Police Officer Certified

General Description
General duty police work in the protection of life and property through the enforcement of laws and ordinances.  Work is performed under the supervision of a Police Sergeant.

Nature of Work
Essential Functions:

• Effect an arrest, forcibly if necessary, using handcuffs and other restraints; subdue resisting suspects, using maneuvers and weapons and resort to the use of hands and feet, and other approved weapons in self-defense.

• Prepare investigative and other reports, including sketches, using appropriate grammar, symbols and mathematical computations.
• Exercise independent judgment in determining when there is reasonable suspicion to detain, when probable cause exists to search and arrest and when force may be used and to what degree.
• Operate a law enforcement vehicle during both the day and night; in emergency situations involving speeds in excess of posted limits, in congested traffic and in unsafe road conditions caused by factors such as fog, smoke, and rain.
• Communicate effectively and coherently over law enforcement radio channels while initiating and responding to radio communication.

• Gather information in criminal investigations by interviewing and obtaining the statements of victims, witnesses, suspects and confidential informers.

• Pursue fleeing suspects and perform operations which may involve quickly entering and exiting law enforcement patrol vehicles; lifting, carrying and dragging heavy objects; climbing over and pulling up oneself over obstacles; jumping down from elevated surfaces; climbing through openings; jumping over obstacles, ditches and streams; crawling in confined areas; balancing on uneven or narrow surfaces and using body force to gain entrance through barriers.
• Load, unload, aim and fire from a variety of body positions:  handguns, shotguns and other agency firearms under conditions of stress that justify the use of deadly force and at levels of proficiency prescribed in certification standards.
• Conduct visual and audio surveillance for extended periods of time.
• Demonstrate communication skills in court and other formal settings

• Perform searches of people, vehicles, buildings and large outdoor areas which may involve feeling and detecting objects, walking for long periods of time, detaining people and stopping suspicious vehicles and persons.
• Engage in law enforcement patrol functions that include things as working rotating shifts,

walking on foot patrol and physically checking the doors and windows of buildings to
ensure they are secure.

• Effectively communicate with people, including juveniles, by giving information and directions, mediating disputes and advising of rights and processes.
• Detect and collect evidence and substances that provide the basis of criminal offenses and infractions and that indicate the presence of dangerous conditions.
• Endure verbal and mental abuse when confronted with the hostile views and opinions of suspects and other people encountered in an antagonistic environment.
• Perform rescue functions at accidents, emergencies and disasters to include directing traffic for long periods of time, administering emergency medical aid, lifting, dragging and carrying people away from dangerous situations and securing and evacuating people from particular areas.
• Process and transport prisoners using handcuffs and other appropriate restraints.
• Put on and operate a gas mask in situations where chemical munitions are being deployed.
• Extinguish small fires by using a fire extinguisher and other appropriate means.
• Read and comprehend legal and non-legal documents, including the preparation and processing of such documents as citations, affidavits, and warrants.
• Process arrests suspects to include taking their photographs and obtaining a legible set of inked fingerprint impressions.
• When designated, trains, cares for, and uses a K-9 dog in patrol and other assignments.
• Patrols areas of the City by:  car, on foot, motorcycle, or bicycle.

(These essential job functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed.  Employees will be required to perform other job related marginal duties as required.)  

Minimum Qualifications:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to analyze situations quickly and objectively and to determine proper course of action to be taken
• Ability to cope with situations firmly, courteously and tactfully, and with respect for the rights of others
• Ability to learn the geography of the City and its physical and social characteristics
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions
• Ability to read, write and speak effectively
• Ability to meet physical requirements and standards
• Ability to communicate effectively

Education and Experience:
Must be a high school graduate or possess a General Education Diploma (GED).   Completion of the Minimum Standards courses as set forth by the Florida police Standards Council.  
      (A comparable amount of training, education or experience can be substituted for the minimum qualifications.)

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:
Must have a Florida Enforcement Certification
Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License

Essential Physical Skills

• Light (up to 15 pounds) to heavy (45 pounds and over) lifting and carrying
• Endure sustained acts of physical exhaustion and endure periods of duty under unfavorable and life threatening situations.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• Reaching, pulling, pushing, smelling
• Climbing, walking, standing, crawling, kneeling, bending, stooping, jumping, running, driving
• Depth perception
• Distinguish colors
• Acceptable eyesight (with or without correction)
• Acceptable hearing (without hearing aid)

Environmental Conditions:

• Works inside
• Works outside in various weather conditions with:  noise, fumes, gases, smoke or flames, odors
• Slippery surfaces, uneven surfaces, heights, poor lighting
• In or with moving objects or vehicles
• In hazardous and stressful conditions

(Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)