Police Officer Trainee

Police Officer Position

Under direction from higher level Police Department supervisory or management staff, perform law enforcement and crime prevention work; control traffic flow and enforce State and local traffic regulations; perform investigative work; participate in and provide support and assistance to special crime prevention and enforcement programs; establish, grow, and preserve positive relationships between the community and the Police Department; and perform a variety of technical and administrative tasks in support of the department.

Classes in this series are distinguished by the level of certification attained and years of experience. The Police Officer classification requires the possession of a P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate and involves the performance of the more routine duties assigned to positions within the series. The Police Officer w/ Intermediate Certificate classification requires the possession of a P.O.S.T. Intermediate Certificate and involves the performance of more technical or diverse assignments that the Police Officer classification. The Police Officer w/ Advanced Certificate classification is the senior officer level which requires the possession of a P.O.S.T. Advanced Certificate and involves the performance of the full range of duties as assigned.

The incumbent must have the ability to:

• Patrol a designated area of the City to preserve law and order, discover and prevent the commission of crimes, and enforce traffic and other laws and ordinances.
• Preserve and strive to improve the quality of life within the community by using various policing techniques, such as problem-solving policing and intelligence-led policing strategies that encourage and build positive relationships between the Fontana Police Department and the community.
• Emphasize community interaction and collaborative problem solving between the Fontana Police Department and the community; continue to build diverse community-based partnerships guided by innovation and perseverance to ensure Fontana's future as a well-developed, dignified, and respected community.
• Answer calls and complaints involving automobile accidents, robberies, assaults, fires and related misdemeanors and felonies; respond to alarms; investigate complaints; apprehend suspects; search, inspect, transport and take custody of prisoners.
• Respond to general public service calls including animal complaints, domestic disturbances, civil complaints, property control, and related incidents; may participate in the surveillance of an area.
• Secure the scene of a crime; administer first aid; conduct preliminary investigations; obtain witnesses; gather information; make arrests; prepare detailed reports.
• Investigate reports of missing persons; maintain surveillance over suspected criminals; identify areas of potential crimes or unsafe conditions; report conditions and take corrective action.
• Identify suspects; conduct interviews and interrogations; apprehend and arrest offenders.
• Serve as Field Training Officer as assigned; train new officers on departmental policies, procedures and activities.
• Collect, process, photograph and present evidence suing scientific techniques including fingerprints, fibers, blood, and related physical evidence.
• Enforce traffic laws and ordinances; check speed with radar; issue warnings and citations.
• Conduct building and field searches; check buildings for physical security.
• Direct traffic at fire, special events, and other emergency or congested situations.
• Conduct investigations of injury and fatal traffic accidents; conduct traffic accident analyses and general traffic surveys.
• Conduct a variety of criminal investigations involving crimes against persons and property; gather evidence and prepare cases for prosecution.
• Contact and interview victims and witnesses; preserve and investigate crime scenes.
• Conduct covert, undercover investigations as assigned.
• Contact and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the apprehension of offenders and the investigation of offenses.
• Assist in the performance of special investigative and crime prevention duties.
• Prepare reports on arrests made, activities performed and unusual incidents observed.
• Make arrests as necessary; interview victims, complainants and witnesses; interrogate suspects; gather and preserve evidence; testify and present evidence in court.
• Serve warrants within the department and with outside agencies; remain current on laws and procedures required for processing warrants.
• Serve as Crime Prevention Officer; oversee and coordinate crime prevention activities; make presentations to local citizens and community groups.
• Serve as Intelligence Officer; gather crime related intelligence information and conduct background investigations; coordinate information and activities with outside agencies and jurisdictions.
• Serve as Public Information Officer; respond to inquiries and complaints from individuals, private organizations, news media and the general public; inform and educate the public on crime prevention and the criminal justice system; prepare and present public speaking engagements.
• Investigate juvenile related crimes including child abuse and juvenile narcotics; coordinate youth services with outside agencies and organizations including local school districts; conduct community presentations and instruct assigned classes.
• May participate in S.W.A.T. and K-9 activities and operations.
• May perform duties of police dispatcher or desk officer as needed.
• Participate in departmental studies and in staff development.
• Attend briefings and provide roll call as needed.
• Maintain prompt and regular attendance.
• Perform any other tasks or functions deemed necessary to the daily operations of the employer.
• This position is always evolving. Therefore, employer reserves the right to modify this job description as necessary.

Working Conditions: Positions requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting, and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine coordination in preparing reports using a computer keyboard. Additionally, the position requires near, far, and color vision in viewing crime scenes and evidence and firing a weapon. As a law enforcement officer, the incumbent may be required to run in pursuit and subdue suspects while taking them into custody; walk on uneven and slippery surfaces, and climb ladders. Occasionally, this position may be required to work outdoors in all weather conditions, around loud noise, and moving vehicles. Incumbents may also be subjected to physical threats, verbal abuse, and other stressful situations.

A combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. The employee must have the knowledge of:

• Modern police methods and procedures related to patrol, traffic control, crime prevention, investigation and identifications techniques.
• Pertinent Federal, State and local laws and ordinances, particularly with reference to apprehension, arrest, custody of persons committing misdemeanors and felonies, rules of evidence, search and seizure, records maintenance, court procedures, traffic control, etc.
• Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.
• Basic report preparation.
• Geography of the City.
• Police equipment, including firearms, communication equipment and computers.
• Recent court decisions and how they affect department and division operations.
• Bookkeeping and record keeping methods and procedures.
• Modern investigative methods.
• Functions and objectives of Federal, State, and other local law enforcement agencies.
• Offensive and defensive weapons nomenclature and theory.
• Department rules and regulations.
• Self-defense tactics.
• Crime patterns and trends in an assigned area.
• First aid principles and techniques.
• Interviewing and interrogation techniques.

Ability to:

• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals, all while being free from any bias against race or ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation, etc.
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with laws, regulations and policies.
• Gather, assemble, analyze evaluate and use facts and evidence.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, and determine proper course of action.
• Obtain information through interviews and interrogation.
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Foster positive relationships between the community and the Police Department, including managing the public tactfully and effectively.
• Learn the operation of standard equipment and facilities required in the performance of assigned tasks.
• Learn standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.
• Meet the physical requirements established by the Department.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Use and care of firearms.
• Prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports.
• Demonstrate keen powers of observation and memory.
• Demonstrate and encourage strong critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving techniques.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work including a variety of City and other government