Community Service Officer

Position Summary:

Under general supervision, a Community Services Officer I (CSO I) performs a wide variety of technical tasks to support the Willits Police Department Staff’s delivery of law enforcement services to the community. It is necessary that CSOs be available to work a variety of shift assignments including day, swing, and graveyard shifts, weekends, and holidays.

General supervision is provided by the Police Sergeant.

This is a journey level non-sworn classification in the Police Department and is expected to work directly with the Sergeant. The incumbent is also responsible for performing a variety of highly confidential duties in support of the Chief of Police.

These examples of duties are illustrative but are neither restricted to, nor all-encompassing of, the duties to be performed under this job title.

• Greets telephone callers and visitors to department; screens and handles inquiries of a general or specific nature; takes messages.
• Investigates and prepares reports on burglary, petty theft, lost and found property, missing persons, property damage, accidents, City Ordinance violations, abandoned vehicles, and other incidents.
• Transports prisoners to County Jail and other locations.
• Operates teletype and computer terminals and a variety of other office equipment.
• Assists with administering parking citation program.
• Provides general clerical and telephone support for the Department.
• Processes and serves subpoenas.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Correct English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• General office practices and procedures.
• Modern police practices and methods.
• General functions and activities of municipal government.

• Work effectively with the public.
• Tactfully and effectively deal with various racial, ethnic, and economic groups.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Learn and understand laws, codes, and procedures.
• Understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Prepare reports in accordance with required standards.
• Maintain detailed logs and records.
• Operate teletype and computer terminals and typewriters.
• Learn the organization and operations of municipal police departments.
• Learn general office, record keeping, and filing methods and systems.
• Learn Department rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Learn basic photographic methods.
• Learn basic computer skills.
• Ability to legally possess and use firearms during course of employment.

Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.

High School Diploma or equivalent;
Completion of a POST or STC certified 832 PC course or ability to complete the course within 180 days of employment in the position; any combination equivalent to one (1) year experience in public contact work environment, preferably in a law enforcement agency.

• Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license.
• Excellent physical condition: free from any disqualifying conditions cited in the document “Medical Screening Manual for California Law Enforcement”, published by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
• Achieved an acceptable rating in the City’s psychological evaluation prior to initial hiring.
• Vision:
  Both eyes corrected to 20/20 or 20/40 uncorrected.

Frequent walking, running, crawling, twisting, grabbing, fighting, wrestling, struggling, climbing, sitting, standing, walking on uneven and/or slippery surfaces, carrying an 80 pound object or dragging a 150 pound object for 80 feet; occasional squatting for hiding, kneeling, laying in a prone position, jumping; must be flexible, have a static-explosive-dynamic-trunk strength in order to overcome combative suspects, good coordination and equilibrium; arm and hand steadiness for shooting firearms and doing articulate evidentiary collection;

good hand dexterity and coordination for computer and other related duties; good vision both far and near as well as color; good hearing; good physical conditioning for stamina, mobility and effort utilized on the job.