Police Officer/ (Lateral)

This recruitment is subject to close without advance notice.

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for May 16th, 2025

Competitive Wages:

4% COLA increases effective July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026

Signing/Recruiting/Retention Bonus

The City provides a signing bonus to employees hired after July 1, 2019. The employee will receive a bonus for each qualifying event:

First Day of Employment: Twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)

Eighteen (18) Months of Employment: Twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)

Forty-Two (42) Months of Employment: Twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)

The City of San Marino has a full-time Police Officer/ (Lateral) position available in the Police Department. The City is seeking a seasoned law enforcement professional to join our team. If you are interested in joining a team that is motivated by public service and committed to protecting our community, apply today!

The San Marino Police Department’s motto is Pride in Service - join a team that cares about providing a high level of service to our community and to those we serve. The San Marino Police Department is comprised of 32 sworn officers and 11.5 civilian staff. San Marino Police Department is led by a Chief of Police, two Bureau Commanders and a Civilian Administrative Manager. The sergeants, corporals, and officers are assigned to patrol or detective functions, as well as other collateral administrative duties.

GENERAL PURPOSE

Under general supervision, a Police Officer is responsible to patrol an assigned area in the prevention of crime and the enforcement of law and order; carry out special assignments in the protection of life and property and perform related tasks as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a sworn law enforcement classification under Section 830.1 of the California Penal Code that meets and maintains all standards required by P.O.S.T. Officers report to a Police Sergeant on an assigned rotating watch. Officers receive training and day-to-day direction from the Sergeants as first line supervisor and/or Corporals as Shift Commanders and maintain close working relationships with officers and other command staff, as well as department personnel in the communications, records, and administration. Officers may be assigned to provide training for new officers and other department personnel.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The duties, skills, and demands described here 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 a disability to perform the essential duties, skills, and demands.

Duties:

• Patrol an assigned area on foot, bike or by motor vehicle to suppress crime and enforce state law, city ordinances or regulations.
• Handle specialized duties in the traffic enforcement, accident investigation, criminal investigation or records section.
• Respond to calls for service as directed.
• Note and report traffic hazards; Direct traffic; investigate and prepare reports on accidents, crimes, and miscellaneous activities.
• Provide directions and information to the public and community members.
• Make physical arrests; issue citations or verbal warnings; and prepare reports on arrests and store or impound property.
• Intervene in private or public disputes, as necessary, to protect the public and to maintain order.
• Appear in court, whether on or off duty, as the arresting officer, or as a witness.
• Transport detainees, investigate complaints, interrogate suspects, and interview victims or witnesses.
• Write a daily log of activities, operate a radio in dispatching patrol units, fingerprint prisoners, take photographs of prisoners, crime or accident scenes, and accept bail and give receipts.
• Utilize computer equipment to access information and complete reports.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of

• The safe use of firearms handheld and shoulder weapons, batons, chemical agents, handcuffs, other restraints, and other specialized law enforcement weapons and equipment.
• Familiarity with standard office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software, CAD, portable radio, 2-way radio, binoculars, and night viewing devices.
• Local, State, and Federal requirements for sworn public safety officers.
• Standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.
• Law enforcement terminology concepts, and department policies and performance standards.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws and appropriate court decisions, including those relating to civil liability and P.O.S.T. training standards.
• Community/problem-oriented policing methodologies.
• Principals of community engagement and neighborhood watch.
• Incident Command System.
• Standard broadcasting procedures of a police radio system.
• Correct English usage, spelling, grammar, punctuation and basic mathematics.

Skills/Abilities

• Operate motor vehicles, portable radio, 2-way radio, binoculars, night viewing devices, barricades, traffic cones, flares, pry bars, bicycles, finger printing apparatus, computer, digital and video cameras; gas masks; and to use and care for firearms.
• To wear gas masks, CPR protective shield, latex gloves, rain gear.
• Perform CPR if required.
• Understand, and respond to, the public's and staff's requests for assistance both on the phone and in person.
• Use appropriate physical techniques in the apprehension and restraint of detainees.
• Meet all State and Federal requirements for sworn public safety officers; read and understand departmental policies, rules, instructions, laws, regulations and police literature, together with an aptitude for law enforcement work.
• Analyze situations and adopt a prompt, effective, and reasonable course of action; and observe and remember names, faces, and details of incidents.
• Communicate clearly and accurately both in writing and orally; write clear and accurate reports; prepare detailed narrative reports and sort/file documents; and make oral presentations.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Develop physical endurance and agility.
• Set priorities, organize workflow and maintain organization of work and records; multi-task and be responsive to time-sensitive matters; Understand and follow instructions.
• Use time effectively and efficiently to maximize work assignments.
• Exercise good judgment and uphold confidentiality in maintaining critical and sensitive information, records, and reports; understand, interpret, and apply general administrative and departmental policies and procedures.
• Show interest and understand the needs, expectations, and circumstances of internal and external customers.
• Develop and maintain working relationships.
• Fully comprehend spoken communication by picking up on nuances in tone and meaning and being attentive to non-verbal cues and body language.
• Maintain emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity.
• Display honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability.
• Appreciate the benefits of varied backgrounds and cultures.
• Respond positively to change and modify behavior as the situation requires.
• Adhere to all safety practices and procedures and encourage and support others to be safe in their work activities.
• Have sound collaborative decision-making, judgement and diplomacy skills.
• Show empathy towards the community and colleagues.
• Have service mentality, respect for and sincere desire to help others with diverse background and experiences.
• Have strong sense of integrity and commitment to ethical behavior and accountability.
• Have courage to intervene and protect against unethical behavior.
• Work collaboratively with team members to create and support a positive customer service environment.
• Demonstrate, promote and support a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be:

Police Officer:

Education

• Graduation from high school (or substitution of G.E.D. or California Proficiency Certificate).
• Completion of a P.O.S.T. basic academy course.

Licenses/Certificates

• Possession of a valid California Class "C" Driver License with a satisfactory driving record.
• Possession and maintenance of certified training as required by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Police Officer (Lateral):

Education

• Graduation from high school (or substitution of G.E.D. or California Proficiency Certificate).
• The officer must have successfully completed a California POST approved Basic Academy.
• The officer must have completed a California POST approved Training Program or have completed and received a California POST basic course waiver, subject to review and approval by the Chief of Police.
• The hired officer must possess a valid Basic POST certificate or higher issued by the State of California or a California POST basic course waiver, subject to approval by the Chief of Police.

Definitions.

a) Lateral Police Officer candidate is a person who has completed a California certified POST Basic Academy, a California POST approved Training Program and possesses a POST Basic Certificate issued by the State of California. Additionally, the candidate may have completed and received a California POST basic course waiver.

b) A POST Academy graduate candidate is a person who has graduated from a California POST Approved Basic Academy and does not possess a California POST Basic Certificate.

Licenses/Certificates

• Possession of a valid California Class "C" Driver License with a satisfactory driving record.
• Possession and maintenance of certified training as required by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical demands

Employee is regularly required to sit at a desk, in meetings or in a vehicle for long periods of time; talk or listen, in person, in meetings and by telephone; use hands and fingers to handle, feel or operate office and police equipment; and reach with hands and arms. Vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus and be free from color blindness. Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction. Lift up to 15 pounds intermittently; twist to reach equipment; walk to observe department activities; periodically bend and squat; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and communicate through written means; interact with employees and the public in possible challenging situations. Frequently walk up and down stairs. Regularly required to run, jump, push, pull, drive safely at high speeds and in adverse conditions, physically apprehend and subdue suspects. Get in and out of a patrol vehicle up to 100 times per day; sit in a patrol vehicle for up to two hours at a time; and occasionally lift, maneuver, and/or move unaided up to 180 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception, the ability to adjust, focus, and be free from color blindness.

Work environment

Employee generally works 10% indoors and (90% outdoors (including time spent in a patrol car or other police vehicle). Employee goes from being seated in a docile position in their police cars or office to a highly energized position and then return to the docile position. The job can be very fast paced within a short period of time.

While performing the duties of this job indoors, the work environment is generally in a temperature-controlled office. Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but the employee may occasionally be exposed to loud talking and interruptions from telephones, office equipment and/or members of the public and emergency vehicle sirens

Employee regularly works outdoors at all times of day and in all weather conditions and is routinely exposed to hazardous situations that may result in injury, death or use of deadly force on others. While performing the duties of this job outdoors, the employee may be exposed to noise, vibration, extremes in temperature or humidity, dust, most weather conditions. Noise levels in the work environment is usually moderate but the employee may occasionally be exposed to high level noises including but not limited to emergency vehicle sirens, gun fire, road traffic, shouting, and yelling.