Police Officer (Certified)

This position performs general police duties to ensure the strict enforcement of state and local laws relating to public safety and welfare; and performs related law enforcement work as required. This class works according to some procedures but decides how or when to do things; work is reviewed regularly by supervisor.

The work is considered medium-to-heavy in nature and involves walking, standing, running, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and lifting, pushing or pulling objects, and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a recurring basis and 50 to 100 pounds of force on an occasional basis.  Must be able to defend one's self from assault and to restrain suspects of varying weights. The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions: balancing, climbing, crawling, crouching, grasping, handling, lifting, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

Work environment may involve exposure to bright/dim light, dusts and pollen, extreme heat and/or cold, wet or humid conditions, extreme noise levels, animals/wildlife, fumes and/or noxious odors, traffic, electrical shock, heights, disease/pathogens, toxic/caustic chemicals, explosives, violence; and is dynamic that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs. 

• Enforces all federal and state laws and City ordinances relating to public safety and welfare; performs all duties in compliance with applicable policies, procedures, laws, regulations and standards of safety;
• Performs general patrol duties, including but not limited to patrolling assigned areas of the City, monitoring property security, responding to emergency calls and/or public calls for assistance, apprehending and arresting suspects and violent persons, securing crime scenes, seizing property and/or criminal evidence, maintaining public order, investigates narcotics cases; performs undercover work; transporting prisoners and mental patients, etc.;
• Performs traffic enforcement duties, including issuing traffic tickets and warnings, detecting DUI suspects, and assisting with accident reconstruction and investigations;
• Serves warrants, summonses, subpoenas, civil and other official papers;
• Assists with criminal investigations.  Interviews witnesses, complainants and victims; interrogates suspects; gathers physical evidence and preserves it for court; provides case follow-up as needed;
• Provides testimony and presents evidence in court as necessary;
• Administers first aid and assists EMTs at emergency scenes as necessary;
• Participates in special operations as assigned;
• Performs routine service duties, including but not limited to providing escort service for the protection of persons and/or property, assisting stranded motorists, providing funeral escort, directing traffic, providing security and crowd control at special events, etc.; 
• Provides leadership of assigned subordinate officers; offers advice and assistance as needed;
• Participates in officer training;
• Prepares and submits detailed work records and reports;
• Remains abreast of all federal and state laws, and ordinances of the City of Columbia;
• Maintains assigned equipment and vehicle;
• Assists other law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions as required;
• Receives and responds to citizen inquiries, complaints and requests for assistance;
• Participates in neighborhood and community relations programs; attends neighborhood meetings to enhance police/community relationships and to address safety and quality of life issues;
• Attends periodic training sessions and attends seminars and meetings to keep abreast of current law enforcement trends; maintains required physical fitness and required level of proficiency in the use of firearms;
• Works under stressful, high-risk conditions;
• Remains on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for emergency response;
• Performs general clerical work as required, including but not limited to preparing reports and correspondence, entering and retrieving computer data, copying and filing documents, sending and receiving faxes, answering the telephone, etc.; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements to Perform Work:

• High school diploma or GED;
• Some relevant prior experience;
• Valid South Carolina Class “D” Driver’s License; 
• Firearms certifications;
• Class I certification or successfully complete Class I Certification through the Criminal Justice Academy in accordance with §23-23-40 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976.

• Knowledge of addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, and/or calculating ratios, rates and percentages;
• Ability to gather, organize, analyze, examine or evaluate data or information and may prescribe action based on such data or information;
• Ability to persuade or influence others in favor of a service, point of view, or course of action; may enforce laws, rules, regulations or ordinances general;
• Ability to lead, operate or repair complex machinery or equipment that requires extended training and experience, such as police vehicles and equipment, firearms. Involves operations of limited scope;
• Ability to perform skilled work involving rules/systems with almost constant problem-solving;
• Ability to read technical instructions, procedures, manuals and charts to solve practical problems; composing routine reports and specialized reports, forms and business letters with proper format; speaking compound sentences using normal grammar and word form;
• Ability to perform clerical, manual or technical tasks prescribed by standard practices but which may require computation, the use of several procedures, and the use of independent judgments with obvious choices; requires normal attention for accurate results; and
• Ability to guide others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.