Police Officer

Work involves performing a variety of duties in the area of law enforcement and crime prevention, including patrol, traffic enforcement, criminal investigations, administration, and support services, under general supervision. (Note: The duties and responsibilities enumerated in this job description are for the purpose of determining a common set of minimum qualifications and salary level for all positions in this class. They are not intended to include all the job duties of all positions in the job classification. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily, with or without, reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.) Operates a motor vehicle at all hours and in all types of weather while simultaneously conducting surveillance, serving people, places, and things, and using a police radio to communicate. Operates motorcycle, patrol car, van or other types of police vehicles as required; Directs traffic and enforces traffic laws; Escorts funerals, parades, and other public processions, maintains order in crowds and attends parades, funerals or other public gatherings and quells rioters or other unruly disturbances; issues citations when appropriate. Conducts overt and covert observation and monitoring of people and places, day, and night and in all types of weather, while patrolling on foot or in a vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance to observe details, watch for stolen vehicles and missing persons, investigate suspicious conditions, and takes proper measures to react and respond to audio and visual information. Patrols and responds to a variety of criminal activities requiring law enforcement, such as, homicides, sexual assaults, robberies, property crimes, domestic violence, vice and narcotics crimes, and crimes by and against juveniles; evaluates situations and determines the most appropriate course of action. Responds to calls for service in all types of weather and environments under unpredictable conditions. Responds to the scene of fires, traffic accidents, or hazards gives all possible assistance including rescue functions, first aid, directs traffic, collaborates with the community, conducts interviews, prepares necessary reports. Performs investigations and undercover or plainclothes investigative and serves on multi-jurisdictional task forces when required. Conducts arrests of persons who violate laws and ordinances, transports arrestees, develops all necessary reports, and appears and testifies in court. Pursuing and subduing prisoners; controlling uncooperative individuals both orally and, when necessary through physical restraint; physical confrontations using the minimum force necessary to affect arrest. Responds to the scene of land or water accidents; performs proper and necessary rescue functions; administers first aid; directs traffic; and performs other activities, during day and night hours and in all types of weather and environments under unpredictable conditions. Work requires overtime, shift work, and standby when necessary. Serves as crime scene processor, collecting and evaluating evidence, submitting evidence to the property section, taking, and processing photographs, lifting latent prints, DNA etc. Hear and recognize sounds and voices associated with emergencies and take proper measures to react and respond to audio information. Responds to calls for service from citizens, meets and interviews citizens in their homes, places of business, on the street, or wherever required. Performs administrative duties, including preparing and presenting court testimony, maintaining case files, classifying incident reports, answering phones, dispatching patrol vehicles, preparing and completing forms, narrative reports, and correspondence as well as other clerical and administrative duties. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge and understanding of law enforcement work, federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Knowledge of the City boundaries, jurisdiction, geography, and streets. Knowledge of common safety rules, regulations, procedures, and practices, including effective restraint techniques, basic first aid, and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) procedures. Skilled in observation and memory. Ability, after training, to operate motor vehicles and police issued equipment; and ability to learn and apply police/law enforcement principles, practices, methods, techniques, and equipment in daily work situations. Ability to operate small office equipment and computer data for entry, word processing and/or recordkeeping purposes. Ability to operate highly technical computer applications, such as GIS or Computer Aided Dispatch. Ability to operate small/light and medium equipment and machinery. Ability to evaluate and respond to situations in a professional and tactful manner, appropriately diffuse difficult situations, and offer proper solutions. Ability to understand, interpret and follow rules, regulations, and complex written and/or oral instructions or orders. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, coworkers, and the public. Ability to evaluate and respond to situations in a professional manner, appropriately diffuse difficult situations, and offer proper solutions. Minimum Qualifications: High School Diploma or an acceptable equivalency diploma (GED). Position requires a high school diploma; successful completion of recruit training, and a probationary period. Position also requires applicants to be 21 years of age, have a valid non-commercial Class C motor vehicle operator’s license. No experience required. This position is designated as Safety Sensitive due to the tasks or duties that the employer reasonably believes could affect the safety and health of the employee performing the task, other individuals, and or may lead to damage to property. This position is subject to drug and alcohol testing to include pre-employment testing. Special Qualifications: Candidate must undergo a written exam, physical agility test, thorough background investigation, and a polygraph examination. After a conditional offer of employment, each applicant must undergo a psychological evaluation and pass a comprehensive medical examination as a condition of appointment. Once hired, employees are subject to Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) and alcohol testing. Officer will obtain or possess the following: Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission Certification, Firearms Certification, Taser Certification, First Responder Certified (First Aid/CPR) and NCIC Training. Physical/Mental Demands: Tasks require the ability to exert moderate, though not constant physical effort; occasionally lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling moderately heavy objects and materials (20-50 pounds); may occasionally lift heavier objects and materials (up to 100 pounds). Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: Balancing ability: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium. Climbing ability: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. Crawling ability: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet. Crouching ability: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. Feeling ability: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips. Dexterity ability: sufficient to pick, pinch, grasp, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers and palm rather than with the whole hand as in handling. Handling ability: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand. Hearing ability: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound. Kneeling ability: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. Lifting ability: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes. Pulling ability: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion. Pushing ability: sufficient to use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward. Reaching ability: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers. Speaking ability: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely. Standing ability: Particularly for sustained periods of time. Stooping ability: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles. Visual ability: sufficient to operate a police vehicle both day and night, to observe criminal actions taking place, to observe traffic violations taking place, to read and write reports, correspondence, etc. Walking ability: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another. Work Environment: Work may be performed in a non-office environment and is sometimes exposed to unpleasant, dangerous, and hazardous conditions. It requires more than normal exertion of physical effort and/or manual dexterity along with prolonged sitting, standing, walking and driving. Employees are exposed to considerable risks requiring specialized safety equipment and extreme care in observing safety precautions in performing work assignments. Duties may include shift work, outdoor work, and exposure to dangerous and life-threatening conditions. Employees are considered essential personnel and will be required to work a variety of schedules in a 24-hour, 7-day week, which includes, nights, weekends, holidays, and during and following natural disasters and emergency situations. #J-18808-Ljbffr