Lateral Police Officer

About the Department

Position Duties

(illustrative only and may vary by assignment)

• Patrols assigned areas of the City in a car, bicycle or on foot;
• Enforces State and local laws and ordinances;
• Maintains community presence and responds to calls for service and takes appropriate action;
• Responds to calls related to the protection of life and property, traffic incidents and other required emergencies;
• Determines existence of probable cause, identifies and takes suspects and offenders into physical custody;
• Prepares reports of arrests made, activities performed and unusual incidents observed;
• Conducts both preliminary and follow-up investigations of disturbances, criminal incidents, hazardous incident, vehicle accidents and deaths;
• Verbally interacts with witnesses and victims, suspects and offenders to obtain information;
• Conducts examinations of persons, vehicles, premises or areas to determine the presence of individuals or illegal activities or articles;
• Takes suspect or offender into custody and delivers them to appropriate confinement location, maintaining security and safety of individuals being moved from one location to another;
• Transfers or accepts custody of suspects or offenders and participates in completion of required jail intake procedures;
• Prepares cases for criminal prosecution;
• Researches information in order to contact suspects and witnesses;
• Investigates traffic accidents;
• Coordinates and conducts detailed investigations of violent crimes, child abuse, property crimes, vice, gaming and narcotics violations;
• Testifies and presents evidence in court;
• Provides backup assistance for other officers and personnel;
• Collects, preserves and maintains evidence, found property and other property for safekeeping;
• Initiates public service activities and responds to requests from person for information and assistance;
• Seeks to resolve disputes between family members and disputes between two or more persons;
• Controls small or large groups of people involved in potential or actual disturbance situations including civil disorders;
• Meets with citizen groups in programs directed toward understanding of law, crime prevention and the criminal justice system;
• Monitors and directs vehicles and pedestrian traffic and enforces traffic regulations; issues traffic citations where appropriate;
• Responds to riots, hostage situations, barricaded subjects and other extremely hazardous situations;
• Maintains contact with the public regarding potential law enforcement problems and preserves good relationships with the public;
• Serves warrants and protection orders;
• Checks buildings for physical security;
• Responds to citizens' questions and comments in a courteous and timely manner;
• Communicates and coordinates regularly with appropriate others to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
• Keeps abreast of trends and developments affecting law enforcement;
• Interacts appropriately with a culturally and socially diverse population;
• Utilizes proactive techniques to prevent crime;
• Appropriately utilizes technology to proactively police city and to effectively communicate with public; and
• Works with community groups as well as citizens on law enforcement activities, citizen concerns, etc.; offers ideas and solutions;
• May serve as acting unit commander;
• Performs undercover surveillance activities;
• Develops and maintains good relationships with informants and contacts which may be helpful in criminal investigations;
• Prepares search and arrest warrants;
• Contacts and cooperates with other law enforcement and non-law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the apprehension of offenders and the investigation of offenses;
• Assists in the performance of special investigative and crime prevention duties;
• Collects, analyzes and disseminates criminal street gang information;
• Conduct specialized crime prevention programs;
• Seizes assets through preparations and service of asset seizure documentation;
• Provides training for department personnel in such areas a defensive driving, use of chemical agents and other specified functions;
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations to protect and serve the community;
• Makes presentations to governmental agencies, the media, community groups and a variety of civic organizations;
• Provides extensive customer service, education, and information to the public;
• Responds to management's, supervisor's, co-workers' and citizens' questions and comments in a courteous, thorough and timely manner;
• Keeps immediate supervisor and designated others fully and accurately informed concerning work progress, including present and potential work problems and suggestions for new or improved ways of addressing such problems;
• Performs time management and scheduling functions, meets deadlines, and sets project priorities;
• Maintains strict confidentiality of all matters;
• Assists other department and City employees as needed or requested;
• Performs all work duties and activities in accordance with City policies, procedures, and safety practices.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• May serve as a member of a SWAT Team;
• May serve as a Field Training Officer, supervising and training new personnel;
• May serve as a K9 Officer;
• May serve as a dedicated firearms instructor;
• May serve as a Flight Control Officer;
• May serve in other specialized areas such as School Resource Officer, Drug Task Force, Traffic Unit, Crowd Control Team, Clandestine Lab Team, or other assignment;
• Works as a School Resource Officer to establish friendly contact between the Police Department and youths, investigate crimes on campus, counsel troubled youth, crime prevention, and assist the school staff and administration in the education of pre-teen and young teenage members of the community;
• May assign work, collect statistics, compile daily assignment sheets and direct other officers in special assignments;
• May work as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructor to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth;
• May serve as a member of the US Marshal's task force (NIVCTF);
• May coordinate Department training programs;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED;
• Idaho POST Basic certification with preferred Intermediate certifications;
• Valid driver's license; or
• An equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities to successfully perform the essential functions of the position may be considered.
• Due to the confidential, sensitive nature of information handled, successful completion of a background investigation and polygraph is required.

Other Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for an individual to satisfactorily perform each essential duty satisfactorily and be successful in the position.

Knowledge of:

• Modern procedures, practices and methods of the criminal justice process;
• Procedures related to evidence, searches, seizures, arrests, and police-citizen encounters;
• Enforcement techniques and procedures;
• Investigative processes and interrogation techniques;
• Crime scene processing and surveillance techniques;
• Crime prevention and education methods;
• Social service agencies and community resources and their use and applicability to investigative processes;
• Principles and practices of effective supervisory techniques
• Pertinent federal, state and city laws, statutes and ordinances;
• Techniques of crime prevention, principles and practices of criminal identification, behavior of criminals and causes underlying criminality;
• Current procedures and practices involved in law enforcement training;
• Police equipment, including vehicles, speed radar units, communications units, body armor, handcuffs, intoxilizer, firearms, batons, medical kits, road flares, hand control remote traffic signals, chemical agents, riot gear and other related equipment;
• Defensive driving techniques;
• Department rules, regulations and procedures

• Maintain a calm, professional demeanor and effectively communicate with officers and the public in potentially controversial situations;
• Understand and apply departmental, state and local law enforcement procedures, policies, rules and regulations;
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, to recognize actual and potential dangers and to determine proper course of action;
• Cope with stressful situations calmly, fairly, tactfully and with respect for individual rights;
• Cope appropriately with physically and mentally taxing situations, including but not limited the death, dismemberment and/or grave injury of citizens or Officers;
• Maintain effective relations with fellow employees and with citizens with varied racial, ethnic or economic backgrounds;
• Observe accurately and remember faces, numbers, incidents and places;
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use and care of firearms;
• Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing;
• Prepare accurate and grammatically correct written reports;
• Learn standard broadcasting procedures of police radio system;
• Demonstrative proficiency in the exercise of defensive tactics;
• Handle an automobile in high speed and emergency situations;
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions;
• Uphold the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics at all times;
• Respond to citizen requests in a courteous and effective manner;
• Learn and use investigative techniques
• Make sound and reasonable decisions in accordance with laws, ordinances, regulations and established procedures;
• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines;
• Demonstrate integrity, ingenuity and inventiveness in the performance of assigned tasks;
• Learn new aspects of police work depending on specialty assignment areas.
• Identify and research various issues arising from investigations;
• Investigate, review, provide testimony about, and otherwise handle graphic, disturbing, or otherwise sensitive information or evidence;
• Effectively and tactfully work with victims, witnesses, and various other parties regarding allegations of crimes;
• Act promptly and effectively in emergency situations;
• Utilize a computerized dispatch and record system;
• Effectively supervise and coordinate a law enforcement unit;
• Display an attitude of cooperation and work harmoniously with all level of City employees, the general public and other organizations;
• Demonstrate a high level of organizational and interpersonal communication skills;
• Multi-task and independently handle a wide variety of issues;
• Communicate effectively in writing and speech;
• Address complex issues and handle potentially difficult situations;
• Use good judgment in problem solving and decision making;
• Communicate facts in an understandable manner and present recommendations in a clear, concise, logical manner;
• Proficiently operate computers, software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or similar office software to create documents and other materials, maintain information, and generate reports;
• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines;
• Perform all duties in accordance with City policies and procedures with regard for personal safety and that of other employees and the public.

Sufficient vision or other powers of observation, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to perform surveillance, observe items that may require investigation, sight and shoot a firearm, gather evidence at crime scenes, and coordinate and conduct detailed investigations.

Sufficient strength and manual dexterity, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to use a firearm safely and effectively, direct traffic, write reports, utilize varied equipment simultaneously and operate a vehicle.

Sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to direct traffic, bend or stoop repeatedly, maneuver through rough, uneven slippery or rocky surfaces and perform search activities for extended periods of time.