Police Officer - H.E.A.T (Traffic Unit)

About the role

The H.E.A.T. Officer is a specialized police officer assigned to the South Fulton Police Department Traffic Unit responsible for proactive enforcement of traffic laws, with emphasis on DUI enforcement, impaired driving investigations, aggressive driving, distracted driving, occupant protection, and traffic safety initiatives. Officers demonstrate high initiative, sound judgment, professional conduct, and knowledge of traffic enforcement laws and investigative procedures, conducting proactive traffic enforcement during periods of elevated traffic activity and impaired‑driving risk, participating in targeted traffic‑safety operations, checkpoints, enforcement details, educational initiatives, and other activities designed to reduce traffic‑related crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

Responsibilities

• Enforce Georgia traffic laws and applicable local ordinances.
• Conduct proactive traffic enforcement within the City of South Fulton jurisdiction.
• Identify and address violations associated with unsafe, aggressive, reckless, and distracted driving.
• Conduct traffic stops in accordance with department policy and applicable law.
• Take appropriate enforcement action based on the circumstances of each violation.
• Promote voluntary compliance with traffic laws through professional and effective enforcement.
• Identify locations and traffic behaviors presenting increased risk to motorists, pedestrians, and other roadway users.
• Focus on detection, investigation, and enforcement of DUI and other impaired‑driving offenses.
• Conduct DUI investigations per applicable law, department policy, and established procedures.
• Utilize appropriate roadside investigative techniques and observations when investigating suspected impaired drivers.
• Document DUI and impaired‑driving investigations accurately and thoroughly.
• Obtain and maintain specialized training necessary for DUI and impaired‑driving enforcement.
• Assist with targeted impaired‑driving enforcement operations.
• Conduct proactive enforcement of aggressive and reckless driving violations.
• Enforce applicable distracted‑driving laws.
• Identify driving behaviors that increase risk of crashes, injury, or death.
• Participate in targeted enforcement details addressing aggressive, reckless, and distracted driving.
• Develop enforcement strategies based on observed traffic patterns, crash trends, complaints, and other information.
• Participate in monthly traffic‑safety enforcement details.
• Participate in vehicle checkpoints and other approved traffic enforcement operations.
• Travel to other jurisdictions when assigned to assist with vehicle checkpoints, traffic‑safety details, and educational events.
• Participate in traffic‑safety education and community outreach activities.
• Assist with special traffic enforcement initiatives conducted by the department, city, county, state, or other authorized agencies.
• Provide assistance to other department units during significant traffic incidents and special events when requested.

Schedule

Primary work schedule is generally 6:00 PM – 4:00 AM, with occasional adjustments to 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM based on operational needs; approximately 80% of assigned hours occur during nighttime and weekends. Officers must be willing to work evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, special details, and other assignments as operational needs require, maintaining flexibility to support department traffic‑safety initiatives and special enforcement operations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of twenty‑four (24) months of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer.
• Current sworn law enforcement status and eligibility for assignment within the South Fulton Police Department.
• Satisfactory work performance history.
• Recommendation from the applicant's current supervisor.
• Valid Georgia driver's license.
• Valid Georgia Peace Officer Certification in good standing (must remain in good standing throughout selection and assignment).
• Meet all applicable requirements established by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and the City of South Fulton Police Department.
• Willingness to obtain and maintain specialized training such as Advanced Traffic Law, Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), DUI enforcement and investigation, traffic crash investigation, aggressive/reckless driving enforcement, distracted driving enforcement, traffic safety and enforcement strategies, and Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) certification.
• Successful completion of a thorough background investigation, including criminal history, driver's history, employment history, internal disciplinary history, performance history, fingerprinting, polygraph examination, and other applicable background‑screening procedures.
• Meet applicable City of South Fulton Police Department physical fitness and agility standards for the assignment (running, standing/walking for extended periods, pursuing/apprehending suspects, entering/exiting police vehicles repeatedly, working near roadways and traffic, operating emergency equipment, and performing other physically demanding police functions).

Skills

• Knowledge of Georgia traffic laws and applicable local ordinances.
• Understanding of DUI and impaired‑driving enforcement principles.
• Proficiency in traffic‑stop procedures.
• Familiarity with aggressive and reckless driving laws.
• Knowledge of distracted‑driving laws.
• Understanding of occupant‑protection requirements.
• Basic crash investigation principles.
• Knowledge of traffic enforcement strategies.
• Officer‑safety principles.
• Familiarity with department policies and procedures.
• Ability to conduct professional and effective traffic stops.
• Ability to recognize indicators of impaired driving.
• Ability to conduct DUI investigations consistent with training and department policy.
• Ability to identify aggressive, reckless, and distracted driving behaviors.
• Effective communication with motorists, witnesses, victims, suspects, and other officers.
• Ability to prepare accurate and comprehensive reports.
• Exercise sound judgment under stressful conditions