Police Officer - Lateral

at City of Maricopa in Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Job Description

GENERAL SUMMARY
The Police Officer performs general and investigative duties to protect life and property, enforce laws, and prevent crime. Responsibilities include patrolling assigned areas, responding to calls, conducting investigations, making arrests, and handling other law enforcement tasks. Officers may be assigned to specialized units like neighborhood services, criminal investigations, or community services. Work is performed under the supervision of a Sergeant, with some autonomy but subject to regular performance reviews. The role involves both office and outdoor work, with potential exposure to adverse weather and personal risk.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
 

• Enforces state and local laws and ordinances.
• Patrols assigned areas of the city in a car, bicycle, motorcycle, or on foot.
• Maintains community presence and/or responds to calls for service and takes appropriate action.
• Responds to calls related to the protection of life and property, traffic incidents, and other public safety emergencies. 
• Responds to patrol calls which include domestic incidents, burglaries, juvenile disturbances, health and welfare assists, civil standby, business and residential alarms, thefts, traffic accidents, civil protection order/no contact order violations, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, and other public and life safety incidents.
• Determines the existence of probable cause and identifies and takes suspects and offenders into physical custody or refers charges for review and prosecution.
• Prepares reports of arrests made, activities performed, and unusual incidents observed.
• Completes reports and other related documents in a timely manner.
• Conducts both preliminary and follow-up investigations and collects evidence in disturbances, criminal incidents, hazardous incidents, vehicle accidents, and deaths.
• Verbally interacts with witnesses and victims, suspects, and offenders to obtain information.
• Conducts examinations of persons, vehicles, premises, or areas to determine the presence of individuals or illegal activities or articles.
• Takes suspect or offender into custody and delivers them to appropriate confinement location, maintaining security and safety of individuals being moved from one location to another.
• Performs self-initiated patrol consisting of traffic stops, patrolling high crime areas of the city, warrant arrests, drug interdictions, DUI emphasis patrol, seat belt emphasis, juvenile drinking emphasis, and other relevant law enforcement activities.
• Coordinates and conducts detailed investigations of violent crimes, child abuse, property crimes, vice, gaming, and narcotics violations.
• Performs all work duties and activities in accordance with City and Department policies and procedures.
• Works in a safe manner and reports unsafe activity and conditions. Follows City-wide safety policy and practices and adheres to responsibilities concerning safety prevention, reporting and monitoring as outlined in the City's Safety Handbook.
• May serve in other specialized areas such as neighborhood services, community services, criminal investigations section, administrative services, or other assignment.
• Performs undercover surveillance activities.
• Develops and maintains good relationships with informants and contacts which may be helpful in criminal investigations.
• Prepares search and arrest warrants.
• Contacts and cooperates with other law enforcement and non-law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the apprehension of offenders and the investigation of offenses.
• Works rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays.  
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience 
Meet all minimum qualifications of Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZ POST and successful completion of all minimum requirements of an AZ POST certified academy as designated by the Maricopa Police Department. 

• Applicants must be a United States citizen.
• At least 21 years of age.
• Requires graduation from high school or GED. 
• Undergo a complete Background Investigation that meets the standards of AZ POST.
• Undergo a complete medical examination that meets AZ POST standards.
• In-State Lateral Applicant: Police Officers certified in Arizona, must have completed an AZPOST approved academy program and have successfully been certified by AZPOST as a peace officer and currently be in good standing; OR

• Out-of-State Lateral Applicant: Police officers certified in a state other than Arizona or certified by a federal law enforcement agency, must be currently employed as a peace officer or have resigned in good standing from an agency. In addition, peace officers with certifications other than from Arizona will need to meet all AZPOST requirements for the waiver process to gain Arizona peace officer certification without attending a formal academy.

• Meet or exceed the physical standards established by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST).
• Possess a valid Arizona Driver's License within 30 days of hire and have an acceptable driving record.
• Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job, may be substituted at the discretion of city management.

Competencies for Successful Performance of Job Duties

Knowledge of:

• Police methods, practices and procedures with ability to apply this knowledge to specific situations
• Departmental rules and regulations and state and City laws and ability to enforce, interpret and explain the same
• The geography of the City of Maricopa and established police beat
• Crime patterns and trends in an assigned area
• Conflict management techniques
• Crime scene investigations and preservation of evidence
• Techniques of interviewing and interrogations
• Community service organizations and facilities
• Skill in the use of firearms and operating a motor vehicle

• Analyze situations and adapt quickly, effective, and reasonable courses of action with due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances
• Identify potential crime situations or traffic hazards and take preventive action
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions; deal courteously, but firmly, with the general public
• Deal effectively with people having diverse social and economic backgrounds
• Maintain composure and operation efficiency under high stress situations
• Perform the physical requirements of a Police Officer
• Learn how to utilize a computerized record system
• Develop and use confidential information sources

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands and environmental characteristics 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.
 
Communication:  Communicates verbally in person and by radio. Mediates disputes and conducts interviews while performing law enforcement patrol activities and investigations. Presents testimony and evidence in both civil and criminal court proceedings. Records information and prepares detailed police reports of investigative findings with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar. Work assignments are made by a Police Sergeant or other superior. Work methods are checked through personal inspections, review of reports and discussions. 
 
Manual/Physical:  The position involves very heavy physical demands, such as exerting in excess of 100 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 lbs. of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 lbs. of force constantly to move objects.  Operates a patrol vehicle, requiring a standard Arizona Driver’s License, pursues offenders by patrol vehicle and on foot, stops offenders, subdues resisting offenders using force where appropriate, including deadly force, and arrests offenders. Searches persons, places, and things. Seizes and impounds property and evidence. Transports persons and property. Performs crowd and riot control activities. Issues summonses.  Maintains proficiency in operating a variety of law enforcement tools including weapons, vehicles, and computers. Observes criminal behavior, and conducts law enforcement investigations to include the following critical tasks: protects crime and traffic accident scenes; measures and diagrams crime and traffic accident scenes; seizes and processes evidence; administers first aid to sick and injured persons for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries; assists distressed motorists; directs traffic; assists and refers mentally ill, indigent, and other persons in need; performs evacuations; and moves persons, vehicles, and other property from unsafe locations. Enters data into a keyboard device such as a laptop computer or a data transmission terminal in the patrol car in order to retrieve information and write police reports. Work requires occasional physical exertion under adverse circumstances.
 
Mental:  Comprehends and makes inferences from written materials including: federal and state statutes, City codes and ordinances, and departmental policies and operating procedures in order to enforce laws and determine appropriate charges. Prioritizes own work in order to meet established deadlines. Determines when to call for victim's assistance and advise persons of victim's rights information. Learns job-related material through oral instruction, observation on the job, structured lecture in a classroom setting and reading in regard to police procedures and methods, case law, federal and state statutes and departmental policies and procedures. Works rotating shifts, weekend, and holiday work.  

The City of Maricopa is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.