Police Officer (Certified Lateral)

About the role

The City of Suffolk is seeking certified police officers to transfer to their growing force. This role involves protecting lives, property, and rights of the public; investigating criminal activity; serving legal papers; and assisting in community functions.

Responsibilities

• Patrols an assigned area of the City using a police vehicle to detect and deter criminal activities.
• Makes arrests, interviews suspects, and prepares investigation reports.
• Serves legal papers such as summonses and warrants.
• Prepares various reports and forms like case files, offense reports, accident reports, and lab requests.
• Answers citizen complaints and inquiries.
• Transports prisoners and mental patients as required.
• Investigates accidents, performs first aid, and secures accident scenes.
• Conducts criminal and driving checks, issues summonses, and operates breathalyzer machines.
• Covers surveillance using relevant techniques and assists state and federal agencies in investigations.
• Teaches programs based on topic areas of assigned units.
• Recruits and trains new officers, coordinates training sessions, and administers physical agility tests.
• Provides media contact, coordinates traffic patterns, and assists with security services.
• Investigates communicable diseases and exposure, coordinates medical care, and maintains medical records.
• Assists disabled motorists with simple repairs and provides directions.
• Reports unsafe conditions and participates in special public information programs.
• Trains and supervises new officers in the field.
• Maintains police vehicles and issued equipment.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school and one to two years of experience in law enforcement work, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Must be a Certified Virginia police officer or able to gain reciprocity.
• Valid driver's license with a negative 3 or higher point value (or equivalent).
• Completes 40 hours of in-service training every two years.

Qualifications

• Ability to provide credible testimony in a court of law.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics of data, people or things.
• Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information.
• Ability to read and prepare reports, correspondence, forms, etc.
• Ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control, and confidence.
• Knowledge of modern law enforcement practices, procedures, and investigation techniques.
• Knowledge of local, State, and federal laws relative to civil and criminal processes.
• Knowledge of the locations of streets, roads, highways, and the geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the City.
• Knowledge of the content and purpose of legal papers and the practices involved in serving them.
• Skills in the use of firearms and other law enforcement equipment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in emergency and routine situations and to adopt quick, effective, and reasonable courses of action.
• Ability to apply interpretation of laws to specific situations.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports.
• Ability to present court testimony effectively.
• Ability to exercise tact and firmness in contact with the general public.

Skills

• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas.
• Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including legal and medical terminology, and emergency response codes.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas.

Benefits

• $10,000 signing bonus to each new hire who successfully completes their one-year probationary period.
• 40 hours of recognition leave.

Pay

Salary commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Hours are typically full-time, with some flexibility based on department needs.