Deputy Probation Officer

San Diego, California, United States AA and VH Career Fair Clients

To perform a wide variety of probation casework, provide preventative and rehabilitative services to adult probationers and juvenile offenders in field and institutional settings; and to perform related work as required.

Deputy Probation Officer is a professional journey level sworn peace officer class in the series. Under general supervision, Deputy Probation Officers utilize evidence‑based intervention strategies and programs, conduct investigations, write reports for the court, and supervise probationers focusing on an offender's risks and needs in an effort to change behavior to reduce recidivism. Positions in this class are only found in the Probation Department.

The complete Deputy Probation Officer series includes the following:

• Deputy Probation Officer (Class No. 005065)
• Senior Probation Officer (Class No. 005090)
• Supervising Probation Officer (Class No. 005115)

The examples of functions listed in this class specification are representative but not necessarily exhaustive or descriptive of any one position in the class. Management is not precluded from assigning other related functions not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment for the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case‑by‑case basis.

• Investigates the background, character, family history, and environment of juveniles and adults referred to the Juvenile Court and Probation Department.
• Writes detailed case history reports that include all information necessary to be used by the Court in the disposition of juvenile and adult cases.
• Develops case plans and makes recommendations to the Court for the rehabilitation, supervision, and placement of juveniles and adult probationers.
• Performs case management role including assessment, planning, linking, monitoring and advocacy for juveniles and adults on an assigned caseload.
• Prepares court reports, and other legal documents in connection with actions such as stepparent adoptions.
• Uses risk and needs assessment instruments.
• Conducts arrests and fourth waiver searches.
• Makes field contacts in the home and community.
• Collaborates with other law enforcement agencies to perform field work.
• Supervises and counsels individuals in the intake process in a juvenile institution.
• Supervises, counsels, supports and encourages successful completion of probation of juvenile and adult probationers.

• May function in a lead capacity in the absence of a Senior Probation Officer, or in operations involving routinized process.
• May act as a witness in court.

• Interview and investigative techniques
• Evidence‑based behavioral science principles and their application to casework
• Report writing principles including rules of correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure
• Federal, State, and local criminal justice laws, regulations, codes and ordinances pertinent to adult and juvenile detention and probation work
• Law enforcement and related legal terminology
• Case management methods and techniques
• Community‑based policing
• Familiarization between law enforcement and community resident
• Federal, State, and local criminal justice system operations and services
• Human behavior, theories of crime and criminology
• County customer service objectives and strategies
• Telephone, office, and online etiquette
• Current technology and trends in the profession

• Read, comprehend and appropriately apply laws, regulations and policies
• Observe and record events accurately and concisely
• Interpret aberrant behavior of individuals and groups
• Read, analyze and retain information of a factual or procedural nature
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing with people of various educational, socio‑economic, and cultural backgrounds
• Write clear, accurate and concise reports
• Use word processing and computer application programs and equipment in the production of work
• Counsel individuals and groups
• Exercise…