Police Officer - Entry Level

Police Officer

Under general supervision, performs a variety of duties for the Canon City Police Department, to maintain public order, and to assist and protect the lives and property of Canon City residents, business owners, and visitors.

Essential duties and responsibilities*: The essential duties and responsibilities listed below are central to the job or are the reason the position exists, and the employee must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. This list is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Performs law enforcement duties on an assigned shift.
• Upholds and enforces federal, state, and municipal criminal and traffic laws and ordinances. Prevents criminal episodes and suppresses civil disturbances.
• Patrols City in marked or unmarked police cars, responds to calls for assistance and traffic accidents, determines appropriate actions to maintain or re-establish law and order, intervenes in disputes, controls traffic, issues citations.
• Investigates incidents and writes reports.
• Apprehends criminal suspects, makes arrests, and transports suspects to jail.
• Prepares legal paperwork such as arrest warrants, summons, probable cause affidavits, custody forms, penalty assessments, and revocation forms.
• Investigates crimes. Collects and preserves evidence. Photographs and videotapes crime scenes and accident scenes. Executes search warrants and conducts searches, as authorized, of buildings, vehicles, documents, and computers following established procedures.
• Consults with prosecutors, testifies in court.
• Some positions may serve as K-9 officer or School Resource Officer.
• Provides excellent customer service to external and internal customers including but not limited to effectively listening and communicating, providing accurate information, offering solutions, assisting in resolution, and ensuring timely follow up as needed.

Non-essential duties and responsibilities*: The following duties, although not essential to the position, are important components to the smooth and efficient operation of the Division, Department, and City.

• Assists the public with general information and safety advice. Provides first aid when needed.
• Attends or completes trainings, seminars, and meetings as required.
• Performs related duties as established by law or ordinance or as reasonably directed by the City.

* This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Knowledge, skills and abilities: The essential and non-essential duties listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. The below list is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all knowledge, skills and abilities that are required.

• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations pertaining to law enforcement issues in Canon City.
• Knowledge of the theory, principles, practices, and methods of criminal justice.
• Knowledge of the theory, principles, practices, and methods of performing police patrol or investigative duties of an assigned shift or unit within a municipal police department.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing excellent customer service. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Skilled in the safe use of equipment used by police officers in the performance of their duties including, but not limited to, handgun, shotgun, assault rifle, taser, pepper ball gun, pepper spray, voice recorder, flashlight, handcuffs, baton, measuring wheel, and two-way radios.
• Skilled in protecting and preserving crime scenes and gathering evidence.
• Ability to patrol streets and public places in a marked or unmarked police vehicle, discovering and preventing the commission of crimes, and enforcing state, local, and municipal laws.
• Ability to respond to calls for service, accident scenes, acts of terror, natural disaster, and preplanned events that require a police presence.
• Ability to intervene in disputes, apprehend suspects, issue citations, identify witnesses, conduct investigations, interview victims, suspects, and witnesses, and maintain or re-establish law and order.
• Ability to speak effectively including testifying in court, visiting schools or community events and organizations.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing including the preparation of reports and legal paperwork.
• Familiar with basic computer functionality. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software. Knowledge of basic office equipment including but not limited to copiers, fax machines, multi-line phone systems, and calculators.
• Ability to build effective relationships as needed with employees, government officials, and the public.

Requirements

Minimum Qualification(s):

Experience

• Must be a U. S. Citizen
• Must be at least 21 years of age at time of swearing in.
• Completion of Field Training.
• Not have been convicted of the following:
• A felony crime.
• A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
• A misdemeanor crime that would affect ability to certify with the Colorado Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.
• Candidates with prior military service in the armed forces may provide, as an attachment to their application, their DD Form – 214, Copy 4, which must not reflect Character of Service as Dishonorable or Bad Conduct Discharge.
• Drug usage, as described below, will likely be cause for disqualification:
• Any use of Marijuana within one (1) year prior to the date of application.
• Any use of any illegal drugs (i.e. heroin, cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, steroids, or other illegal drug, as defined in schedules I through V of Section 2020 of the Controlled Substance Act) within five (5) years prior to the date of application.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent.

Licenses/Certifications

• Certified Colorado Police Officer, or eligible for Provisional Colorado POST Certification, due to possessing a qualifying out-of-state POST certificate.
• Must have a valid unrestricted Colorado Driver's License, or the ability to obtain one within sixty (60) days of hire, with a driving record acceptable to the City of Canon City.

Additional Qualifications

• Candidates must be willing to submit to a comprehensive background check to include a polygraph.
• Candidates must also pass a post conditional offer drug screening, psychological evaluation, and medical examination.

Any equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the listed knowledge, abilities and skills may be substituted.

Preferred Qualification(s):

Experience

• Prior experience in a SWORN law enforcement position.

Education

• Associates Degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice, or related area.

Licenses/Certifications

• Unrestricted Colorado Class "A" Commercial Driver License (CDL)

Physical Activities:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee will travel within the City of Canon City and Fremont County

• Requires work in both an indoor and outdoor environment and requires the ability to perform physically demanding activities in a variety of settings.
• Requires some lifting, pulling, carrying, and pushing of objects of as much as 175 pounds.
• Frequent bending, simple grasping, finger/manual dexterity, standing, walking, twisting upper body, stooping, and hearing.
• Occasionally required to apprehend and subdue persons resisting arrest.
• Occasionally exposed to hazardous and potentially lethal situations and individuals, including exposure to