Patrol Support Technician

Patrol Support Technician

This position exercises a high degree of discretion, trust and confidence, responsible for performing a variety of moderately complex duties to provide support to Patrol and the Records Unit, as well as to provide customer service to citizens in person and on the phone. This position is responsible for receiving, reviewing and responding appropriately to citizen complaints of criminal activity, as well as other non-emergent incidents to document the information in an official police report in a clear and concise manner. This position requires considerable, and timely, data entry into the department's records management system.

The Patrol Support Technician (PST) acts as the first point of contact for the general public regarding criminal related activities, as well as police and city services. Employees in this role must be able to exercise considerable judgement within established organizational values, policies, and procedures to provide for the safety of citizens, effective service delivery, and quality customer service.

Essential Functions

• Greets and assists visitors to the Public Safety Center.
• Prepares offense, incident reports, and accident reports that are reported by citizens in person or via telephone.
• Answers questions of a general nature from citizens or other agencies and facilitates requests within authority.
• Provides quality customer service for citizens, agents, other law enforcement agencies, or any other entity that requests service from the Police Department.
• Processes reports received via the Lakewood Police Department Internet Reporting System.
• Uses various office equipment to input data into reports and forms; compiles and tabulates data.
• May performs queries on the NCIC/CCIC system.
• Effectively collaborates with Police Dispatch personnel and Police Records Technicians to ensure the accurate and timely exchange of information in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Interacts frequently with victims and witnesses who may be upset, irate, or in a state of crisis.
• Books evidence and found property into the Property & Evidence Section
• Maintains confidentiality with information received in accordance with department guidelines.
• Maintains basic knowledge of state and municipal statutes and traffic laws to determine the nature of a crime for reporting purposes.
• May need to testify in court
• Review applicable documents and manuals to maintain job knowledge.
• Performs other job tasks and duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Consistent and punctual attendance is an essential requirement of this position.

Organizational Relationships

• Supervision Received: Receives general supervision from the Records Supervisors.
• Supervision Given: None

Essential Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Experience: Six months' clerical experience. Law enforcement experience preferred. Computer experience (proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint). Ability to keyboard at 30 wpm is a preferred qualification.

License/Certification/Registration

• Ability to become NCIC/CCIC certified.

Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must be able to interact with others in a positive and professional manner.
• Ability to prioritize duties and complete multiple tasks during heavy workload periods.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills; maintains a courteous and respectful attitude.
• Ability to record and organize information in an accurate manner.
• Excellent telephone etiquette.
• Must be able to work independently yet demonstrate an ability to work in a team environment as necessary to complete the task at hand.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to work varying shifts, including weekends and holidays.
• Ability to exercise common sense and good judgement when making decisions that may have long term consequences (emergency / non-emergency situations).
• Bi-lingual (Spanish-speaking) ability is a desired qualification.
• Ability to respect and work with diverse personalities.
• Ability to show respect for cultural differences.
• Ability to build and maintain teamwork within the work environment.
• Due to the nature of the work, an employee in this position may be considered essential. Essential personnel are determined by the chain of command, the type of emergency and the human resources needed.
• Ability to successfully pass a polygraph and psychological examination, reference checks, background investigation and drug test.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Must successfully complete and maintain required state or departmental physical standards and certifications.

LIGHT WORK: Exerting up to 30 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.

Physical Demands

• Bend or position self to move items from higher place to lower place or vice versa
• Sit, stand or be stationary
• Talk, hear, converse, communicate, or exchange information
• Use of hands and/or fingers in a repetitive motion to handle, pinch, grasp, move, feel, inspect, etc.
• Walk, ascend, descend on both even and uneven terrain
• Vision to include distance, depth perception, peripheral and color

Environmental Conditions May Include

• Office settings
• The work environment may shift rapidly from low intensity to high intensity, depending on the nature and volume of foot traffic and incoming calls.
• Work includes frequent interruptions from telephone and walk-in traffic, a high volume of work, and strict deadlines and time constraints.
• Contact with citizens/customers who are angry, frustrated or upset. The contact may include face-to-face or phone interviews with intoxicated or belligerent citizens.

Equipment/Systems Used

• Multiple Line Telephone with or without headset
• CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch)
• RMS (Records Management System)
• Desk Officer Reporting System
• CCIC/NCIC
• Computer Terminals
• Computer printers
• Photocopier
• Fax
• Intercom
• Microsoft Outlook
• Adobe Acrobat

The City of Lakewood is a drug-free workplace that provides employment opportunities in compliance with all pertinent federal, state, and local laws. All Lakewood employees are expected to work and complete all tasks in a safe manner consistent with training, standard operating procedures, City or Department policies, and common sense. Working in a safe manner includes the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and complying with all City and/or Department safety rules. Horseplay on-the-job is strictly forbidden. The failure to work in a safe manner, use PPE, follow standard operating procedure, or comply with a safety rule will result adverse employment consequences ranging from verbal discipline to termination from employment, including any applicable reduction in benefits under the Colorado Workers' Compensation Act. Employees are also expected to encourage safe work practices by all co-employees, and to report any unsafe work practices immediately to a supervisor.

The City of Lakewood celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of our workforce. Accordingly, the city is committed to creating, nurturing and sustaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our community and employees.

Background and reference checks will be conducted for all regular and some variable/seasonal positions.