Police Officer- Academy Graduates

Police Officer

The members of the Martinez Police Department are dedicated to providing the highest quality police services. The Department has a staff of 53 FTE's, (37 sworn and 16 FTE professional staff), with an annual operating budget of $16.6 million.

The Martinez Police Department offers a full slate of policing services to the community, including officers dedicated to investigations, traffic enforcement, tactical unit, canine (K-9) units, homeless outreach, crisis intervention, and community engagement / social media.

Active reserve officer and cadet programs supplement the Department and further strengthen community involvement.

The Department operates its own communications center, providing 24 / 7 emergency and non-emergency dispatch services for the Martinez Police Department and other agencies.

The Department assigns its officers in Neighborhood Policing Areas to further engage the community.

Representative Duties

The Police Officer is a journey-level law enforcement class that performs the full scope of assigned law enforcement duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

While incumbents are normally assigned to a specific geographic area for patrol or traffic enforcement, all functional areas of the law enforcement field, including investigation, youth services, administration, and training are included.

New incumbents may have limited related experience but are expected to learn the full range of duties and responsibilities, perform duties with minimal direct supervision, and exercise sound judgment and discretion in making decisions.

This class is distinguished from Police Sergeant in that the latter is the first supervisory level in this sworn class series who perform more complex and difficult tasks and are responsible for organizing, assigning, supervising, and reviewing the work of staff on an assigned shift.

This section contains a list of duties that are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and / or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Patrols assigned areas of the City by car, motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot to preserve law and order, discover and prevent commission of crimes, and to enforce traffic and other laws and ordinances; maintains awareness of and remains alert for wanted suspects, known criminals, stolen vehicles, missing persons, traffic violators, and crimes in progress; issues warnings and citations;
• Responds to calls for the protection of life and property, the enforcement of laws and ordinances, general public service calls, and complaints including those involving automobile accidents, traffic hazards, misdemeanor and felony incidents, domestic disturbances, health code and local ordinance violations, property control, civil complaints, and related incidents; responds to and provides assistance at a variety of public service type calls that are non-criminal in nature; Conducts initial and follow-up investigations at scenes of incidents; determines what, if any, crime has been committed; collects, preserves, processes, photographs and books evidence; locates and interviews victims and witnesses; identifies and interrogates suspects;
• Prepares and serves search and arrest warrants; apprehends and arrests or cites offenders for crimes committed under federal, state, and local laws and codes; controls and mitigates people under the influence of drugs or alcohol or other potentially hostile situations;
• Directs traffic at fires, special events, and other emergency situations; provides traffic and crowd control at parades, festivals, riots, and other events;
• Serves as liaison and public relations officer for the assigned area; establishes and preserves good relationships with the general public; may develop reliable informants and provide intelligence information to divisional and / or departmental personnel;
• Contacts and cooperates with other law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the apprehension of offenders and the investigation of offenses; may respond to requests for assistance from agencies outside the City for mutual aid in the suppression of civil disturbances, apprehension of criminals, or other related requests;
• Performs a variety of administrative and other types of duties in support of law enforcement services, programs, and activities; attends meetings; maintains and calibrates specialized equipment;
• Inspects establishments providing alcoholic beverages and entertainment;
• Administers CPR and first aid in cases of emergency; requests medical attention when necessary;
• Testifies in juvenile, civil, traffic, municipal, and criminal courts, and parole and DMV hearings; prepares and presents evidence; responds to mandatory court calls during irregular hours; Serves subpoenas;
• Participates in training conferences and programs to enhance law enforcement skills including defensive driving skills, apprehension and arrest techniques, investigative skills, and general law enforcement skills;
• Practices the use of firearms;
• Conducts property and building checks for burglary and other criminal activity;
• Conducts chemical, drug, and alcohol testing;
• Prepares a variety of reports including those on activities, operations, arrests made, and unusual incidents observed; prepares investigative reports and case information;
• Assumes responsibility for the care and custody of detained persons; assists in receiving, searching, booking, fingerprinting, and transporting prisoners;
• Occasionally relieves a superior officer;
• Responds to questions, concerns, and requests for service from the general public; answers questions from the public concerning local and state laws, procedures, and activities of the department; provides information as appropriate and resolves complaints;
• May train and assist less experienced personnel as assigned; may serve as a Field Training Officer; documents trainee progress and prepares evaluations; serves as acting watch commander as assigned;
• When assigned, operates a motorcycle in traffic enforcement;
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received and Exercised : Receives general supervision from assigned supervisory or management personnel. No supervision of staff is exercised.

Qualifications / Education / Experience

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be :

Minimum Qualifications : A high school graduate, passed the General Education Development test or other high school equivalency test approved by CDE, or have attained a two-year, four-year, or advanced degree from an accredited or approved institution. Graduation from a California POST approved police academy or possession of a valid POST Basic Course Waiver. Incumbents must meet criteria mandated by the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) and California Government Code Section 1031.

Desirable : An associate's degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in criminal justice, psychology, business administration, public administration or related field.

Other Requirements :

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

Law Enforcement Knowledge :

Safety and Emergency Practices :

Technical and Operational Skills :

Communication and Reporting :