POLICE OFFICER - LATERAL (CURRENTLY WORKING)

In addition to base salary, employees receive additional specialty pays including:  holiday pay, education incentive, uniform pay, and shift differential.  Some special assignments, such as K-9, receive additional specialty pays.

Interviews for qualified candidates will be scheduled once a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.  It is recommended that candidates submit their application as soon as possible.



The City of Benicia is recruiting for the position of Police Officer to establish an eligibility list for future vacancies.  We seek energetic, enthusiastic, and hard working individuals for our Police Department.

The City has 2 separate recruitments for Police Officer:   Lateral Candidates and Academy/Non-Lateral Candidates.  

Please see below for the definition of each.  It is the candidate's responsibility to apply for the correct recruitment.  If you are not sure which categories applies to you please contact the Human Resources Department at (707) 746-4342.

Lateral Candidates:  The City of Benicia is accepting applications for Lateral Police Officers. (sworn police officers currently working for a law enforcement agency in California) can apply through this recruitment.    

Academy/Non-Lateral Candidates:  The City is also accepting applications from candidates who are currently enrolled in a recognized police academy, who have graduated from an academy within the last 3 years, or who have previous law enforcement experience but are not currently working as a sworn law enforcement officer.  Candidates who meet this criteria will apply through our other open recruitment entitled:  Police Officer (Academy and/or prior law enforcement experience.)  


ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Benicia Police Department is a service-oriented agency whose members take pride in their proactive response to crime, disorder, and quality of life issues.  The approach recognizes our community's high expectations for professional police services and has sustained a positive relationship with the community for many years.

The Benicia Police Department is staffed with 34 sworn officers, 20 non-sworn employees, and 35 citizen volunteers. The department is led by the Chief of Police and it is organized into two divisions, Operations and Services. A Lieutenant provides general management direction and control for each division.


The Operations Division is the most visible division of the department and consists of uniformed patrol, traffic unit, the special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team, canine units, bike patrol and animal control. The Operations Division has the most contact with our community. Of the 36 sworn members of the Benicia Police Department, 26 are in this division and most are uniform patrol officers, the first responders to calls for police service.

The Services Division consists of both sworn and non-sworn personnel responsible for investigations, emergency communications center, records, information technology, and police volunteers. The Investigations unit consists of criminal investigations, narcotic investigations and Family and Youth Services Bureau (YSB). Within the YSB there is one Youth Services Officer, one School Resource Officer assigned to Benicia Middle School and one School Resource Officer assigned to Benicia High School.

We currently offer 12 hour/3 day shifts (patrol), 10.5 hour/ 4 day shifts (special assignments), and rotating shifts. The City offers competitive pay and benefit packages including educational incentive, shift differential pay, holiday pay, and uniform allowance.

ABOUT THE JOB:

The Benicia Police Department's function is to protect people and property. The department relies on the community as a partner in identifying how the police will deliver their services, how these services will be prioritized, and establishing department goals and objectives. The Benicia Police Department's goal is to concentrate its services through strategic elements, which are the most critical to effective policing within the community. Those elements include:

Provide, evaluate, and improve upon all policing services to the community. Focus on training needs of all personnel to ensure the highest quality of service to all citizens. Researching and implementing regional policing concepts such as police training and countywide radio and data interoperability. The members of the Benicia Police Department are committed to being responsive to the community in the delivery of quality service. Recognizing the responsibility to maintain order, while affording dignity and respect to every individual; the objective is to improve the quality of life through a community partnership that promotes a safe, secure community.


Under general supervision, to patrol an assigned beat, to protect life and property, to prevent crime, maintenance of order, enforcement of laws and ordinances and constitutional mandates, to do investigation work and detection of crime, to perform public service tasks, while working varying hours and shifts and to do related work as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The police officer is assigned an area or specific job responsibility to be performed by car, foot or as designed by the Chief of Police.

Representative Duties / Qualifications

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Maintains law and order, responds to emergencies as directed by radio, telephone or other type of communication;
• Investigates unusual or suspicious conditions, directs traffic, investigates traffic accidents;
• Administers first aid, gives assistance to the injured;
• Makes arrests, serves subpoenas and warrants, guards prisoners, interviews suspects;
• Notes and reports unsafe conditions, prepares evidence and appears in court to give testimony, searches for stolen property and lost persons;
• Gives information to the public regarding laws, ordinances, traffic safety, directions and available public services;
• Issues citations to traffic violators, writes reports of daily activities and action taken, investigates vice conditions, analyzes facts, clues and evidence and makes investigations to determine law violators and their whereabouts;
• Writes a variety of reports in paper as well as computer form;
• Maintains effective working relationships with other law enforcement agencies, employees and the public;
• Operates radio and other communication equipment;
• Carry and use a firearm and other appropriate defensive and offensive weaponry;
• Protects the life, property, public order and constitutional rights of all citizens. Adheres to the California Peace Officers Standards and Training, police code of ethics;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Ability to:

• Communicate effectively and be readily understood;
• Read, understand, explain and implement technical material consisting of laws, policies, regulations, guidelines and orders concerning the protection of life and property and maintenance of law, order and peace;
• Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action after prioritizing while giving due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances;
• Drive an automobile safely, under stressful and non-stressful situations;
• Prepare and write accurate and factual reports. Reports may be written by hand, use of typewriter or computer in a proficient manner;
• Maintain cooperative relationships with other employees, supervisors, public officials and employees of other non-police organizations and agencies, as well as the public;
• Work at night with varying hours and days, and to remain available for calls and to report for duty in any emergency;
• Work under strict discipline with the ability to work under a minimum of supervision;
• Meet the City's standards of stature, endurance, agility and general physical condition for the position.

Knowledge of:

• Modern and progressive police methods and procedures, community policing, problem solving, safety techniques, policing, including patrol, investigation, crime prevention, traffic control, crime detection, rules of evidence, and interrogation;
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws;
• Community, County, State and Federal resources;
• Modern English grammar, spelling and composition; basic mathematics;
• Computer applications including word processing, spreadsheet, scheduling and other related programs

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Any combination of experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and ability would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and ability would be:

Education:

• Equivalent to graduation from high school. 
• Graduation from a recognized police academy. 

Experience:

• Experience as a sworn law enforcement officer in California.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess and maintain a valid and appropriate driver's license as issued by the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time and have the ability to meet the standards of stature, endurance, agility and general physical requirements as outlined in the P.O.S.T. Medical Screening Manual, as well as pass a polygraph and psychological screening, background investigation, written, oral and physical agility examinations.
• Must have the ability to work any shift, holidays, weekends, scheduled and emergency overtime; be available on call as required, work under potentially hazardous conditions, taking all necessary safety precautions.
• Must adhere to P.O.S.T. Police Code of Ethics, display loyalty to the department, City government and the community.
• Must have no record of felony criminal convictions or misdemeanor convictions which could affect credibility as a witness in a court of law.
• Must be of good moral character to be determined through a thorough and comprehensive background investigation, which will be conducted under P.O.S.T. guidelines.
• Minimum age of 21 years by date of employment

* Although the job description reflects the duties and experience of both trainee/lateral, the current vacancy is for an experienced lateral police officer.*

*Candidates who don't meet the qualifications listed in this lateral position may qualify to apply under the Academy / Non-Lateral recruitment. 

Supplemental Information

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Individuals interested in being considered for the Police Officer - Lateral position must submit an application and responses to the required supplemental questions. It is preferred you apply through the NeoGov system. Individuals wishing to file a paper application in lieu of the on-line application process should contact the City of Benicia Human Resources Department.

Applicants are expected to accurately document their related experience and any training, education, and/or skills relevant to this position. Applicants should respond to all supplemental questions, even if the information is also contained in the application.

SELECTION PROCESS:

Application materials will be carefully evaluated; applicants who document possession of experience and education which most closely meet the requirements of the position will be invited to participate in the next phase of the selection process, which may include an assessment center and interview process.

Prior to appointment, candidates must pass a thorough background investigation and a pre-placement medical screening, including a drug screen.

Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an invitation to future steps in the process.

If, due to a disability, you need accommodations at any point during the application or testing process, please contact the Human Resources Department at (707) 746-4766.