Police Officer

CITY OF JANESVILLE DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

The citizens of Janesville choose this community, not just as a place to live, but as a place to realize life's opportunities. We strive to sustain a community culture where differences are recognized, understood, and appreciated. As such, the City of Janesville recognizes the importance of developing an environment where diversity is not merely accepted but embraced and celebrated. As public servants, we believe everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. To this end, we will diligently recruit and retain the most talented employees in an environment that fosters maximizing one's potential. Therefore, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to consider employment with the City of Janesville and serve the residents of "Wisconsin's Park Place".

OBJECTIVE:

Under the general direction of the Shift or Division Supervisor, performs work in the enforcement of law and maintenance of order, protection of life and property, and prevention of crime.  The function of this position is extremely varied and can change depending on the immediate situation.  This position places very strenuous demands on an individual, including very physical and psychological demands.  This position upholds the law, conducts routine patrol enforcement of state, county, and local laws and ordinances, maintains order, prevents crime, makes arrests, answers calls for service, and performs related work as required.

• The Janesville Police Department accepts lateral transfers from qualified law enforcement agencies.  For all new employees hired after January 1, 2016, the City may grant an initial pay rate on any step of the salary schedule to a maximum of the 5-year step, and vacation to the maximum of the 2-year step.   Such placement shall not affect the new employee's seniority for any other purpose.*

RELATIONSHIPS:

Reports to:  Chief of Police

• Designee

Field Supervisor (Sergeant) and/or

Shift/Division Supervisor (Lieutenant or Sergeant)

Supervisory responsibility:  None

Has regular work contact with the general public, department staff and employees and outside agencies or organizations.

Click here to view the Janesville Police Department 2023 Annual Report.ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The job duties and responsibilities listed below are intended as illustrations of the various types of work and specific tasks performed in this position.  The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those tasks from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment of the position.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Patrols assigned area of the City (which may include uneven terrain, stairs, narrow spaces, fenced or walled areas, unlighted areas, or areas patrolled in a police vehicle), either mobile or foot patrol to prevent crime and disturbance of public peace.

• Responds to reports of criminal activity; searches buildings, residences, and surrounding areas for criminal subjects; secures scene to restore peace and protect evidence; responds to citizen requests for service; provides backup to other officers engage in physical confrontation or arrest activities.

• Participates in a variety of law enforcement activities, including making arrests of suspects in traffic and criminal offenses; takes control of crime scenes, which may involve subduing unruly or resisting subjects through the use of force, including deadly force; effects arrests, which may include pursuing fleeing armed or unarmed subjects who may be walking, running, crawling, climbing stairs or ladders, or in vehicles.

• Investigates criminal and civil offenses, conducting preliminary investigations and follow-up investigations as may be required; analyze probable sequence of events; seek additional data through research, telephone calls, interviews, and other methods.

• Responds to wide range of citizen needs and requests, at times under emergency conditions, i.e., accidents, rescue efforts, search for missing persons, alarms, physical confrontations, and crimes in progress.

• Enforces traffic laws and regulations; perform initial tests for sobriety levels; apprehends violators and issues appropriate warnings or uniform traffic citations; investigate and make detailed reports of traffic accidents and offenses; participates in traffic control; assists motorists in distress.

• Knows and enforce pertinent Federal laws, State statutes, City ordinances, codes, and regulations, apprehending violators and making proper arrests or summonses.

• In the enforcement of State statutes and City ordinances, identifies, arrests, and take offenders into custody for probable cause and incarcerate as provided by law and department policy; advise such persons of their constitutional rights;

• Conducts lawful searches of persons and property, confiscates and secures all evidence and contraband seized according to law and department policy.

• Serves subpoenas, arrest warrants, and summons including body attachments, apprehension requests and juvenile capiases; transports for incarceration.

• Interviews and interrogates victims, complainants, witnesses, and suspects as appropriate.

• Responds to emergency calls which may require the use of strength, subduing suspects, rescuing or lifting residents from distressful and dangerous situations; removes accident or storm debris.

• Provides short-term counseling, assistance, and human comfort to victims of tragic or traumatic events.

• Exercises self-control, patience, prudence, tolerance, and stability to calm and/or properly control irate or violent residents and deals effectively with the unpleasant or unusual facts or results of human behavior.

• Manages physical and mental stress in crisis situations, such as running, pursuit, climbing, and taking cover from gunfire.

• Analyzes situations and facts quickly and effectively to make sound, logical interpretations of laws, codes, and regulations within established guidelines, often in the absence of supervision.

• Prepares clear, concise, detailed, accurate, and timely written report forms as required.

• Where necessary, the careful and proper use of a service weapon or other assigned police firearms; proper maintenance, storage, and safety of assigned firearms at all times.

• Testifies in court proceedings to provide known facts and evidence.

• Maintains departmental equipment, supplies, and facilities; periodically practices the use of a variety of firearms.

• Participates in police training and law enforcement continuing education; maintains required State of Wisconsin Certification for Law Enforcement Officers.

• Assists other government and law enforcement agencies in various activities.

• Follows all department and City safety regulations, policies, and procedures; reports all unsafe conditions and acts to supervisors; follows recognized safe work practices.

• Performs duties as may be assigned for special or temporary police duty assignments.

• Performs other special projects and other duties as assigned or required during regular and non-business hours, including providing support as a part of any City response to essential or emergency operations.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform the essential duties of the position.

Education and Experience

• Minimum Age

• 18 years old.

• High school diploma or GED equivalent, supplemented by a minimum 40 college semester credits at time of hire (60 college semester credits for lateral transfer candidates at time of application) or Associate Degree in Police Science, Criminal Justice or related field or general studies from an accredited college or university.

• Meet the requirements of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board.

• Valid driver's license or able to obtain a driver's license.

• Must pass medical examination meeting minimum physical, hearing, and eyesight requirements.

• A United States citizen and have no felony criminal record.

• Must pass a written examination.

• Must pass psychological examination.

• Must pass background investigation.

Skill in:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Effective skills in maintaining accurate, detailed, and confidential/sensitive records and information.

• Excellent interpersonal, customer service, and organizational skills to appropriately interface with the public as a representative of the department and City and present oneself in a calm, knowledgeable manner.

• Strong ethics base built upon integrity, honesty, and respect.    

Ability to:

• Ability to learn the principles and practices of modern police practices.

• Ability to learn the streets and physical layout of the community and the locations requiring special police attention.

• Ability to learn crime reporting, crime analysis principles and practices, and crime prevention techniques and activities.

• Ability to learn criminal investigation procedures, practices, techniques, and activities.

• Ability to learn federal, state, and local laws, statutes, ordinances, codes, regulations, and policies regarding police operations.

• Ability to communicate effectively, both in verbal and written form, and to follow verbal and written instructions with minimum supervision.

• Ability to effectively represent the police department to the general public.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with elected and appointed City officials, division and department heads, community leaders and groups, neighborhood groups, business representatives, department staff and employees, outside agencies, and the general public.

• Ability to understand, comply with, and make decisions in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, ordinances, and established procedures.

• Ability to perform duties with considerable judgment, resourcefulness, and initiative under limited supervision and within the boundaries of responsibility.

• Ability to work courteously and firmly with the general public.

• Ability to consider conflicting needs, options, and information and to make difficult decisions.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and making critical decisions; exhibit initiative, problem solving capacity, effective and mature judgment, and imagination in coping with complex situations.

• Ability to respond quickly to emergencies and other calls for service without unnecessarily jeopardizing the safety of the officer, other members of the police department, or the public.

• Ability to tolerate stress in a multitude of forms and maintain a balances perspective in the face of constant exposure to the worst side of human nature.

• Ability to develop proficiency in the use of firearms and operation of motor vehicles.

• Ability to apply techniques of self-defense and use necessary force to apprehend and restrain violent or hostile individuals.

• Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle in both emergency and non-emergency situations.

• Ability to fire weapons, pass firearm safety and qualification standards, and use deadly force when necessary.

• Ability to subdue and arrest a resisting or attacking individual.

• Ability to administer first aid and render assistance when necessary.

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information and materials in a professional manner.

• Ability to timely and accurately prepare and review relevant records and reports.

• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and to work smoothly and cooperatively on a variety of procedures.

• Ability to cope with stressful situations firmly, courteously, and tactfully and with respect for the rights of others.

EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND MACHINES:

Motor vehicles, reasonably and safely under routine and emergency conditions, often for lengthy periods of time and in all types of weather/roadway conditions.   Firearms with demonstrated proficiency in the care and use of assigned/authorized weapons. Personal protective equipment.  Basic office equipment, including but not limited to personal computer, facsimile machines, copiers, cellular communications equipment and telephone. Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook), ten (10) key calculator, printer, scanner, tape recorder, general office equipment, and job-specific equipment as required by assignment. Basic tools and equipment necessary to perform job tasks and functions including but not limited to 2-way radios, first-aid equipment, digital cameras, fire extinguishers, handcuffs, less-lethal weapons, body cameras, and personal restraint devices, flashlights, standard police uniforms, cameras, other simple tools, etc.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving vehicles; in high, precarious places; and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, extreme heat and extreme cold.  On occasional, the employee may work in a regular office environment. The position predominantly involves regular shift work, including working 24/7 shift hours, rotational and/or fixed, both indoors and outdoors or during normal business hours.  The employee may be exposed to severe weather while performing tasks. There is also exposure to many unknown conditions; including possible hazardous sites and dangerous situations or conditions. The employee may be exposed to life-threatening situations and may be subject to personal hostility.

An individual in this position is frequently required to see/observe, talk/speak and listen/hear; sit, walk, stand and on occasion, may need to lift, carry, push or pull objects, up to 100 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to stand, stoop and climb or balance; use hands to finger, handle, grasp, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; repetitive arm, hand and eye movements are included. There is occasional twisting, kneeling, squatting, crawling, climbing, reaching and wrist turning.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  Hand-eye coordination is necessary to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment.  Employee is required to use cognitive ability to reason, analyze and verbalize thoughts and ideas.

The employee is required to operate a motor vehicle.  The employee may also be required to run and jump, and may be involved in physical exchanges with others.  The employee must have the physical condition to affect arrests, subdue resisting individuals, chase fleeing suspects, run to persons requiring emergency assistance and lift/carry equipment and injured/deceased persons.   Individuals in this position must also be able to force entry into buildings, climb flights of stairs/ladders and perform life-saving procedures (CPR, first aid, etc.).

The employee must be available and present for work as scheduled; be available for on-call emergency notifications and response when deemed necessary; and perform all functions of the job safely and efficiently at all times and in compliance with all safety regulations and policies for the safety and welfare of the employee, co-workers and the general public.

DISCLAIMER

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.  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, or is responsive to the needs of the City of Janesville.

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

The City of Janesville, Wisconsin is an Equal Employment 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.

All candidates are required to pass the State of Wisconsin Physical Readiness Test. Participants must complete sit-ups, push-ups, vertical jump, and run. Participants should bring clothes with them on the testing date that are appropriate for physical activity.

The written exam and the Wisconsin Physical Readiness Test (PRT) will be held on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 and August 3, 2024; more details are below. All candidates, including lateral applicants, must pass a written and physical test with the Janesville Police Department. A PRT certificate from another agency/organization will only be accepted if the certificate shows successful completion within 6 months of the Janesville Police Department's anticipated hire date. 

Written Test Dates and Contact Information:

Date:  Wednesday July 31, 2024 at 4 p.m. & Saturday August 3, 2024 at 8 a.m.

Provider:  Janesville Police Department

Testing Site Location:  Marshall Middle School

Contact: Sgt. Benjamin Thompson

Phone:  (608) 755-3133

Email: thompsonb@ci.janesville.wi.us