Certified Police Officer

A police officer is tasked with protecting life and property and preserving public peace and order: enforcing Federal, State, and local laws; and controlling and directing vehicular traffic. Performs police work in accordance with departmental policies, rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures and receive assignments and instructions from police officers of higher rank. Work may involve an element of personal danger and employees must be able to act without direct supervision and exercise independent judgment in meeting emergencies.

The list is not intended to be all-inclusive nor exclusive but is intended to provide examples of typical duties performed.

• Patrols a designated area of the city on foot or in an automobile to protect human life and to preserve law and order, to prevent and discover the commission of crime, to direct traffic as required, to identify and report potential or existing public safety hazards and to enforce traffic and parking regulations.
• Answers calls and complaints involving fire, automobile accidents, felonies, and misdemeanors.
• At the scene of a crime or motor vehicle accident, preserves human life, protects property, controls access to the scene, conducts preliminary investigations, gathers evidence, locates witnesses, obtains statements, makes arrests, composes and writes detailed incident/offense reports, prepares detailed accident investigation reports and testifies as a witness in court.
• Interview persons with complaints and attempts to make proper disposition or direct them to proper authorities.
• Gives general advice on traffic and criminal laws and ordinances and gives general information to the public.
• Employees may be assigned to work on special assignments which call upon specialized abilities and knowledge usually attained through experience as a uniformed Police Officer. Police Officers assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division or specialized units are subject to call 24 hours a day.
• Police Officers may be assigned to work in uniform or plain clothes. Shift schedules and job assignments may be changed periodically to assure the maximum delivery of effective police service.
• Perform law enforcement patrol functions while working rotating shifts and unanticipated overtime.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationship with others.

• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner.
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations;
  Responds promptly to customer needs.
• Teamwork - Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views;
  Contributes to building a positive team spirit.
• Leadership - Inspires respect and trust.
• Ethics - Works with integrity and ethically;
  Upholds organizational values.
• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures.
• Accountability - Takes responsibility for own actions.
• Professionalism - Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position.
• Quality - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Have no felony or serious misdemeanor criminal convictions.
• Must possess a high school diploma or GED certificate.
• Completion of some college or university course work in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Police Science, Criminology, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.

• Must meet the minimum standards for law enforcement officers as established by Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) and Alabama Law and maintain annual APOSTC continuing education requirements.
• Within 30 days of employment, a valid driver’s license as issued by the Alabama Department of Public Safety must be obtained and maintained.
• Within six (6) months of the date of hire, the employee must establish primary residence within a 35-mile radius of Pelham Police Headquarters to be eligible for a take-home vehicle subject to approval by the Chief of Police.
• To maintain and continue employment as a sworn police officer for the City of Pelham Police Department, an employee must retain the legal right and authority to carry a pistol and any other firearm normally used by police officers. Conviction of any crime that results in the loss of an employee’s rights to carry firearms will immediately disqualify said employee from continued employment as a sworn police officer for the City of Pelham.
• To maintain and continue employment as a sworn police officer for the City of Pelham Police Department, an employee must retain the legal right and authority to access information from and through the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center (ACJIC) and the…