Police Officer

The fundamental reason this classification exists is to serve as an entry level trainee class for general duty police work. Employees in this class are required to attend a Police Academy for training in community relations, patrol methods, traffic control, causes of criminality, courtroom procedures, investigating methods, fingerprinting and other crime prevention and law enforcement topics through classroom training and field observation. After successful completion of the Police Academy, employees are promoted to the class of Police Officer.

 GENERAL PURPOSE

Within a culturally and socially diverse population, this position employs discretion in solving problems, maintains public order, prevents crime, enforces laws and ordinances, conducts investigations, makes arrests, issues summons/citations and warnings, assists public, and performs other assignments and administrative support tasks associated with the described general duties. This is the first of nine classifications.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

None.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Attends a Police Academy;

Patrols the Town by radio equipped car, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot, to prevent, discover and deter the commission of crime, to enforce criminal law, to direct traffic, and to enforce motor vehicle operation and parking regulations;

Responds to calls and complaints involving fires, automobile accidents, domestic and neighborhood disturbances, assaults, robberies and other misdemeanors and felonies;

Interviews persons with complaints and makes proper disposition or directs them to the proper authorities;

Secures crime scenes, administers first aid, arbitrates disputes, conducts preliminary investigations, gathers evidence, obtains witness statements, makes arrests, and prepares detailed reports;

Performs law enforcement patrol activities to include: operates a patrol vehicle; observes criminal behavior; issues summons; pursues offenders by patrol vehicle and on foot; stops offenders; subdues resisting offenders using force where appropriate, including deadly force; arrests offenders; searches persons, places and things; seizes and impounds property and evidence; transports persons and property; communicates verbally in person, radio, and by telephone; mediates disputes; performs crowd and riot control activities; maintains proficiency in operating a variety of law enforcement tools including weapons, vehicles, and computers.

Conducts law enforcement investigations to include the following: protects crime and traffic accident scenes; conducts interviews; records information; measures and diagrams crime and traffic accident scenes; prepares detailed reports of investigate findings; seizes and processes evidence; presents testimony and evidence in both civil and criminal court proceedings.

Performs public assistance activities to include the following: 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; personally removes persons, vehicles, and other property from unsafe locations.

Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.

PERIPHERAL DUTIES

Performs other duties, which may be assigned from time to time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be able to pass a thorough background investigation as stated in department policy, and must never have been convicted of a felony.
• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Successful applicants must live within a ten (10) mile radius of the intersection of Highway 260 and Highway 87 in Payson.

Education and Experience

Graduation from high school or GED equivalent.

Certifications & Licenses:

Must be Arizona P.O.S.T. certified or certifiable

Must possess, or be able to obtain by the time of hire, a valid Arizona Driver’s License without record of suspension or revocation in any state.

Must be able to meet Arizona P.O.S.T. standards in all aspects and become a certified police officer by successfully completing the police academy at first attempt.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Interest in and aptitude for law enforcement work. Ability to learn Police rules and regulations.

Ability to think clearly and logically and to apply general rules to specific situations. Ability to observe and record events accurately and completely.

Ability to analyze situations accurately.

Ability to think and act quickly in emergencies and adopt an effective course of action. Ability to follow oral and written directions.

Ability to write legibly, spell correctly, and to prepare understandable and completely detailed reports.

Ability and willingness to operate a vehicle.

Willingness to perform work involving personal hazard and requiring irregular hours, including night shifts, weekends, and holidays.

Satisfactorily react as a responsible, law abiding citizen.

Perform duties with tact, reliability, command presence, keen observation, dependability and loyalty to the service.

Willingness and ability to always perform duties in a courteous and considerate manner, even under the most difficult circumstances.

Thorough knowledge of applicable laws, ordinances, and departmental rules and regulations.

Extensive knowledge of the Town’s geography and surrounding area, or ability to quickly learn the geography of the Town.

Ability to perform work requiring good physical condition. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers and supervisors.

Ability to exercise sound judgment in making decisions

Communicate effectively and cooperatively with other employees and the public.

Additional Requirements:

Some positions may require the use of personal of Town vehicles on Town business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver’s license, and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for Town business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized town vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.

Some positions may require the performance of other essential and marginal functions depending upon work location, assignment, or shift.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED

Police vehicle, police radio, radar gun, handgun and other weapons as required, handcuffs, intoxilyzer, pager, first aid equipment, as a personal computer.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The Physical demands described herein 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.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently is required to sit, stand, talk, walk, hear, and use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms, and use a shovel and other hand tools. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, couch, or crawl; taste or smell.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 100 pounds, with or without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing 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 frequently works in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts; in high, precarious places; and with explosives and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, extreme heat, and vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MENTAL ACTIVITIES

Reasoning: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out assigned duties. Ability to reason with a diversity of cultures and individuals and difficult conditions and often strong and vocal viewpoints.

Logic: Ability to perform basic skills, including organizational and process management.

Language/Communication: Demonstrable ability to communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing.

All job descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and basic duties have been included. Peripheral tasks, only incidentally related to each position, have been included. Requirements, skills and abilities included have been determined to be the minimal standards required to successfully perform the position. In no instance however, should the duties, responsibilities and requirements be interpreted as all-inclusive. Supervisors as deemed appropriate may assign additional functions and requirements.

In accordance with Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodation will be made which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or which may pose undue hardships on the organization.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the need of the employer and requirements of the job change.

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