Property & Evidence Specialist

**Applications will be reviewed as received and this recruitment may close at any time after September 29 without prior notice.**

Salary Incentives:  The following shall be applied to base salary upon hire as applicable/assigned.

• 6% incentive for Bachelor's Degree **
• 3% incentive for Associate's Degree **
• 5% incentive for Spanish or Sign Language Advanced Level
• 3% incentive for Spanish or Sign Language Intermediate Level

** Degree may be in any field of study.

Additional Incentives:  
- City-provided uniforms, equipment, and uniform cleaning.
- Onsite fitness facility

Benefits include: 

• Excellent medical, vision and dental benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket cost. Currently, the employee-paid premium is approximately $59 per month for employee-only coverage up to a max of $170 per month for family coverage.
• City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Currently, the annual contribution is $2,000 for employee-only and $4,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
• Paid time off:
  • 18 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases based on years of service (8-hour or 10-hour shift employees)
  • 8 hours of sick leave per month ((8-hour or 10-hour shift employees)
• Excellent retirement benefits:  
  • City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and IAP) 
  • City-paid contribution (2.5%) into a pre-tax deferred compensation plan
• In addition, other benefits such as education reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and childcare expenses.

This position is responsible for tracking, handling, and safeguarding evidence and found property for the Police Department. Duties include maintaining the physical integrity and control of items in the City’s custody; entering data; cataloging, processing, and disposing of materials; maintaining the chain of custody of evidence; and performing related work as required.

The duties listed are intended only as illustrative examples of the various types of work that may be performed by individuals in this classification. Any of the following duties may be performed. These examples are not necessarily performed by all incumbents and do not include all specific essential functions and responsibilities the incumbent may be expected to perform.

1. Receives found property and evidence, documents the receipt, maintains the physical integrity, control, and the chain of custody, and physically stores the property and evidence in the designated location.
2. Operates and maintains computerized record system of all physical evidence and property taken into custody by the Police Department and other agencies as assigned.
3. Disposes of property by return to owner, destruction, or auction based upon judicial case clearance and in accordance with state and local rules and statutes regarding property disposition.
4. Maintains inventory of property and evidence room supplies.
5. Receives, stores, and transports body fluids retained as evidence. 
6. May testify in court on property and evidence chain of custody issues.
7. Able to safely handle all types of firearms for storage and retrieval purposes.
8. Provides a variety of property and evidence information to the public and governmental agencies through verbal and written communication.
9. Receives incoming calls, determines nature and urgency of calls, and coordinates appropriate response pertaining to property and evidence section.
10. Receives a variety of requests from officers for specific information on property and evidence; researches the answer and follows up with appropriate information.
11. Composes a variety of correspondence, reports, and other materials requiring independent judgment as to content, accuracy, and completeness.
12. Assists with maintenance, repair, and replacement of department property and equipment as required.
13. Provides training and technical assistance to co-workers, including providing instruction on proper evidence collection, maintenance, and destruction techniques.
14. Provides backup to records clerk as needed.
15. Represents the City of Albany by responding to the public, citizens, its employees, and others in a prompt, professional, and courteous manner while continuously maintaining a positive customer service demeanor. Regards everyone, internal and external, as a customer and deliver the best service possible in a respectful and patient manner.
16. Works to create a high-performance work culture by demonstrating a positive attitude and modeling the City’s mission, vision, and values. Conducts self with high integrity, proactive in conserving City resources, and seeks and incorporates customer feedback for ongoing performance improvement. Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
17. Serves as a member of various City committees as assigned.
18. Assists other staff in the performance of their duties as assigned; and may provide training and orientation to new assigned personnel.
19. Maintains regular job attendance and adherence to working hours including arriving to work, meetings, and other related work functions on time.
20. Adheres to appropriate attire, grooming, and hygiene standards established for the position.
21. Operates a motor vehicle safely and legally.
22. Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

Works under the direct supervision of the Police Records & Systems Supervisor.

This is a non-supervisory position. Lead work and coordination of work of others is not a typical function assigned to this position. Incumbents in this position may provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.

Education and Experience
A high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent; 
and 
Two years of experience in general office administration, communications, or records management, including at least one year in a law enforcement setting; 
or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

Preference may be given to individuals with bilingual skills.

Special Requirements

1. Must successfully pass a background investigation including criminal history and driving check; and records of felony convictions or disqualifying criminal histories are prohibited.
2. Possession of, or ability to obtain and maintain, a valid Oregon driver's license and a driving record that meets the City’s driving standards.
3. Possession of, or ability to obtain and maintain, Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) certification and satisfy all applicable Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) security requirements.
4. The individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or others.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of: methods used in the collection, tabulation, review and distribution of evidence and property, forms, reports, and documents, and disposition practices; functions, terminology, services, and principles and practices of law enforcement work; laboratory techniques, finger printing techniques, techniques, skills for maintaining organized records, inventories and tracking systems. 

Skill in: modern office equipment including computer equipment and associated software programs, as well as modern still and video photography techniques and equipment; multi-line phone system; bar coder; copy and fax machines; and other related tools and equipment.

Ability to:  learn technical and specialized rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and activities related to the property and evidence functions; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public; operate computers for data entry; follow verbal and written instructions and follow strict and proper procedures to preserve and maintain custody of evidence, records and to dispose of evidence/property; comprehend and use English effectively to prepare police reports, evidence descriptions and other documents in a clear and concise manner.

Work Environment
In the performance of the job duties, the employee will be working in an office environment under usual office working conditions. Work may also be performed in meeting settings in offices, conference rooms, and public spaces. The noise level in the work area is typical of most office environments, with telephones, personal interruptions, and background noises. Employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; could be exposed to hazardous materials; airborne/blood borne pathogens, chemicals, bio-hazardous waste, narcotics, blood, urine, and exposure to narcotics in evidence handling. Position requires handling of large sums of currency and varying types of weapons that occurs regularly.

Physical Demands
The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document.

The work is medium work which requires exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: sufficient to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: sufficient to apply pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound. 
• Kneeling: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. 
• Lifting: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. 
• Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: sufficient to use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time. 
• Stooping: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles. 
• Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; both day and night.
• Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

Tools & Equipment Used
In the performance of job duties, the employee will use a computer and various software programs; police radio; telephone; calculator; copier; first aid equipment; motor vehicle, and other related tools and equipment.

Safety Equipment: This is not an exhaustive list. Safety glasses and gloves (nitrile, latex, leather). Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, co-workers, and the public.