Civilian Traffic Crash Investigator

Civilian Traffic Investigator/Winston-Salem Motorist Assistance Patrol

The responsibility of the Civilian Traffic Investigator/Winston-Salem Motorist Assistance Patrol (WSMAP) is to ensure adequate service to the citizens of the City in the form of providing non-emergency services that are essential to motorist safety; such as assistance to stranded motorists, traffic direction, and vehicle crash investigation as allowed for by State law. This position will require successful completion of training designed by the North Carolina Justice Academy specific to the traffic crash investigation; along with not less than 160 hours of field training with a law enforcement officer who has experience conducting traffic crash investigations.

Examples of Duties

• Investigate traffic accidents; initiate proper assistance, including wreckers, ambulances, fire department personnel, and law enforcement.
• Accurately complete all State and City required forms such as a DMV-349.
• Assist disabled motorists and aid in the removal of abandoned vehicles that obstruct roadways.
• Provide traffic direction and control at traffic accident scenes, road closures, inoperative or damaged traffic control devices and other situations that necessitate manual traffic direction.
• Respond to dispatched assignments.
• Report the location and nature of crimes in progress to the communications center without becoming personally involved.
• Move and set up traffic cones, barricades, and flares for distances of up to 100 feet to control crowds and traffic at hazard and/or collision scenes.
• Enter and retrieve data on a computer to locate information and to check license plate or driver's license information.
• Maintain assigned vehicles, equipment, and supplies, ensuring availability and proper working order.
• May testify as a witness in court.
• Perform various administrative support duties.
• Obtain information through interviews and observations.
• Work outside during harsh weather conditions including temperature extremes.

Typical Qualifications

Must obtain certification as a Civilian Traffic Investigator through the North Carolina Justice Academy. Must obtain certification for NCIC/DCI. Basic mechanical skills are preferred (e.g. ability to change a tire, jumpstart a vehicle). Traffic direction skills. A High School diploma/GED is required. A valid NCDL is required. Experience working in law enforcement is preferred but not required. This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 100 pounds of force; operation of medium equipment and work with large and small objects; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, reaching with hands or arms and pushing or pulling; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; ability to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts; work is generally outdoors and potentially in extreme conditions (temperature, rain, snow, etc.); work may require long periods of standing. As this position is entirely public-facing, the employee will be required to utilize a Body Worn Camera during all citizen interactions and as otherwise directed by Departmental policy.