Sheriff's Community Services Officer

Sheriff's Community Services Officer

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization. This recruitment is open to the public and will remain open on a continuous basis until the needs of the Department are met. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Recruitment is being held to establish an open Eligible List to fill vacancies in this class until the next recruitment.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is among the largest in the nation, providing exemplary law enforcement services focused on a collaborative, dedicated and innovative approach to public safety. Our nearly 4,000 sworn and professional staff are committed to serving the needs of Orange County through six organizational Commands comprised of 23 Divisions. Together, these Commands and Divisions provide services including land, air and sea-based patrol, custody operations, investigative services, emergency management, coroner services, forensics, and specialty operations, among an extensive list of other public safety services.

Sheriff's Community Services Officers (CSO) are uniformed personnel that perform various routine law enforcement-related tasks that do not require the authority of a peace officer. A CSO may be required to work either inside a substation or outside in the field. Front desk duties include providing members of the public with information, assisting department personnel with information and equipment requests, registration of sex and arson offenders, and other duties as required.

Equipment Room duties include checking in and checking out equipment; generating past due reports; making sure shotguns are in working order; downloading tasers and generating taser download reports; assigning USB PVS keys; researching and making copies of PVS requests for DA's, sergeants, deputies and Internal Affairs; research and copy PAS log requests; changing out media cards; calling in trouble tickets for MDC repairs;

replacing key tags; making new barcodes; replenishing mouth pieces for our PAS devices and assigning lockers among other duties. Through the Community Work Program, the CSO duties include supervising a work crew who does the cleaning and manual labor projects for the substation. Outside field duties include taking reports at traffic accident scenes, coordinating the disposal of abandoned vehicles, issuing citations for parking violations and other infractions, and other duties as assigned.

Incumbents will be required to work a variety of rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a law enforcement agency, the ability to remain calm and work effectively in stressful and emotional or emergency situations, the ability to deal with emotional and/or hostile members of the public, the ability to multitask, and possess a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

General knowledge of:
Have a basic understanding of law enforcement activities, radio codes, navigate using common tools (Maps, GPS, etc.)

Ability to:
Develop rapport and obtain cooperation from crime victims, witnesses and informants;
Obtain complete and relevant information from interviewees to complete incident and crime reports;
Prepare clear and accurate reports;
Speak and write clearly and concisely;
Read, understand and interpret moderately complex laws, rules, directives and other written material;
Safely operate a marked and unmarked police vehicle(s) in all weather and traffic conditions;
Find obscure addresses and locations;
Learn to complete traffic reports to include diagrams with law enforcement narratives

Education and Experience:

One (1) year of experience to include, working in a law enforcement capacity, exposing them to law enforcement activities, radio transmissions, navigational experience (Map or GPS), documentation of activities and the ability to multi-task. Education or training which is directly related to these knowledge and abilities may be substituted for up to six (6) months of the required experience, on the basis of two semester units for one month of experience or one hour of training for one hour of experience.

Possession of a valid Class C California Driver License is required before the date of appointment and while employed in this classification.

To be selected for a position with the Orange County Sheriff's Department applicants must not have been convicted of a felony or be on any form of probation and must pass a comprehensive background investigation to satisfaction of Sheriff-Coroner Department. Background screening includes completing of a Personal History Form, interview with a background investigator, fingerprinting and may include a polygraph test.

Some of the areas considered in the background screening include prior convictions, traffic violations, drug use and credit history, employment history, professional references and education…