Criminalist

About the role

The position involves performing administrative and technical duties associated with the acceptance, storage control, and disposition of police evidence and property. It also includes protecting the integrity of evidence throughout the judicial process and ensuring compliance with all state and local laws regarding the storage and disposition of property and evidence.

Responsibilities

• Receives, sorts and secures all property delivered to the evidence room.
• Enters evidence into the computer system to enter submitted items into Police Department evidence tracking system.
• Accountable for security and integrity of evidence room; responsible for preserving the critical chain of custody.
• Determines appropriate and lawful disposition of property; releases property to officers, property owners, the courts and/or other agencies.
• Prepares destruction orders and completes destruction of evidence that is no longer needed or no longer has evidentiary value or property that has not been claimed or has no known owner.
• Processes evidence for latent prints when needed.
• Maintains an accurate accounting of all property transfers and releases.
• Processes crime scenes by taking photographs, sketches and measurements, dusting for fingerprints, conduct trajectory and or blood pattern stain analysis when needed, collecting, preserving and logging physical evidence, completing reports, and packaging, managing and inventorying evidence.
• Lifts, processes and compares latent prints.
• Completes analysis, comparison, evaluation and verification of latent prints individualizing the source of the latent print to the suspect, victim or other source. This includes identifications and eliminations.
• Identifies latent prints through conducting searches on latent prints utilizing the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) (AFIX Tracker) and the Department of Public Safety’s Universal Latent Workstation.
• Processes evidence by performing presumptive laboratory tests, analysis, classifications, comparisons, and identifications of all types of physical evidence from crime scenes and completes and distributes lab reports for each request received.
• Testsifies in court by consulting with court personnel concerning testimony, responding to requests for specific evidentiary information and testifying under oath on crime scenes processed for specific cases on latent print comparisons, and or chain of custody events.
• Provides educational opportunities by conducting training classes for police officers on crime scenes, training for interns and high school crime scene skills groups.
• Provides departmental support by maintaining files and records, preparing detailed reports to ensure proper chain of custody, and assisting other organizations and agencies that do not have crime scene investigative units or latent print examiners.
• On call availability for crimes scenes or other specific after hour needs or demands.
• Continues training and education for changing laws and processing techniques.
• Attends meetings to maintain awareness of new developments in the field.
• Works cooperatively with other departments, City officials, and outside agencies.
• Responds tactfully, clearly, concisely, and appropriately to inquiries from the public, City staff, or other agencies.
• Communicates clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Other duties as may be assigned.

  Requirements

  • High school diploma is required.
  • Six months to one year of college level coursework or training beyond high school from an accredited college or university with major course work in Police Science, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Mathematics/Statistics or a related field and one to three years of experience is preferred.
  • Valid Driver's License required with no restrictions except “A”.
  • Completion of National Incident Management System (NIMS) training courses as outlined by Emergency Management after hire.

  Qualifications

  • Physical Strength Required: Heavy lifting, carrying, balancing, climbing, crawling, crouching, fine dexterity, foot controls, handling, hearing, kneeling, lifting, pushing/pulling, reaching, sitting, standing, talking, twisting, vision, walking.
  • Physical Activities Required: Balancing, bending, carrying, climbing, crawling, crouching, fine dexterity, foot controls, handling, hearing, kneeling, lifting, pushing/pulling, reaching, sitting, standing, talking, twisting, vision, walking.
  • PRIMARY WORK ENVIRONMENT: Indoors and outdoors.
  • SHIFT WORK: No.
  • CALL-OUT: Yes.

  Skills

  • Customer Service
  • Dependability and Consistency
  • Teamwork
  • Safety
  • Job Knowledge
  • Motivation and Initiative
  • Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Productivity and Work Quality

  Benefits

  • Retirement benefits with Texas Municipal Retirement System.
  • Contributions by payroll deduction.
  • Health/Dental/Vision/Prescription insurance PPO and HDHP/HSA plans.
  • Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account with a High Deductible Health Plan.
  • Life insurance - 2x annual salary through New York Life. Fully paid by City and 1x annual salary through TMRS.
  • Total of 3x annual base salary.
  • Long-Term Disability for all full-time City employees.
  • Thirteen paid holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Friday following, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and one floating holiday.
  • Vacation - Earn three weeks of vacation in the first year.
  • Sick leave accrues each full pay period.
  • Sick leave conversion to vacation leave (once per year in January).
  • Sick leave buy back (if budget allows; once per year).
  • Bereavement leave, military leave, jury duty leave.
  • Longevity pay $8 per month of service; paid once per year.
  • Workers' compensation benefits.
  • Tuition reimbursement - $2,000 per year.
  • Direct Deposit - City of Wylie Payroll will deposit employee paycheck to any bank accepting wire transfers.
  • Free Recreation Center family membership.
  • City pays every two weeks. (26 pay periods per year)

  Pay

  Competitive compensation package including salary and benefits.

  Schedule

  No specific schedule provided.