Patrol Sergeant

POSITION TITLE: Patrol Sergeant

DEPARTMENT: Freeport Police Department

RATE CLASS: Hourly

REPORTS TO: Police Lieutenant/Captain

SHIFT: 12-hour shifts

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS:

High school diploma or GED; 21 years of age minimum age requirement; Pass a written exam and physical agility; Licensed by the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement; Must have a valid driver's license with good driving record; 3 years law enforcement experience and have an Intermediate Peace Officer Certification or higher; Must have the ability to communicate well with general public, supervisors, and co-workers.

JOB SUMMARY:

Perform job with professionalism, respect, integrity, compassion, accountability and transparency. Ability to perform work of a patrol officer, requiring good physical and mental condition. Ability to train, mentor and supervise subordinate personnel. Ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing. Ability to exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and in making decisions. Ability to establish and maintain effective working partnerships with subordinates, peers, supervisors and the general public. Ability to foster positive relationship between the members of the police department and community. Enforce laws, preserve peace, protect life and property. Investigate crime, apprehend lawbreakers, and provide community services. Model desirable values and ethics to subordinates and members of the community; build positive morale throughout the department.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

Problem solving, observational, teamwork, writing, math, computer, and self-management skills; be mature, levelheaded, honest, intelligent, cooperative, courteous, and dependable. Considerable knowledge of applicable laws, ordinances, departmental standard operating procedures and regulations. Skilled in the operation of job specific tools and equipment.

DUTIES & RESPOSIBILITIES:

• Normally works under the general supervision of a Police Lieutenant/Captain.
• Required to perform shift work including days, evenings, and nights including weekends and holidays.
• Attendance at work is an essential function of this position.
• Performs a variety of routine and complex public safety work in the performance and administration of police patrol, investigation, traffic regulation, and related law enforcement activities.
• Carries out duties in conformance with Federal, State, County, and City laws and ordinances.
• Patrols city streets, parks, commercial and residential areas to preserve the peace and enforce the law, control vehicular traffic, prevent or detect and investigate misconduct involving misdemeanors, felonies and other law violations; and to otherwise serve and protect.
• Responds to emergency radio calls and investigates accidents, robberies, civil disturbances, domestic disputes, fights, drunkenness, missing children, prowlers, abuse of drugs, etc. Takes appropriate law enforcement action.
• Interviews and/or interrogates suspects, witnesses and victims; preserves evidence; arrests violators; investigates and renders assistance at scene of vehicular accidents; conducts follow-up investigations of crimes committed during assigned shift; seeks out and questions victim, witnesses and suspects; develops leads and tips; searches scene of crimes for clues; analyses and evaluates evidence and arrests offenders; prepares cases for giving testimony and testifies in court proceedings.
• Operates a motor vehicle to assist in carrying out the business of the department and the City.
• Using excellent community relation skills, establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees, officials, and all members of the general public.
• Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
• Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
• Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
• Render aid to persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
• Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.
• Evaluate complaint and emergency-request information to determine response requirements.
• Patrol and respond promptly to calls for assistance.
• Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity.
• Photograph crime scenes or accident scenes, and interview principals and eyewitnesses.
• Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
• Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
• Issue citations or warnings to violators of motor vehicle ordinances.
• Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.
• Work traffic accidents.
• Provide road information to assist motorists.
• Process prisoners, and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and status during booking and pre-trial process.
• Inspect public establishments to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Act as official escorts, such as when leading funeral processions.
• Prepares a variety of reports and records.
• Exercises general supervision over police officers and other staff as assigned and supervise their duties.
• Supervises the scheduling and day to day assignments, and coordinating of shift activities.
• Reviews a variety of police related reports prepared by subordinate officers or others.
• Maintains contact with all police personnel to coordinate investigation activities, provide mutual assistance during emergency situations and provide general information about Department activities.
• Maintains contact with general public, court officials, and other City officials in the performance of police activities, as assigned.
• Assures efficient performance of assigned staff.
• Conducts periodic performance evaluation and planning sessions for assigned personnel.
• Counsels assigned personnel on job performance and disciplinary matters.
• Coordinates and supervises the training, assignment, development of subordinate police officers.
• Coordinates activities with supervisors or other city departments, exchanges information with officers in other law enforcement agencies.
• Makes decisions regarding assignment of subordinate staff and the investigation of incidents during the shift.
• Does related work as directed.
• Conforms to the oral and written policies of the Freeport Police Department.

OTHER DUTIES:

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of work performed by the Sergeant and is not intended to be all-inclusive. All employees are expected to perform tasks as assigned by their supervisor; furthermore, additional hours may be required in times of necessity.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to pass a physical examination and drug screen.
• Ability to lift objects, bending, stooping, crawling, standing, and walking for extended periods of time.
• Ability to operate, maneuver and/or steer equipment and machinery requiring simple, but continuous adjustments, such as squad car, restraint devices, computer terminal, first aid equipment, and cameras.
• Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, feet, and limbs in performing semi-skilled movements such as data entry.
• Ability to exert moderate physical effort in sedentary to light work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling.
• Ability to recognize and identify degrees of similarities or differences between characteristics of colors, forms, sound and odors associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.
• Emergency or non-traditional work hours will be necessary.
Ability to work under pressure with numerous distractions while maintaining good ethics and public service skills in adverse circumstances.

All municipal employees will be expected to show and maintain a high level of initiative, enthusiasm, and motivation towards the improvement of ALL aspects of the Freeport community. Employees will also be expected to be available for work, to report to work in a dependable and timely fashion, and to be physically and mentally fit to do their assigned work.