Police Officer (Certified or Non-Certified)

Description

Examples of Duties

• 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.
• Serve as a Marine Safety Enforcement Officer as assigned; patrol the designated area at Moss Lake to preserve law and order, discover and prevent the commission of crimes and enforce all laws and ordinances.
• Answer calls and complaints involving automobile accidents, misdemeanors and felonies.
• Respond to general public service calls including domestic disturbances, civil complaints, property control, and related incidents.
• Collect, process, photograph and present evidence using scientific techniques including fingerprints, fibers, blood, and related physical evidence.
• Check buildings for physical security.
• Serve as Field Training Officer as assigned; train new officers on departmental policies, procedures and activities.
• Enforce traffic laws and ordinances; issue warnings and citations; direct traffic at fire, special events, and other emergency or congested situations.
• Conduct investigations of non-injury, serious injury and fatality traffic accidents; conduct general traffic surveys.
• Conduct a variety of criminal investigations involving crimes against persons and property, auto theft, white-collar crime, and narcotics; gather evidence and prepare cases for prosecution.
• Identify suspects; conduct interviews and interrogations; apprehend and arrest offenders.
• 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.
• Maintain contact with citizens regarding potential law enforcement problems and preserve good relationships with the general public; take an active role in areas of public education and relative to crime and crime prevention.
• May assist with a variety of special projects, as assigned, accident reconstruction, and water rescues.
• May assist with the testing of weapons; may participate in reloading ammunition.
• Assist in the performance of special investigative and crime prevention duties as required.
• Prepare reports on arrests made, activities performed and unusual incidents observed.
• Prepare and deliver a variety of presentations concerning law enforcement, crime, and crime prevention if assigned; serve as the liaison between the Police Department and the public concerning crime and its prevention if assigned.
• 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.
• Assist with the conduct of community presentations and instruct assigned classes.

• Maintain city facilities, vehicles and equipment as required.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

• Traffic laws and regulations.
• Basic function of a public safety operation.
• Criminal law and criminal procedure with particular reference to the apprehension, arrest and custody of persons committing misdemeanors and felonies, including rules of evidence pertaining to the seizure and preservation of evidence in traffic and criminal cases.
• Police methods and procedures including patrol, crime prevention, traffic control, investigation and identification techniques.
• Offensive and defensive weapons nomenclature and theory.
• Self-defense tactics and proper use of force.
• Interviewing and interrogation techniques.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Operation of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Accurately analyze situations quickly and objectively, and take action as needed.
• Learn the operation of standard equipment and facilities required in the performance of assigned tasks.
• Use, care for and qualify with firearms.
• Prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports.
• Meet the physical requirements established by the Department.
• Think and act quickly in emergencies and judge situations and people accurately.
• Understand and interpret laws and regulations.
• Use standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Operate emergency equipment including vehicles, boats, and other equipment as needed.
• Provide accurate and effective testimony in legal proceedings.
• Behave in a manner conducive to high morale; express enthusiasm for work assignments, personnel, and management.

• Possession of a valid driver's license.
• Possession of, or in the process of obtaining, a valid Texas Peace Officer License from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Regularly required to use hands to examine or manipulate objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk, hear, and smell.
• Frequently required to walk, stand and sit.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

• Regularly works in outside weather conditions.
• Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places.
• Occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, risk of radiation, and vibration.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.