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Police Officer - Entry Level

City of Lakewood (WA) | WA

Posted Date 2/24/2025
Description

SUBMIT AN ONLINE APPLICATION *AFTER* PASSING THE WRITTEN AND PHYSICAL ABILITY TESTS CONDUCTED BY PUBLIC SAFETY TESTING (www.publicsafetytesting.com) and MAKE SURE TO SELECT THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD AS YOUR AGENCY OF CHOICE IN YOUR PROFILE. Once you pass both the written and PAT with Public Safety Testing, you'll be advanced to the eligible list for interview and hiring consideration.

Please do not attach awards, certificates of any kind, DD214's or college transcripts until promoted to do so.

Under the direction of a Police Sergeant, perform general duty police work involving resolution of citizen and public safety concerns; the protection of life and property; the enforcement of laws and ordinances; the prevention and investigation of crimes; and maintenance of order.

The incumbent in this position: will help create and nurture a community oriented public safety department as envisioned by the City Council and set forth in the department vision and values statement; will respond positively to citizen concerns, encourage citizen involvement and the development of creative approaches to public safety; will participate in the coordination of Police Department efforts to impact perceived and actual crime problems; and will provide feedback to the department on community concerns and initiatives.

Essential duties may include but are not limited to the following

Attendance:
•Maintain regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.
•May be subject to extended work hours and call back outside of normal shift hours or days.

Conduct Police Investigations:
•Act as primary investigator of all crimes occurring within assigned areas during duty hours; make on scene arrests when warranted; protect crime scenes in situations warranting additional investigation; use varying and justifiable degrees of physical force to overcome resisting suspects and to protect self and others from injury.
•Investigate and/or handle complaints involving family disputes, juvenile disputes, mentally disabled persons.
•Investigate traffic accidents in various weather and traffic conditions; physically direct traffic; place temporary traffic control devices such as portable stop signs, barricades and other forms of directional signing as needed.

Knowledge of Regulatory Compliance/Laws:
•Provide the public with general information on laws and ordinances; explain process of filing a formal complaint; direct citizens to appropriate authorities as necessary, reassure the public regarding concerns with safety.
•Attend meetings, seminars and other training classes to maintain current knowledge of criminal and civil laws, as well as technical skills to remain proficient in the performance of duty; may train other employees.

Primary Duties:
•Patrol designated area of city in police vehicle, on foot patrol, bicycle patrol and/or other conveyances on an assigned shift; patrol business and residential districts to provide an element of safety by obvious visibility; look for crimes or potential crimes or hazardous situations in progress.
•Respond to emergency and routine calls for service.
•Perform computer inquiries from the patrol vehicle and stationary terminals.
•Serve and enforce civil process issued by the courts to include restraining orders, orders for protection, no contact orders, anti-harassment orders and subpoenas; serve arrest and search warrants.
•Pursue fleeing suspects on foot and in vehicles; perform rescue and pursuit operations.
•Provide first aid cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injured persons.
•Take immediate action to remedy hazards and protect life and property.
•Stop traffic violators and take appropriate remedial action; identify suspicious individuals and question their activities.
•Apprehend violators or offenders of the law; in situations where lawful arrests are resisted, the officer must be prepared and able at times through training, judgment and high levels of physical exertion to use justifiable levels of force to overcome the resistance and protect citizens, themselves, and fellow officers.
•Tactfully diffuse any verbal abuse which may occur in the course of performing work assignments. Endure verbal and mental abuse when confronted with hostile views and opinions of suspects and others encountered in an antagonistic environment.
•Testify in court hearings.
•Search for lost or wanted persons over varying terrain and conditions for extended periods of time.
•Perform searches of people, vehicles, buildings and large outdoor areas which may involve feeling and detecting objects, walking for long periods of time, detaining people and stopping suspicious vehicles and persons.
•Determine when a lawful search or arrest can or should be attempted; determine when and to what extent physical forces should be used, as governed by law and department regulations.
•Read, review, interpret, serve and enforce various court orders.
•Develop knowledge about known offenders and businesses possibly involved in or promoting criminal activity; correlate records of such criminal activity.
•Recover lost or stolen property; lift and move commonly recovered items such as bicycles, televisions, stereo components, tools, automotive wheels and parts, and small safes without destroying or damaging items.
•Assist in administrative duties such as coordinating multi-department response to persistent criminal activity, planning police/community relations events, and training, leading or coordinating non-sworn work units such as Parking Enforcement.
•Prepare affidavits for search warrants; interview witnesses and suspects. Develop and use informants and other investigative aids; appear in court to present evidence and to testify against persons accused of crimes.
•Provide assistance and referrals for domestic violence cases, indigent persons and stranded individuals.
•Prepare material to present at training sessions for police officers or others, including schools, businesses, private citizen groups, etc.

Relationship Building/Management:
•Attend neighborhood meetings and interact with community members to solve neighborhood problems, improve community and police relations and build public trust.

Report Writing:
•Document incidents and actions by writing case reports and field interview cards; maintain daily logs and prepare other related reports.

Safety:
•Actively champion a culture of and commitment to workplace safety through everyday actions and leadership.


Requires high school graduation or equivalent. College-level coursework in law enforcement or a related field, bilingual capability, and specialized law enforcement training are highly desirable.

Must be at least 21 years of age, possess a valid Washington driver's license and satisfactory driving record; meet department standards of physical ability; submit to thorough employment reference and background investigation; submit to psychological and general medical evaluation; and submit to FBI record check and polygraph examination.

  • KNOWLEDGE OF:
  • City ordinances and applicable state and federal laws and WAC rules.
  • Department policy and procedure.
  • Modern police methods and procedures.
  • Criminal behavior and causes of underlying criminality and social, psychological and physical needs of criminals/inmates.
  • Geography and street locations.
  • Laws of arrest, search and seizure including legal ramifications of action taken.
  • Principles of crime and accident investigation.
  • Basic techniques of crime prevention and criminal investigation.
  • Identification and preservation of evidence.
  • First aid principles and application.
  • Organization and planning.

    ABILITY TO:
  • Use and care for firearms.
  • Operate police vehicle and other police equipment.
  • Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
  • Analyze dangerous situations rapidly and accurately.
  • Maintain control in stressful, hostile and hazardous conditions.
  • Enforce all applicable laws.
  • Prepare clear and concise reports.
  • Act without direct supervision and exercise independent judgment.
  • Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
  • Communicate effectively in English with co-workers, superiors and the general public, both orally and in writing.
  • Interact effectively with individuals, groups and organizations representing a wide diversity of ethnicities, cultures, opinions and beliefs.
  • Cope with situations firmly, courteously and tactfully, and with respect to the rights of others.
  • Demonstrate the knowledge of and adherence to a high standard of personal and professional ethics.
  • Effectively deal with violations of rules, policies, and procedures on an impartial basis.
  • Maintain standards of physical fitness.
  • Recognize when the application of deadly force is appropriate under state law and department policy.
  • Employ deadly force in order to protect human life.
  • Operate a motor vehicle, computers/keyboards, B.A.C. verifier machines, telephones, police radios, mobile data terminals, tape recorders, firearms, batons, handcuffs and other police related equipment.


    WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
    Work includes indoor and outdoor environment; subject to adverse weather conditions and possible verbal abuse; employees may be assigned to work evening and weekend hours, and are subject to call out. The performance of police duties requires above average physical endurance in running, climbing and lifting, as well as good balance, hearing and vision. Incumbents in this classification may be exposed to gunfire, toxic chemicals, traffic hazards, occasional driving at high speeds, communicable diseases and physical abuse from hostile or disoriented individuals.


PHYSICAL ABILITIES
Constant Demands: Seeing, hearing, and speech abilities to perform essential functions and communicate with others. Requires mental acuity to ensure thorough mental analysis of situations in a fast-paced environment. Walking standing, driving lifting; carrying; climbing pushing/pulling; bending and twisting at the waist; crouching; kneeling/squatting; reaching (below the knees, knees to shoulder, and above the shoulders); foot controls.

Frequent Demands: Repetitive hand and arm motion; handling/grasping; fine finger manipulation; talking; viewing computer screen; using phone communications: sitting for extended periods of time.

HAZARDS
Exposure to physical hazard may occur when interacting with hostile participants with potential for violence.

FLSA DESIGNATION
Non-Exempt, eligible for overtime.

UNION AFFILIATION
Lakewood Police Independent Guild

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
The City of Lakewood is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer that encourages, supports, and celebrates respect, empowerment, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for all. We welcome your contributions.


HIRING PROCESS SUMMARY

- Applicants must take and pass the written (minimum score of 80%) and physical ability (scored as pass or fail) test with Public Safety Testing at https://www.publicsafetytesting.com/.  Candidates must pass both tests to continue in the process.
- A City of Lakewood employment application must be completed online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lakewoodwa. Participation in the process is limited to the first 100 qualified applicants who complete an online application.
- Successful candidates will be ranked on an initial selection list based on written exam scores.
- Top scoring candidates will be invited to participate in oral board interviews.
- A minimum passing score of 70% is required on the oral board interview.
- Successful candidates will be ranked on an eligibility list by a combination of scores from the written exam and the oral board interview.
- The written exam and the oral board interview are weighted equally.
- As applicable, veterans' scoring criteria and education preference percentages will be applied to the combined written and oral board interview scores.
- The highest scoring candidates will proceed to a Chief's panel interview. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon successfully passing a thorough background investigation, including (but not limited to) a polygraph, psychological evaluation, and a physical examination which includes drug testing.

HIRING STANDARDS

Applicants must review the Driving and Drug Usage Standards and self-screen for automatic disqualifiers before completing the supplemental questionnaire.

Driving Standards
The following driving standards represent the maximum allowable violations of driving laws and must not exceed six (6) total points in the last 36 months. As part of the background investigation, each candidate's driving record will be obtained and reviewed. Other driving offenses not listed here will be assessed point values on a case by case basis.

Points Driving Violations
8 Revocation of driver's license
8 Denial of issuance of driver's license
8 Negligent homicide
8 Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
8 Reckless driving (involving an accident)
6 Reckless driving (no accident involved)
6 Negligent driving (involving an accident)
4 Negligent driving (no accident involved)
8 Hit and run (attended)
6 Hit and run (unattended)
4 Driving while driver's license suspended
Speeding in excess of the posted limit
2 0-14 over
3 15-19 over
6 20-25 over
8 over 26
4 Convictions or forfeitures (paid fines) for other moving violations involving an
accident
2 Convictions or forfeitures for other moving violations each violation not involving an accident


Drug Usage Standards
It is common for candidates to have experimented with or casually used substances in their past. The following standards reflect the maximum allowable uses of these illegal drugs. Any uses over the allowed standard are automatically disqualifying. Each category mentioned below includes all derivatives of these controlled substances.

Drug Free: With the exception of marijuana, each applicant must be drug free for a minimum of three (3) years prior to application. Your stated past drug usage will be confirmed by a background investigation and a polygraph examination.

Marijuana
No use within the last twelve (12) months

Prescription Medication
Patterns of illegal use of obtaining prescriptions under false pretenses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Aerosols
Illegal use of aerosols will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Club Drugs
No use within the last three (3) years

Steroids
Use within the last five (5) years will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Stimulants/Amphetamines, Cocaine, Hallucinogens, and Opiates
No use for the last five (5) years
- No illegal drug use while employed in a criminal justice capacity (including volunteer, intern, Explorer and Reserve Officer Positions)

- Illegal manufacturing, cultivating or selling of ANY drug, including marijuana, will be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

- Any other history or pattern of drug use outside these standards will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Note: While this list is not all-inclusive, use of any controlled substance not listed here will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Automatic Disqualifiers - applicants will be disqualified for any of the following:

Criminal Activity
- Any adult felony conviction.
- Adult misdemeanor convictions of moral turpitude (any conviction will be carefully reviewed).
- Been convicted of any crime under a domestic violence statute.

Employment
- Withdrawn from consideration for any (law enforcement/fire/corrections/dispatch) employment because of the following reasons: Untruthfulness.
- Been dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
- Lied during any stage of the hiring process.
- Falsified his or her application, personal history questionnaire, or any other forms during the hiring process.
- Previous revocation or denial of (CJTC/POST) certified status or suspension of current (CJTC/POST) certified status.

Financial
- Failure to pay income tax or child support.
**Current credit accounts or unresolved accounts in collection will be carefully reviewed.
Salary7,422.00 - 9,867.00 Month
Field
Police
Police1
Police
Highest Educational Degree Required
High school diploma

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