzerland, such as in train stations or on board services.
Police officers also ensure safety at major events with which SBB is involved as well as during operational failures. They are in direct contact with customers on their daily rounds and interventions.
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For us, ensuring safety and order at stations and on trains is our top priority – and no two days are the same!
YannickRuppen
Security dog handler/transport police officer, and Finn, German shepherd, love training with balls.
No two days are the same – your work as a police officer in the SBB Transport Police is challenging but varied. It requires mental stability, physical robustness, flexibility and an ability to learn quickly. Thanks to a flexible intervention plan, our two-person patrols reach the site of an incident quickly and work closely with the train crew and other police bodies. You also work in specialised departments, such as the ‘Video and Graffiti’ special unit or the ‘Genesis’ task force. You earn the trust and respect of customers by conducting yourself in a respectful and responsible way.
A focus on helping people rather than bureaucracy.
As the SBB Transport Police, instead of focusing on administrative tasks, our work is centred on community policing, wherever we are needed. Therefore, as a police officer in the SBB Transport Police, you spend a lot of time on the front line in the exciting environment of the public transport system. An interesting and varied range of tasks and responsibilities, extending well beyond cantonal borders, awaits you.
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Strong mindset.
There are some situations that police officers simply cannot prepare for, including accidents, deaths, emergency responses and criminal offences. This means that professional support, a strong individual mindset and a healthy social environment are even more important. What’s more, it is crucial that police officers have a high level of trust in one another, as deployment during the night or in extreme situations demands unwavering confidence in your colleagues. The day-to-day work also includes enriching interactions with passengers.
“Practice makes perfect.”
Our police officers are trained according to Swiss standards. They are always prepared for new challenges and equipped with the latest gear. To ensure their own safety and the safety of others at all times, all police officers attend regular development sessions. These include annual shooting duties, self-defence courses and training sessions on tactical thinking. You regularly train for serious incidents through ongoing exercises; this enables you to be as prepared as possible for a wide range of different assignments.
Information brochure for trained police officers.
Our information brochure offers you a comprehensive insight into the tasks of the SBB Transport Police, its departments, and the application process.
Recorded information session on training as a police officer with the SBB Transport Police.
Dive into the fascinating world of the police profession! Our career information session offers you the opportunity to learn more about the training and career opportunities as a police officer.
Teamwork is the key to success with us. You are a team player and you enjoy working as part of a team.
You enjoy interacting with people and taking on dynamic challenges.
Very good spoken and written expression in German is one of your strengths. Knowledge of a second national language is an advantage.
Mental and physical stability and resilience
Category B driving licence
Unblemished reputation and sound personal finances
The further training programme for police officers generally has one start date per year, lasts for 24 months and takes place at a recognised police academy in one of the three regions Hitzkirch, Amriswil or Savatan.
Requirements.
If you are interested in joining our training for police officers, you must meet the following criteria:
At least 21 years of age
Swiss citizen
Successfully completed vocational training or equivalent qualification
Hold a category B driving licence (by the start of recruitment)
Unblemished reputation and sound personal finances
Be physically and mentally strong and resilient
Foreign language or IT skills would be an advantage
Training at the Hitzkirch Intercantonal Police Academy (Interkantonale Polizeischule Hitzkirch) or at the Police Academy of Eastern Switzerland (Polizeischule Ostschweiz) in Amriswil starts once a year on 1 October. Applications are accepted between October and December of the previous year.
Your journey to becoming a police officer starts with the suitability test at the Hitzkirch Intercantonal Police Academy regardless of which police academy you complete your training at.
On our ‘Vacancies’ website, you can find our job advert ‘Ausbildung als Polizist:in’ (Training as a police officer). After successfully passing the preliminary police suitability test, apply for this role, providing the following mandatory documents:
Curriculum vitae
Standardised application form, filled in and signed
Certificate confirming attendance at the preliminary police suitability test at Hitzkirch Intercantonal Police Academy
Certificate of qualification including transcript of marks, certificates, further training
References and evidence of employment
Driving licence, passport or ID (front and back)
Debt enforcement register extract (no older than three months)
Criminal records excerpt (no older than three months)
On our ‘Vacancies’ website, you can find our job advert ‘Aspirant·e Policier - Policière auprès de la Police des transports CFF (Training as a police officer). After successfully passing the preliminary police suitability test, apply for this role, providing the following mandatory documents:
Cover letter
Curriculum vitae
Completed and signed application form for ‘Recruitment of police officers in French-speaking Switzerland’. The form can be found at: https://policesromandesrecrutement.ch/Link opens in new window. - Use the Google Chrome or Firefox browsers to complete the form.
Certificate of qualification including transcript of marks, certificates, further training
References and evidence of employment
Copy of driving licence, passport or ID (front and back)
Debt enforcement register extract (no older than three months)
Criminal records excerpt (no older than three months)
Extract from Swiss offences and sanctions register (ADMAS) (no older than three months)
Candidates who have achieved the minimum requirements in the basic tests will then be subjected to an additional French testLink opens in new window. (writing and text synthesis). All these tests (French, physical aptitudeLink opens in new window., psychometric tests, writing, and text synthesis) take place at the Vaud cantonal police center in La Blécherette.
The rest of the selection process includes:
Medical examination
Motivational interview
Internship
Final interview
Trained police officers.
Online application for a vacancy
Video interview with Human Resources
Interview with manager at the base location
Accompanying an SBB Transport Police patrol and undergoing a medical fitness assessment
Employment
Anyone interested in training as a police officer with the SBB transport police:
Online application for a vacant training position
Virtual meeting with Human Resources
Interview at the base location with management and Human Resources
Interview at the base location with management and psychologist
Accompanying an SBB Transport Police patrol and undergoing a medical fitness assessment
Employment
If you meet all of these requirements, you begin your two-year basic training as a police officer at one of the regional police academies. After a year, you will take an interim test to prove your suitability for deployment (e.g. tactics, self-defence etc.). In the second year, you gain experience in different departments of the SBB Transport Police, preparing you for all tactical and technical aspects of your assignments. You will complete your training by passing the professional examination and obtaining the Federal Diploma in Policing. You are then sworn in and officially accepted into the SBB Transport Police.
Benefits.
Salary during and after training.
Your gross monthly salary including the thirteen month’s pay depends on age, experience and location. The graphics show the salary scales (excluding extra pay).
Salary during training.
Starting salary immediately after completing training.
Supplements to the basic salary.
Up to CHF 500-800 for night work and Sunday work, depending on the shift plan (hourly supplement for night work: CHF 6 / hourly Sunday rate: CHF 16). There is no extra pay during the first year of training.
Flat-rate subsistence allowance for food and drink after training when away from home: CHF 19 per day from the second year of training.
Child benefit CHF 320 (CHF 205 for each additional child) and further SBB benefits
Individual salaries are fixed as part of the employment contract in line with our remuneration system which forms part of the collective agreement.
Social security contributions.
Compared with similar roles, social security contributions are above average. And police officers enjoy a high standard of living thanks to the provisions of the collective agreement.
Special offers for SBB employees.
Our employees enjoy attractive discounts from companies throughout Switzerland. This includes everything from insurance and fashion through to language courses and discounts on cars.
GA Travelcard and benefits.
Would you like to enjoy unlimited travel by train throughout Switzerland all year long? No problem. When you sign a contract with us of at least a year and are employed at a working percentage of at least 50%, we give you a 2nd class GA Travelcard. You and your family also benefit from various travel discounts in Switzerland and abroad. With staff travel discounts (FVP), the GA Travelcard for our employees, you also benefit from various discounts in station shops and on the train.
In addition to the GA Travelcard, you also enjoy attractive discounts with companies across Switzerland. This includes everything from insurance and fashion to language courses and discounts on cars.
As a member of the SBB Transport Police, you benefit from attractive working conditions that allow you to achieve the best possible work-life balance.
Flexible duty rosters mean no last-minute changes of plan.
You receive your duty roster as early as the 18th day of the previous month, so you can plan your leisure time well in advance.
Guaranteed rest periods and no double workload.
Only one shift is scheduled per day. This means that you will never have to work an early shift and then a night shift on the same day. We also strictly adhere to the statutory rest period of 12 hours between shifts, which ensures an optimal work-life balance. Changes at short notice are only possible with your consent and after a minimum rest period of 9 hours.
Easily plannable night shifts.
Night shifts until 6am are usually only necessary on Fridays and Saturdays. From Monday to Thursday, the shifts end no later than 1 or 2am
Individual time off requests and an approval rate of 95%.
When planning shifts, we attach great importance to taking your wishes into account and allowing you to organise your free time in a way that suits best. You can therefore request up to five days off work per month. One request may also be for a weekend. In 95% of cases, your time off requests can be granted.
No place of residency requirement.
With us, you can be flexible in choosing your place of residence without being tied to a specific location due to a prescribed response time.
Age-appropriate working models.
From the age of 58, you can request to be exempted from night shifts that last until after 2am.
Part-time police work.
You are free to choose a workload between 60 and 100% to suit your personal situation.
With us, you can achieve big things and quickly take on responsibility. Your qualifications and your commitment are key to our success, which is why offering a broad range of individual, specialist training and attractive employment conditions is so important to us. External courses, further training with other police bodies and several days of internal training per year help us to meet the ever-growing demands of our day-to-day police work.
We also contribute financially or allow you time for external courses of benefit to both our employees and SBB. You can also gain insight into another area of the SBB Transport Police by following an internship of several months.
Being able to count on a robust team and great colleagues, even on challenging assignments, will instil in you a strong sense of trust. In your free time as a police officer, you also enjoy various occasions and events with your colleagues.
