Police Officer

The Graham Police Department is seeking individuals committed to understanding and protecting the ethical, cultural, and ethnic values of the City of Graham and its residents as Police Officers. As first responders, Police Officers are vital to public safety and under regular supervision, perform basic police services in accordance with the mission, goals, and objectives of the City of Graham Police Department and in compliance with governing federal, state, and local laws.

Police Officers perform community-oriented policing work to protect life and property and to enforce public safety, fear reduction, social order, and quality of life within the city. An employee in this class is a community police officer who reacts to citizens' demands for police service and proactively seeks to work in concert with the citizens to solve public safety problems.

Work includes a full range of general law enforcement duties including patrol, investigations, traffic enforcement, and special assignments relevant to the duties of a police officer. This includes:

• Patrolling the city in a police car, on foot, or by other means
• Preventing, detecting, investigating, and reporting disturbances, crimes, traffic accidents, and other incidents
• Helping victims
• Assisting citizens
• Controlling traffic
• Apprehending suspects
• Testifying in court, and executing related assignments relevant to duties of a police officer

Responsibilities also include:

• Patrols streets in a police car, on foot, or by other means in an attempt to detect or prevent crime
• Recovers lost or stolen property
• Remedies or reports unsafe conditions or damaged property
• Responds to complaints and calls for assistance
• Investigates traffic accidents, issues traffic citations, directs traffic
• Investigates and reports crimes and other incidents
• Arrests and processes criminals
• Advises the public on laws and ordinances, speaks to groups, and promotes community-oriented policing
• Prepares and maintains records and reports
• Prepares cases for court and works closely with prosecutors
• Identifies community public safety problems, consults with community, researches, and implements solutions
• Develops relationships with the community, conducts surveys, initiates and attends group meetings to perform Community Oriented Policing

Requirements include:

• Considerable knowledge of state and federal laws, ordinances, and police department policies
• Considerable knowledge of law enforcement principles, practices, and methods, and equipment
• Some knowledge of scientific crime detection and criminal identification methods and procedures
• Some knowledge of community organizations and leaders
• Knowledge of the city streets and layout
• Skill in the use of firearms and other police equipment
• Skill in the application of self-defense tactics
• Skill in communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Ability to act with sound judgment in routine and emergency situations
• Ability to present effective testimony in court
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports
• Ability to build and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with the community