Police Services Technician

Police Community Service And Evidence Technician

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job. Under general supervision, the Police Community Service and Evidence Technician are responsible for relieving sworn police officers from various non-hazardous tasks and responding to service calls of a non-felonious and non-violent nature, assisting with crime scene processing and records management, courier duties, and traffic-related duties. The job entails frequent contact with the public and other law enforcement agencies, requiring responses to various procedural questions, seeking information, testifying in court proceedings, and maintaining confidentiality regarding sensitive information. The Police Service and Evidence Technician is also responsible for preparing and maintaining clear, concise, and comprehensive criminal and non-criminal reports and performing code enforcement duties, conducting vehicle abatement and parking enforcement, and/or performing a variety of property and evidence duties, including receiving, securing, safeguarding, preserving, and disposing of property and evidence items in the Police Department. Receives general supervision from the Administrative Sergeant.

Essential Function Statements

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Receives, logs, stores, and maintains property and evidence in accordance with Department procedures; transports evidence for forensic examination; maintains evidence rooms in an organized condition.
• Verifies inventories of evidence and property received and/or confiscated by the Police Department.
• Review evidence and analysis forms for errors and omissions and assist with corrections.
• Determines purge dates for property and evidence; releases or disposes of property and evidence in accordance with applicable laws and court orders; prepares and sends letters to property owners for the claim; releases property to the rightful owner; prepares surplus and unclaimed property for disposal or auction.
• Prepares property and evidence for court trials; releases property to authorized persons; tracks chain of custody of evidence items; testifies in court regarding evidence chain of custody.
• Assists in determining evidence analysis requirements; provides training in proper evidence and packaging procedures.
• Reviews and files photographic evidence.
• Respond to outside agency requests for evidence, status, and chain of custody.
• Prepares a variety of property and evidence reports.
• Assists in other police service support work.
• Establishes and maintains inventory systems.
• Performs related duties as required.
• Take crime reports from the public when there is no suspect information and when officers are not available.
• Patrol assigned routes to enforce parking and related traffic ordinances; mark vehicles in timed parking areas; issue citations; write warnings and amendments to previously issued citations.
• Provide customer assistance at the front counter and on the telephone with duties including but not limited to completing reports as appropriate, collecting fees, and responding to inquiries and requests for information with appropriate information.
• Complete specifically delineated types of reports in the field and office
• Provide general administrative and clerical and receptionist assistance as necessary and directed; distribute internal mail and legal documents; transport reports, documents, and evidence as directed between public agencies; perform miscellaneous errands as necessary and directed.
• Perform Live Scan electronic fingerprinting as scheduled and directed.
• Processing, booking, storing, tracking/cataloging, and transporting property and evidence as directed.
• Assist with the transportation of police vehicles and ensure they have appropriate and necessary equipment as directed.
• Assist with traffic and pedestrian control at special events.
• As appropriate and directed, assist with special enforcement events, such as DUI checkpoints and deployment of radar trailers.
• Forward information regarding unpaid parking violation citations to the appropriate department to be submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles and/or a designated parking violation citation administration contract vendor.
• Participate in training exercises and classes as directed.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required by the Police Chief, Police Commander, and/or Police Sergeant to meet the needs of the Police Department and the community.
• Carry out duties and responsibilities in compliance with appropriate federal, state, county, and City laws and ordinances and City personnel rules without bias, favoritism, or prejudice.
• Responsible for self-compliance with regulations, policies and procedures.
• Accept responsibility and exercise reasonably appropriate discretion in matters not specifically defined or described in the Police Department regulations, policies, procedures, and job description.
• Consistently demonstrate exemplary courtesy, initiative, diligence, truthfulness, attention to duty, and observance of proper personal discipline in accordance with Police Department standards.
• Attends community meetings and presents crime prevention information to public and city council.
• Patrols restricted and/or time-zoned parking areas and issues citations; processes parking-related warrants and letters; issues citations for abandoned vehicle abatement, which includes warning notices, citations, and removal of vehicles from the roadway for City of Arroyo Grande Municipal Code and California Vehicle Code violations; etc.
• Respond to reported crimes to complete reports and address citizen complaints; interview witnesses and/or victims; collect evidence; compile lists of stolen property; photograph and process evidence, etc.
• Impounds and provides for the storage of vehicles.
• Respond to questions and complaints from the public or refer to the supervisor, as necessary.
• Reports traffic accidents and criminal activities or related occurrences to appropriate Police units.
• Assists in controlling traffic at accident scenes or other emergency situations as needed.
• Assists officers and non-sworn staff as needed, including assisting with street closures, checkpoints, and other special events.
• Provides information to tourists and citizens, such as tourist attractions, maps, and directions.
• Assists with crime scene processing and evidence collection, such as photographs, fingerprint processing, and other evidence collection as needed.
• Respond to miscellaneous city ordinance violations, such as barking dogs, dogs off leash, construction noise, etc.
• Pilot and operate Department UAV's as directed
• Performs other duties as assigned and needed.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Basic law enforcement theory, principles, and practices and their application to various services and programs.
• Principles and practices of effective project/program management.
• Principles, practices, and methods used in the enforcement of a variety of codes.
• Pertinent codes, ordinances, laws, and regulations pertaining to zoning, nuisance abatement, health and safety, and related areas.
• Procedures involved in the enforcement of codes and regulations, including methods and techniques of conducting and documenting field investigations.
• Methods, procedures, principles, practices, and terminology used in property and evidence handling, recording, preservation, storage, and release.
• Court procedures regarding the handling and storage of evidence.
• Legal guidelines pertaining to the maintenance and control of evidence.
• Firearms and firearms safety.
• Safety precautions related to assigned duties and responsibilities.
• Effective public contact methods.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment, including computers and applicable software applications.
• Prepare business reports and communicate effectively, including using appropriate English grammar, spelling, and basic arithmetic.
• Telephone techniques.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety procedures.
• Effective public contact methods.

Ability to:

• Perform a variety of law enforcement work that is reasonably likely to be non-hazardous in nature.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare clear and concise reports.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Comprehend and follow oral and written instructions.
• Work independently in the absence of direct and immediate supervision, handling a variety of tasks simultaneously and incorporating effective time management skills.
• Interact effectively and courteously with the public.
• Work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Operate a motor vehicle in a reasonably safe manner.
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading, writing, and operating assigned equipment.
• Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities.