Community Service Officer

This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility list for future openings in the classification. This is a great opportunity for those interested in beginning their career in law enforcement and serving the Salinas community.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: All applicants must show proof of education with the application submittal. You must provide a copy of your high school diploma, GED certificate, unofficial college transcripts, or copy of a college degree via the application submittal. Applications without the required documentation will be considered incomplete.

Note: Any prospective candidate must pass a thorough law enforcement background investigation before being hired by the Salinas Police Department. Community Service Officers are required to work special events. Some assignments in this classification may require a shift work schedule that includes days, evenings, weekends and holidays.

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:

Recruitment closes: 6/26/24

Written exam: Week of 7/22/24

Department Interviews: Week of 8/5/24

Please note that these are tentative dates and are subject to change.

Summary of Duties: Under general direction of sworn staff, the Community Service Officer provides a wide range of field and office support for the law enforcement of the City. Performs customer service, minor investigations, report drafting and documenting, traffic control, fingerprinting, offender registrations, initial evidence collection and booking, and various other supporting tasks for the Police Department. Depending on the needs of the department, incumbents may be assigned to patrol and/or assigned on a rotating basis to other units in the department.

Distinguishing Characteristics: This is a journey level class in the police support paraprofessional series. Incumbents perform routine and more complex general tasks with occasional instruction or assistance. Distinguished from other high-level paraprofessionals in its experience and expertise.

• Provides a wide range of services to the community for the benefit of law enforcement; serves as a Parking Enforcement Officer, Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Officer, Court Liaison Officer, and Front Desk Community Service Officer.  May also be assigned a support function in the following units: Personnel and Training, Investigations, Community Services, Violence Suppression Task Force, Traffic, and Patrol.

• Investigates, gathers information, and documents findings for various minor crime scenes and other emergency situations; provides traffic and crowd control for special events and scenarios involving law enforcement, photographs crime scenes, gathers evidence, and supports the overall investigations done by the Police Department.

• Manage and provide assistance to the various non-emergency complaints and calls received within the City; drives department vehicles on various shifts and responds to emergent and non-emergent situations including but not limited to, stolen or disabled vehicles, abandoned vehicles, injury and non-injury traffic collisions, past tense property crimes, potential fraud, missing persons, and respond to calls for animal services to assess and report to Supervisor.

• Performs multiple front desk and customer service duties; answers phones, directs callers, takes photographs, provides fingerprinting services, processes registrations, completes incident and crime reports with limited or no suspect information, and handles a wide range of administrative tasks within the Police Department.

• Provides assistance to officers in field duties, community presentations and DUI checkpoints.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

In addition to the functions listed above:

When assigned to Court Liaison Officer:

• Processes, reviews, and maintains court ordered juvenile record sealings and adult sealings; researches and compiles all supportive documentation including mug-shots, live-scans, and fingerprints related to records ordered to be sealed; maintains spreadsheets and logs related to filing system of sealed records.

• Delivers court packets and miscellaneous information to District Attorney Office, City Hall, and other departments; maintains paperwork, files, and an accurate log recording the status of cases returned from the District Attorney's Office.

• Sorts incoming and outgoing U.S. and interoffice mail for the department; ensures proper and accurate distribution to departments and appropriate personnel.

Typical Decisions: The incumbent will make consistent decisions regarding general community services and the duties involved.   Will make evidentiary, investigative, case by case decisions including documentation and processing, prioritizing case tasks, customer service help, and court document distribution.  Works with little supervision and uses independent judgment.

Knowledge of:

• Basic organization and functions, procedures, and operation details of criminal justice administration related to the municipal police departments.

• Procedures and methods required to perform a full range of law enforcement support.

• City policies and procedures.

• Conflict resolution.

• Issuing and delivering code violations and citations.

• Basic investigation principles and procedures.

• Customer service and working with the public.

Ability to:

• Interpret and apply laws and regulations of the City and State.

• Conduct basic investigations and maintain accurate records of findings.

• Deal with irate or very emotional individuals in enforcement, investigative, or emergent situations.

• Maintain composure in emergency situations.

• Use a computer, other hardware and related computer software.

• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing

• Manage cases and multi-task.

• Prepare accurate, concise, and professional reports.

• Research, investigate, and interpret information and resources.

• Work efficiently and cooperatively with other City departments, outside agencies and members of the public; provide effective customer service.

• Operate a city vehicle to include but not limited to patrol vehicles, vans, radar trailer and Mobile Command Post Vehicle.

Education: High School Diploma or GED

Experience: Two years of public contact experience in a service-related field.

Licenses and Certifications: A valid California State Driver's License; PC 832 Certificate required within one year of hire date.  Employee must complete SB 1343 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training at time of hire and every two years thereafter.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions: This position requires a combination of field and office work, moving in and out of a vehicle for an entire shift, writing citations, assisting with traffic control.  Assignments may require standing for long periods of time. Fieldwork requires a tolerance for all types of weather conditions, heat, rain, fog, day and evening shifts. Business office environment subject to sitting at a desk or standing at a counter for long periods of time. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, tablet or calculator and to operate standard office equipment; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; hearing and speech to communicate in person, over the telephone and two-way radio. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to fifty pounds.

May be subject to verbal and physically abusive behavior, threats and insults from the public. Potentially be in contact with persons that carry weapons and communicable diseases. May be ordered-in to provide staff coverage per the needs of the department. Some assignments may require a shift work schedule to include days, evenings, weekends and holidays. Will be required to work special events. Promote and maintain safety in the workplace.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.