POLICE SERGEANT
POLICE SERGEANT
$5,611-$6,819/mo.
+ Lateral Hiring Incentives
www.sonoraca.com
209-588-8946
Open Until Filled
POLICE SERGEANT
DEFINITION
A Police Sergeant supervises, assigns, reviews and participates in the work of sworn and
non-sworn staff responsible for providing patrol, traffic, investigations, crime prevention,
dispatch, records, community relations, training, and/or related services and activities; acts
as a watch commander as assigned; ensures work quality and adherence to established
policies and procedures; participates in community based police activities and programs;
performs a variety of technical and administrative tasks in support of law enforcement
services and activities; and performs related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The classification of Police Sergeant is the first level of supervision within the Chain of
Command of the Police Department. This classification receives general supervision from
the Police Lieutenant or Police Chief and exercises direct supervision over assigned
personnel.
Absent a higher ranking officer, the responsibility to assure shift operational efficiency shall
be the primary responsibility of a Police Sergeant.
An individual holding the rank of Police Sergeant is expected to be familiar with all the
responsibilities and duties of other sworn and non-sworn personnel they may be working
with.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
In addition to those essential job functions assigned to a Police Officer, and other duties as
assigned, a Sergeant's essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
< Plan, coordinate, prioritize, assign, supervise, review, and participate in the work of
sworn and non-sworn personnel on an assigned shift.
< Participate in administration of the department’s budget, as well as grant allocations;
submit recommendations; monitor expenditures; participate in other administrative
functions as assigned.
< Monitor work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and
procedures; participate in the development of policies and procedures; make
recommendations for changes and improvements to existing policies and procedures.
< Conduct periodic staff (personnel inspections) and equipment inspections (including
vehicle inspections); coordinating vehicle maintenance and repair.
< Supervise dispatchers, records personnel, community service officers and any other
non-sworn personnel.
< Prepare and maintain shift schedules for patrol, dispatch and other personnel;
schedule time off and leave requests and distribute shift pick selections.
< Act as a liaison with other outside agencies, the public, and between management and
subordinate personnel.
< Contact and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in matters relating to the
investigation of crimes and the apprehension of offenders, disaster preparedness,
training, information systems and police program management.
< Establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals contacted in
the course of work.
< Anticipate libelous situations; reduce or eliminate civil exposure.
< Answer questions from the public concerning local and State and Federal laws,
procedures, and activities of the department; participate in community meetings,
including oral presentations.
< Train and evaluate assigned personnel; provide training, guidance, and counseling to
assigned personnel; complete employee performance evaluations and reviews as
required on sworn and non-sworn personnel; promote career development of staff.
< Provide firearm training and qualification for staff members and others as assigned.
< Develop lesson plans and training sessions for firearms and less lethal weapons.
< Provide maintenance and repairs to department weapons, along with armory and range
equipment.
< Operate, demonstrate and provide instruction on a variety of weapons, to include
shotguns, handguns, patrol rifles and 37 mm launcher.
< Participate in all normal shift activities as assigned, including enforcing local and
State and Federal laws, issuing citations, making arrests, administering first aid;
responding to hazardous materials incidents and completing necessary forms and
reports.
< Prepare regular and special reports.
< Coordinate and supervise special programs or projects as assigned, such as, but not
limited to, Reserve Officers, Range, Field Training Officer (FTO), Volunteer Groups
and Neighborhood Watch.
< Conduct Internal Affairs Investigations.
< Supervise and assist subordinates in follow-up investigations, including the gathering
of evidence, questioning of witnesses, and apprehension of suspects.
< Supervise and participate in the preparation of reports for various cases, including
cases going to trial; prepare supplemental reports as required; appear in court to
present evidence and testimony as required.
< May coordinate the activities of sworn and non-sworn personnel in planning for and
dealing with emergency and hazardous situations.
< Other assigned activities by the Chief of Police or Police Lieutenant.
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
• Modern police methods and procedures, including patrol, crime prevention, traffic
control, and investigation.
• Pertinent local and State and Federal laws, codes and regulations, including laws
governing the apprehension, arrest, and custody of persons.
• Rules of evidence pertaining to search and seizure and preservation of evidence in
traffic and criminal cases.
• Techniques and applications of self defense and proper use of force.
• Use, operation, and maintenance of police equipment, such as police radios, vehicles,
and tools (including firearms, TASERS and impact weapons).
• Police firearms, ammunition and range safety standards.
• Firearms inspection and repair.
• Range training and target systems.
• Principles and methods of training and instruction as it relates to police firearms and
less lethal weapons.
• Proficient understanding of and ability to use computers and supporting applications.
• Methods and techniques used in interviewing witnesses, victims, or suspects.
• Principles and techniques used in public relations, including techniques and principles
of effective interpersonal communication.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation, including principles of business
letter writing and basic report preparation and review.
• Principals and practices of personnel deployment, supervision, training, scheduling
and performance evaluation.
Ability to:
• Supervise, organize, schedule, evaluate, train and review work of assigned sworn and
non-sworn staff.
• Gather, assemble, analyze, evaluate, and use facts and evidence.
• Obtain information through observation, investigation, and the interviewing of
victims, complainants, witnesses, and suspects.
• Conduct and supervise a variety of criminal and special investigations.
• Control violent people and affect arrests.
• Use and care of firearms, other police equipment and vehicles.
• Exercise sound judgment and rational thinking under dangerous and stressful
conditions.
• Interpret, apply, and make decisions in accordance with applicable local and State and
Federal policies, laws and regulations.
• Interpret and explain City law enforcement policies and procedures.
• Think clearly and act quickly in a variety of situations.
• Perform the full range of law enforcement assignments.
• Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing, including preparing
clear and concise reports and routine correspondence.
• Engage tactfully and courteously with the public and law enforcement personnel.
• Demonstrate a high ability to interact with the public courteously, with patience and
a positive attitude.
• Maintain contact and preserve good relations with the public; respond to requests and
inquiries from the general public in a timely manner.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the
course of work.
• Wear police utility belt (weighing approximately 30 pounds); during special
operations, wear other police equipment weighing up to an additional 40 pounds.
• Work irregular and on-call hours, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.
• Meet weapons qualifications for pistol, shotgun, rifle, TASER, impact weapons and
other weapons as required.
Education/Experience:
• In addition to meeting the minimum requirements for Police Officer, a Police
Sergeant must have five years of full time responsible experience in a California
P.O.S.T. law enforcement agency at the level of Police Officer or higher.
• Must possess a P.O.S.T. Intermediate Certificate at time of application.
• Must possess an Associates of Arts degree from an accredited college in the field of
Administration of Justice, Police Science, Business Management or a related field or
60 college semester units of course work from an accredited college in the field of
Law Enforcement, Business Management or a related field. A Bachelors Degree from
an accredited college/university is desirable.
• Must successfully complete a P.O.S.T. certified Supervisory Training Course within
12 months from date of appointment (paid for by the City).
• Two years of experience working as, or with, a firearms instructor (only applies to
Firearms Instructor Assignment).
• Possession of a POST Firearms Instructor Certificate, or be able to obtain a POST
Firearms Instructor Certificate within one year after appointment to the assignment
(only applies to Firearms Instructor Assignment).
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to
successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may
be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Physical Demands: Primary functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary
for sufficient mobility to work in a law enforcement setting; restrain or subdue individuals;
walk, stand,sit, or run for prolonged periods of time; occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch,
reach, and twist; occasionally climb and balance; regularly push, pull, lift, and/or carry light
to moderate weights; frequently lift and/or move moderate to heavy weights; occasionally
lift and or move heavy weights; wear a police utility belt (approximately 30 pounds); during
special operations wear other police equipment weighing up to an additional 40 pounds;
operate law enforcement and general office equipment; requires a sense of touch, finger
dexterity, and gripping with hands and fingers; ability to communicate verbally to exchange
information; ability to operate office equipment including use of computer keyboard; ability
to operate a vehicle to travel to various locations; ability to operate firearms, TASER, knives,
impact weapons and handcuffs; see in the normal visual range with or without correction;
vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents and to operate equipment;
hear in the normal audio range with or without correction; other requirements as provided
in the P.O.S.T. Medical Screening Manual.
Work Environment: Reactive emergency, natural or man-made disaster, and routine peace
keeping environments with travel from site to site; work in intense life-threatening
conditions; exposure to dangerous persons, firearms and communicable diseases; frequently
exposed to vibration; frequently exposed to outside weather conditions, such as extreme cold,
extreme heat, rain or snow. The employee is required to work frequently with the public in
crisis and non-crisis situations; exposed to potentially hostile environments. The employee
is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles; extreme/uncomfortable conditions in
various types of structures. The employee is infrequently exposed to explosives, toxic or
caustic chemicals, moving mechanical parts, working in high, precarious places, and risk of
electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, the
noise level is occasionally very loud due to sirens, firearm training, etc.