Court Services Officer FALL2024A

The Department of Public Safety (DPS), Division of Alaska State Troopers, is currently recruiting to fill Court Services (CSO) positions located in Anchorage and Fairbanks. 

The successful candidate will attend 6 weeks of initial training at the Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy in Sitka, Alaska, and participate in a 13-week Field Training and Evaluation Program at their assigned duty station. 

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Court Services Officers (CSOs) are a unique class of officers who work under the general direction and command of AST.

Court Services Officers conduct duties for the Commissioner of Public Safety under AS 22.20.100-140, which include providing physical security of courtrooms, chambers, and other spaces of the courts including the grounds of court facilities; coordinating and providing prisoner transport; serving court writs; and providing protective details and security for judicial officers.
 
 Court Services Officer are distinguished from State Trooper and other commissioned job classes by its primary focus on providing prisoner transportation, process service, court security, and judicial protection to the court system.

OUR ORGANIZATION, MISSION, AND CULTURE:

The Department of Public Safety strives to preserve the peace, enforce the law, prevent and detect crime, and protect life and property.  All positions support or carry out the Department's mission.  If our mission interests you and this position embody your strengths, please consider joining our team.

THE BENEFITS OF JOINING OUR TEAM:

As a Court Services Officer, you will have a rewarding career and receive paid, high-caliber training and benefits at no expense to you while attending the academy. 

THE WORKING CONDITIONS YOU CAN EXPECT:

There are multiple positions available in this posting that have unique opportunities.

 

The Juneau Court Services Officer position is based out of the Juneau Courthouse Judicial Services Office.  The work environment will consist of region wide paper service, evictions, prisoner transports between the Lemon Creek Correctional Center, Anchorage airport, and Southeast Alaska area community jails and villages.  In addition, Juneau CSO’s routinely conduct out of state fugitive extraditions and courtroom security in Juneau and the outlying Southeast Alaska area courthouses.  Juneau Court Services Office is team oriented, family friendly, and a great place to work!

 

The Fairbanks Court Services Officer position is in the Golden Heart of Alaska which provides central access to world class hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation with all the convenience of living in the modern city of Fairbanks. Your office and central base of operations will be in the crown jewel of the Alaska Court System, the Rabinowitz Courthouse. The work environment consists of being part of a large team of professionals serving court-required documents and conducting judiciary protection. Fairbanks CSO’s have the awesome responsibility of providing judiciary security, as needed, at Utquagvik; which is the farthest North court location in Alaska. Fairbanks is the major population center in the interior of Alaska that has some of the best summers for recreation, schools for family, and law enforcement supportive people. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Qualified applicants: 

Must be able to accept employment within the United States; possession of high school diploma recognized by a state, a diploma from a home school program recognized or certified by a state or by a local school district within a state as having met the state's graduation requirements, or has passed a General Education Development (GED) test; 18 years of age or older at the time of application; possession of a valid driver's license; and not disqualified from any portion of a prior formal background investigation conducted for this job classification in the last twelve months.

The Department of Public Safety strives to preserve the peace, enforce the law, prevent and detect crime, and protect life and property.  All positions support or carry out the Department's mission. If our mission interests you and this position embodies your strengths, please consider joining our team.

More information about the Department of Public Safety can be found on our website: http://dps.alaska.gov/

 

To view the general description and example of duties for a Court Services Officer please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs    

Special Note:
Valid Driver's License                 High school graduation or the equivalent.
AND
18 years of age or older at time of hire.

Special Note:
Must possess a valid Driver's License at time of hire.

As part of the selection process, an extensive background investigation will be conducted, including: a comprehensive background check; fingerprinting; medical and psychological evaluations; physical agility testing; drug screening, and successfully obtaining a security clearance to access criminal justice information systems. Appointments will be made conditionally pending successful completion of all portions of the background process and the medical evaluation.

This job class requires the use of firearms or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL-104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold a position in this job class. A "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" means an offense that:
1) is a misdemeanor under Federal or State Law; and
2) has, as an element the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.Court Services Officers Responsibilities include:

• Transporting inmates to and from correctional facilities within the State of Alaska for court appearances, medical care, other transportation centers, and out-of-state prisoner transport. 
• Maintaining the custody and security of inmates during transport, appointments, and their return to incarceration. 
• Providing both courtroom and court facility security to include response to alarms, disturbances, and public safety incidents, and dignitary security for the supreme court. 
• Serving process documents in accordance with instructions from the courts and agency standard operating procedures, including subpoenas, summons, writs, domestic violence writs, orders, complaints, and other legal notices.

INITIAL PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST 

All applicants must successfully pass the initial physical fitness test to move forward in the application process. For more information on our fitness test standards, go to https://dps.alaska.gov/AST/Recruit/Fitness. This test can be proctored by an adult at a local gym, or any adequate outdoor or indoor facility. Applicants will submit results via Guardian Dashboard in the Agency Provided Documents section when completing their background investigation documents.  

NOTIFICATION OF NEXT PHASE
Within five (5) business days after the submission of your job application, applicants who meet minimum qualifications and department requirements will receive an email message from @guardianalliancetechnologies.com. As part of the hiring process, Alaska State Troopers conducts a thorough background investigation of all candidates using the web-based Guardian platform to securely collect all required information and documentation for your investigation within 15 days of receiving the link. All applicants will be required to utilize this online portal by first creating a log-in for the portal, then following the applicant instructions. Users will be required to use this online portal, and all necessary documents are required to be uploaded into this portal by the applicant. Users will need to use the Chrome web browser on a computer. No exceptions.

Applicants can expect to pay for airfare and lodging while in Anchorage for testing. The Final Physical Fitness Testing (PFT) will be submitted through a Drop folder that will be provided at a later time.  All PFT’s are due by March 1, 2024. The remainder of your testing will take place March 4-13, 2024 and you will be required to be in Anchorage for this testing. 

It is highly recommended that you submit your forms as soon as possible. Failure to follow directions may eliminate you from consideration for this position. The application and completed documents will be evaluated for neatness, completeness, legibility, and grammar. Applicants will not be provided copies of completed applications and background packets. Please make copies of your background packet.

Please have the following documents in your possession prior to submitting your online application to ensure you meet your deadline. Failure to provide ALL required documents by your deadline will result in your application being eliminated from the process. Instructions for submitting these documents will be furnished after you have completed the online application.
 

• Copy of Birth Certificate (if current name differs from that on the birth certificate, provide court documents showing name change).

• If naturalized, Naturalization Certificate with photo.

• Copy of high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) testing results

• College transcripts for all post-secondary education.

• Current and/or former police officers must provide the following:

  1.  Basic police officer certification or equivalent POST Certification

  2. Additional law enforcement related certifications

  3. Certificate of academy completion and course syllabus to include the number of hours

  4. Out-of-state applicants must provide a copy of their academy syllabus

• Former military members must provide discharge or separation papers showing date and type of discharge for all periods of service for each branch of the military (i.e. DD-214 Long Form and NGB-22 Form, which include the Separation and Reentry codes).

• Any other law enforcement-related certificates.

• Any letters of recommendation, employment evaluations, or certifications you have received.

• Long-form/lifetime driving record(s) from all states and U.S. territories in which you have ever held a driver's license and/or received a citation (whether convicted or not). You can find that information at: https://www.usa.gov/motor-vehicle-services 

• Long-form driver's abstract/lifetime driving record from each country outside of the U.S. or its territories where you have ever held or now hold citizenship or have been a resident alien, or resided at while on military assignment (not while on active mission or combat zone deployment). 

For any documents generated in a language other than English, official translations must be included.

 

PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING:

• All applicants who are contacted for an interview will be scheduled for the secondary physical agility testing prior to the interview. Passing the initial physical fitness test does not nullify an applicant taking the final in-person fitness test. Both the initial and final physical fitness tests must be passed in order to interview for the position. For more information on the requirements for the physical agility testing, please visit the following website: https://dps.alaska.gov/AST/Recruit/Fitness   
• All applicants will need to travel to Anchorage, Alaska one time during the selection process to complete the following: physical agility testing, medical exam, oral psychological interview, polygraph, and oral board interview. Applicants can expect to pay for airfare and lodging while in Anchorage for testing. This testing is tentatively scheduled March 4-13, 2024. 

The following additional DPS Minimum Requirements for Court Services Officer MUST also be met:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE: The applicant must be conversant in English (both written and spoken). 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

Personal History:

• Must be able to accept employment within the United States.
• Possession of high school diploma recognized by a state, a diploma from a home school program recognized or certified by a state or by a local school district within a state as having met the state’s graduation requirements, or has passed a General Education Development (GED) test.
• 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
• Possession of a valid driver's license.
• Not disqualified from any portion of a prior formal background investigation conducted for this job classification in the last twelve months. 

Prior Use of Illegal/Illicit Substances:

• Not used, transported, or purchased a schedule IA, IIA, IIIA, IVA, or VA controlled substance during the last five (5) years (unless under the age of 21 at the time of use AND the act occurred more than 3 years from the date of application); or there was an immediate, pressing, or emergency medical circumstance to justify the use of a prescription controlled substance not prescribed to the person.
• Not used marijuana during the past twelve months.
• Not illegally manufactured, distributed, or sold a controlled substance (unless under 21 at the time of the act AND the act occurred more than five (5) years ago). 

Criminal History:

• Not currently on court-ordered probation, either supervised or non-supervised.
• Not convicted of a felony whether set aside, suspended imposition, expunged, or pardoned, excluding juvenile adjudications.
• Not convicted of a misdemeanor crime that resulted in serious physical injury to another person in the last ten years.
• Not convicted of a misdemeanor crime, reduced or related, to domestic violence whether set aside, suspended imposition, expunged, or pardoned.
• Not convicted of a misdemeanor crime of dishonesty or moral turpitude in the last ten years.
• Not convicted of more than two misdemeanors in the last ten years (unless under the age of 21 at the time of the acts AND three years have elapsed since the most recent act).

Prior Law Enforcement Conduct:

• Never denied certification or had basic certification revoked by the Alaska Police Standards Council or the responsible certifying agency in any other issuing jurisdiction (unless the denial or revocation has been rescinded by the council under 13 AAC 85.270 or by the responsible certifying agency of the issuing jurisdiction).
• Never discharged or resigned under threat of discharge, for cause relating to dishonesty or misconduct, from employment as a police officer in this state or any other state or territory.
• Not illegally manufactured, distributed, or sold a controlled substance while employed as a peace officer or in a position associated with law enforcement.

Note:  Candidates will need to meet selection criteria, pass an initial physical fitness test and complete a background investigation.

All job offers are conditional pending successful completion of a psychological evaluation, medical examination, and drug screening.

COVER LETTER

This is a highly competitive recruitment process and it is required applicants submit a cover letter for this position. The cover letter should outline your desire to become a Court Services Officer, as well as your special skills, education, training, and relevant experience. Please attach the cover letter to your application before submitting it online or, if unable to attach it to your application, fax it to the contact number provided in the job posting.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PHASE:

The application process includes an extensive and comprehensive background investigation, the extent of which is not limited by the geography of Alaska or the continental United States. The background investigation will include analysis of all available databases such as police, military, corrections, local court, law enforcement records, Interpol, and other government records. Investigators are thorough and interviews will include current and former spouses and significant others, current and past supervisors, coworkers, neighbors, landlords, school officials, and all others who have relevant information regarding your conduct as a citizen, work performance, criminal history, driving and accident history, appearance and overall fitness to become a Court Services Officer. Applicants are advised that intentional false answers or intentional omissions on your applications to hide incidents or conduct represent the crime of perjury in the State of Alaska. Applicants are further advised that fraudulent information may result in a permanent denial in accepting any future State of Alaska job application. 

CRIMINAL HISTORY: 

• The applicant has no admissions of conduct anywhere, and there is nothing discovered during the background investigation or any testing or interview phase, which would be a felony under Alaska law (excluding drug use), as an adult 21 years of age or older, or within five years of application. The Standard of proof applied will be reasonable suspicion to believe the applicant committed a felony; and that event, had it been investigated, included the elements required for referral and/or prosecution.
• The applicant has not been charged with or convicted of any offense (excluding violations) within one year of application. 
• The applicant has no more than 2 convictions or juvenile adjudications within 10 years of application, unless less than 21 years of age at the time of the offense, and 5 years have elapsed since the last conviction.  
• The applicant was not under investigation of any crime or has any charges pending at the time of application, during the background process, at the time of hire, or during the probationary period.
• Not been convicted of any misdemeanor offenses within five years before the date of application.
• Not on court-ordered probation, either supervised or non-supervised within three years before the date of application.

DRIVING HISTORY:

• The applicant will not have had a canceled, revoked, suspended, or limited operator’s license within the preceding 12 months. 
• The applicant will not be required to maintain SR-22 (or other high-liability) insurance to legally drive at the time of hire or within one year of application.

DRUG HISTORY:

• While employed as a peace officer, Fire Marshal, correctional officer, VPSO, CSO, military police officer, licensed security guard or officer, or similar position anywhere or in any jurisdiction, the applicant has not used any illegal drug or illegally used a controlled substance.
• If the applicant used an illegal drug (excluding marijuana) or illegally used a controlled substance when under the age of 21, the use was more than three years from the application.  

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT REQUIRED:

The below requirements pertain to incidents occurring on duty or off duty.  While employed as a peace officer, fire marshal, correctional officer, VPSO, CSO, military police officer, licensed security guard or officer, or similar position anywhere or in any jurisdiction (pertains to incidents occurring on duty or off duty). The applicant must be free of an affirmation of misconduct (including misuse of official position or authority), perjury, excessive use of force, dishonesty, termination for cause. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

It is crucial that you are honest and provide accurate information in your job application, during all background phases, and in the final selection process. All information requested is mandatory. Anything less than full disclosure will eliminate you from further consideration.

 

All initial communication with applicants will be conducted via email.  It is imperative applicants provide a valid email address when applying and check email frequently during the application process for this position. Applicants who have a change in email address during this application process must notify the Recruitment Unit immediately.

 

Please note this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN). A security clearance is necessary to use APSIN. Felony convictions disqualify applicants from consideration. Misdemeanor convictions may disqualify applicants. If you have questions regarding your specific misdemeanor conviction(s) please contact the hiring manager listed below.
 
The incumbent of this position will be working around armed officers and possibly canines.
 
This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

               Contact Information

• Alaska State Trooper Recruitment email address: dps.recruit@alaska.gov
• Alaska State Trooper Recruitment toll-free phone number: 877-258-7667
• Alaska State Trooper Recruitment fax number: 907-269-5751

Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance:

Questions regarding application submissions or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov

For applicant password assistance please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword   

Email: dps.recruit@alaska.gov 

Phone: (907) 269-5976
Fax: (907) 269-5751

Salary : $31 - $32