School Resource Officer

Under general supervision performs general and specialized law enforcement work for the City of Suffolk Police Department. This position’s primary duty assignment is within the Special Operations Division as a School Resource Officer (SRO), where the day to day function during the school year is the continuous development of a safe and engaged school environment for Suffolk Public Schools. Work involves protecting lives, property, and rights of the public; investigating criminal activity; serving criminal process papers; and assisting in community functions. Employee is also responsible for preparing files, reports and records and testifying in court. Employee must exercise tact and firmness in frequent public contact. Employee is expected to exercise independent judgment and initiative in performing assigned tasks. The employee is subject to the usual hazards of law enforcement work. Job functions may vary based on area of assignment within the Police Department.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

• Patrols and ensures the safety of assigned school and school event.
• Coordinates school related security events after and during school hours.
• Attend various school functions such as athletic and club events.
• Provide education and instruction to schools on law-enforcement topics.
• Direct traffic as schools as assigned and necessary.
• Patrols an assigned area of the City using a police vehicle to detect and deter criminal activities; monitors radio calls; inspects troublesome areas and checks security of business establishments; answers complaint calls and investigates crimes and disturbances; interviews witnesses; gathers evidence and transports to the lab; interrogates suspects and makes arrests; prepares investigation reports.
• Serves legal papers such as summons and warrants and civil process papers; explains briefly the meaning of the papers served and makes arrests when necessary.
• Prepares various reports and forms such as case files, offense reports, accident reports, tow sheets and cards, property vouchers, lab requests, etc.
• Receives and handles citizen complaints and inquiries.
• Transports prisoners and mental patients as required; serves mental papers.
• Investigates accidents; performs first aid; secures and clears accident scenes; directs traffic; investigates fatalities of accidents.
• Investigates misdemeanor and felony crimes; conducts building checks; reports traffic hazards.
• Processes minor crime scenes including collecting, packaging, and vouchering evidence, photographing, and sketching; prepares felony case reports.
• Monitors vehicle speeds with radar; conducts criminal and driving checks; issues summons for violations; operates breathalyzer machine.
• Conducts surveillance using relevant techniques.
• Assists State and Federal agencies in conducting various investigations; prepares affidavits and search warrants; testifies in court.
• Teaches programs based on topic areas of assigned units; prepares visual aids, lesson plans, handouts, etc.; participates in extracurricular activities; builds a rapport with program participants to accomplish program intent.
• Answers confidential "crime line" public access phone for reporting crime and other information; provides reports to crime stoppers international; maintains records of calls received and numbers calls; meets with Board on approval of the "crime line".
• Processing arrest information; notes warrant has been executed; updates communications division files.
• Retrieves warrants from magistrate's office and the courts; assigns warrant number; logs warrants in warrant book; prepares card for communications division files; files warrants; purges felony and misdemeanor warrants as required by law; executes state and local criminal warrants.
• Coordinates policing efforts with civic leagues and community groups; attends civic league and PTA meetings; participates in community functions; acts as liaison between schools and Police Department.
• Monitors interior and exterior of school buildings; develops a rapport between police and students to deter crime in schools.
• Prepares brochures and other documents to promote the Police Department.
• Counsels teachers, students, parents, etc.; maintains security during school events.
• May provide security services for all city owned facilities; council meetings/work sessions; city functions; and escort services for city personnel.
• May organize and conducts security assessment drills.
• May develop, implement and maintain physical security systems for city owned facilities as directed.
• May maintain security access database and assists with issuance of new security cards.
• May provide miscellaneous administrative and support assistance to the Police Department as directed.
• May develop and update emergency plans as directed.
• May conduct CEPTED analysis of facilities and office spaces.
• May conduct security awareness programs for employees.
• May works in conjunction with Risk Management on items of shared interest.
• Escorts funeral processions, parade, public figures and other special assignments; coordinates traffic patterns.
• May investigate communicable diseases and exposure; coordinates initial and follow up medical care for exposed employees; maintains medical records, testing, and training.
• May assist disabled motorists with simple repair work such as changing flat tires, unlocking doors, or by contacting others for assistance; may provide directions, answer simple inquiries, etc.
• Reports unsafe conditions in city streets, sidewalks, public facilities, etc.
• May participate in special public information programs such as seat belt safety campaigns, child fingerprinting projects, etc.; speaks at public and community functions; prepares classes for community participation.
• Notifies next of kin of deaths and accidents.
• Trains and supervises new officers in the field; may act as general instructor for the Police Academy.
• Maintains police vehicle and issued equipment; maintains proficiency in skilled use of firearms.
• Performs other related duties as required.

• Graduation from high school and five years of experience in law enforcement, or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

• Must have an active certification as a law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Certified as a School Resource Officer.
• Must possess a valid driver's license.
• Must complete 40 hours of in-service training every year.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified as a CIT officer.
• First Aid/CPR certified.
• Virginia DCJS General Instructor.
• Mental Health First Aid certified.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to provide credible testimony in a court of law.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments and/or directions to subordinates or assistants.
• Ability to read a variety of reports, records and memorandums.
• Ability to prepare reports, correspondence, forms, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style.
• Ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
• Ability to learn and understand relatively complex principles and techniques.
• Ability to make independent judgments in absence of supervision.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including legal and medical terminology, and emergency response codes.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas. Must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Must be able to utilize decimals and percentages.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
• Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with emergency situations.
• Knowledge of modern law enforcement practices, procedures and investigation techniques.
• Knowledge of local, State and federal laws relative to civil and criminal processes.
• Knowledge of the locations of streets, roads, highways and the geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the City.
• Knowledge of the content and purpose of legal papers and the practices involved in serving them.
• Skill in the use of firearms and other law enforcement equipment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in emergency and routine situations and to adopt quick, effective and reasonable courses of action.
• Ability to apply interpretation of laws to specific situations.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports.
• Ability to present court testimony effectively.
• Ability to exercise tact and firmness in contact with the general public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.