Police Officer-Lateral Entry

About the Department

$10,000 Hiring Incentive Sign-On for Lateral Transfers
Under general direction of the Police Sergeant, the Police Officer is to perform law enforcement and crime prevention duties to maintain citizen safety, protection of life and property, and compliance with City, State, and Federal laws.

Position Duties

1. Patrol an assigned area via foot or vehicle to ensure law compliance and investigate suspicious activities, individuals, or conditions.
2. Make arrests of individuals who violate the law and/or ordinances.
3. Subdue violent individuals.
4. Enforce City, State, and Federal Laws.
5. Respond to calls for assistance and provide the necessary police protection.
6. Issue traffic citations or warnings to individuals violating traffic laws.
7. Investigate traffic accidents and direct traffic.
8. Conduct preliminary investigation of crimes and crime scenes to uncover and collect/document relevant evidence and/or testimony.
9. Conduct searches according to due process procedures.
10. Interact with the community to establish a close working relationship.
11. Provide general public safety services during emergency conditions such as inclement weather and traffic accidents.
12. Testify in court as required.
13. Respond to reports of sick, injured or demented persons.
14. Conduct an aggressive, proactive police patrol in an assigned area.
15. Investigate suspicious vehicles and persons.
16. Respond to and investigate causes of mechanical alarms.
17. Prepare cases and reports for court.
18. Transport prisoners to County or local facilities.
19. Check the security of business establishments and reported vacant houses in this jurisdiction.
20. Conduct targeted patrols of school areas and municipal parks.
21. Assist in the recovery and control of animals in this jurisdiction.
22. Direct and control vehicular and pedestrian traffic at fire scenes.
23. Maintain and inspect department vehicles and equipment.
24. Complete assignments as directed.
25. Arrive at work on time every day, in good physical and mental condition.

Minimum Qualifications

Lateral Entry Officer Applicants are not required to complete a written examination as part of the hiring process and may be considered for appointment provided applicants meet the following eligibility requirements: 
a) At time of application, each LEO applicant must be actively employed or have been employed as a full-time paid police officer, provided that: 
i) The applicant is certified by TCOLE; 
ii) If not currently employed, the applicant must not have a break in service as a Police Officer of more than 180 days prior to the applicant’s appointment date. Individuals with greater than 180 days break in service that have maintained the required TCOLE training hours, and provides a current psychological examination approved by the department and TCOLE may be considered for appointment as a LEO. 
iii) Has a total of two (2) years of active service for one or more municipal, county, state or federal law enforcement agencies and handles a full array of urban police work (i.e., respond to all types of calls for law enforcement services).   
iv) LEO applicants may be considered for appointment, on a case-by-case basis, if in the Chief’s determination the applicant possesses the appropriate level of law enforcement skills necessary to fulfil their duties as a Sweetwater Police Officer. 
v) Be no less than 21 years old at the time they apply to be hired as a LEO. 
vi) Applicants must pass the Department’s physical agility course. 
vii) Applicants must successfully pass the Department’s TCOLE approved background investigation.