Police Officer

Job Title

Police Officer

Job Description

Performs intermediate protective service work involving a variety of general or support duty police assignments; does related work as required. Work is performed under the regular supervision of a Police Sergeant. Much of the work is performed under emergency conditions and frequently involves considerable personal hazard.

Essential Functions

• Enforces all city and state codes, ordinances, laws and regulations, in order to protect life and property, prevent crime, and promote security.
• On an assigned shift, operates a patrol vehicle or walks to observe for violations of traffic laws, suspicious activities or persons, and disturbances of law and order; responds to radio dispatches, answers calls and complaints.
• Issues citations for traffic violations, provides police escorts, directs traffic, and investigates traffic crashes.
• Performs security checks of residential, commercial, and public properties, reports unsafe conditions existing in streets or other public facilities.
• Obtains and serves warrants and makes arrests, maintains warrant and arrest records, performs prisoner security functions, assists in the preparation of trial cases, testifies in court as necessary.
• Conducts or assists with criminal investigations or surveillance; interviews complainants, victims and witnesses; performs property and evidence duties; interrogates suspects, takes photographs and fingerprints, and performs other crime scene related tasks.
• Establishes and maintains contact with reliable and confidential sources of information; conducts background investigations; maintains liaison with intelligence divisions of other agencies and works jointly on mutual problems; gathers intelligence on suspects.
• Maintains detailed and accurate logs of evidence; completes requests for laboratory analysis of evidence; maintains chain of custody.
• Initiates involuntary examinations for mental illness and provides transportation to appropriate receiving facility; conducts death notifications.
• Prepares and maintains detailed reports, records and files.
• Participates in a variety of in-service training programs.
• May be assigned to special duties or other temporary assignments; assists other agencies under mutual aid agreements.
• Performs related tasks as required.

Qualifications and Physical Demands

Education and Experience: A high school diploma or equivalent. Special Qualifications: A driver's license valid in the State of Florida. Must meet and maintain all department and State training and education requirements and pass a departmental physical abilities test. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the rules, regulations, methods, practices and procedures of the Police Department.
• General knowledge of pertinent Federal and State laws and municipal ordinances.
• Thorough knowledge of the geography of the City and location of important buildings.
• Skill in the use of firearms and the operation of a motor vehicle.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions and to organize and prepare concise comprehensive reports.
• Ability to analyze situations and to adopt quick, effective and reasonable courses of action with due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances.
• Ability to analyze evidence.
• Ability to question and interview skillfully.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, other law enforcement officials, and the general public.

Physical Demands

• Balancing: Maintaining 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.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Hearing: Required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending 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 Acuity: Required for depth perception, color perception, night vision, peripheral vision, preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operation of motor vehicles or equipment, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities.
• Vocal Communication: Required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Work Environment and Other Information

Work Environment

The worker is subject to inside and outside environmental conditions. The worker may be exposed to blood borne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment.

Other Information Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the City of Jacksonville Beach and the employee and is subject to change by the City as the needs of the City and requirements of the job change.