Certified Sheriff's Deputy

Job Summary: This position is responsible for performing a full range of law enforcement duties in any of the bureaus of the Sheriff’s Office, including, but not limited to the following: patrol, civil, crime prevention, community outreach, investigation, transportation, court security, administrative, support or jail. The incumbent may be assigned temporarily to a specialty area within the agency based on needs. A certified sheriff’s deputy may hold the rank of Certified Deputy I, Certified Deputy II, or Certified Deputy III, depending on qualifications.

A certified deputy sheriff may be assigned to duties in any Sheriff’s Office bureau. Employees in this classification may be expected to perform any related duties as required by proper authority. Major duties may include any of the following tasks:

Patrol Assignment:
• Maintains law and order and protects life and property.
• Receives and responds to dispatch calls; investigates and takes appropriate action on assigned calls.
• Conducts security checks of businesses, parks, public buildings, industrial areas and residences.
• Maintains traffic control through observation and the use of speed detection devices.
• Detains and tests drivers suspected of driving under the influence.
• Issues citations and/or makes arrests for violations of laws and ordinances; prepares incident reports
• Attends and testifies in court on cases investigated or reports written.
• Respond to natural and man-made disasters.
• Transports prisoners.
• Locates defendants and serves criminal warrants.
• Assists with crowd control and security assignments at various public gatherings or incident scenes.
• Reports hazardous conditions on public roadways and bridges, and conducts surveillance.
• Provides assistance to the public as needed. Provides information and guidance regarding victim’s rights.
• Works with code enforcement.
• Conducts and prepares investigations of vehicle accidents.
• Assesses victims, rendering aid to the injured prior to emergency medical services arrival.
• Requests assistance from other agencies, including fire, emergency medical, and tow services.
• Directs traffic at the scene; prepares accident reports.
• Processes arrested persons following established procedures and renders aid to other law enforcement personnel.
• Attends/participates in roll call, including inspection and training; participates in training programs to improve knowledge and skills.
• Performs specialized short or long-term assignments including administrative, technical, and investigative duties as required.
• May serve as field training officer.
• Works with the public, civic organizations, etc. in conducting community activities.

Jail Assignment:
• Receives, searches, books, and places prisoners in appropriate cells.
• Receives and safeguards inmates' personal property. Maintains security and control in receiving, visitation, and other jail areas.
• Transports inmates to activities outside the jail. Conducts inspections and counts.
• Controls inmates' daily activities including meals. Distributes medications. Screens items going in and out of cells. Supervises, counsels, and evaluates inmates assigned as trustees, provides inmate information to the courts, other staff members, and other law enforcement agencies, and maintains a variety of records and logs.

Civil/Warrants Assignment:
• Determines the proper method for legal service of a process.
• Prepares schedules to ensure time and efficient routing of processes to be served.
• Serves processes; locates persons no longer at locations given.
• Executes court-issued writs and orders by seizing property; checking evicted location or physically removing occupants from premises.
• Supervises transportation of seized property to storage area.
• Prepares various reports and forms.

Community Outreach Assignment:
• Maintains peace within controlled school and community settings.
• Investigate school and community incidents. Collects evidence and property, and completes incident and accident reports. Serves warrants. Testifies in court. Gathers victim, defendant, and witness information.
• Prepares and delivers oral presentations in school and community settings, works with at-risk populations, analyzes data on crime trends and citizen complaints, and determines appropriate responses.
• Plans and organizes community involvement, and participates in problem-solving activities aimed at reducing crime and increasing community safety.

Court/Transport Assignment:
• Maintains order and ensures the security and safe condition of the courthouse and courtrooms.
• Assures the safety of jurors and the public; escorts prisoners to and from the courtroom and maintains control of prisoners during trial.
• Maintains control of the audience and removes disorderly persons as required.
• Guards deliberating jury to preclude outside influence.
• Guards and secures County buildings and facilities.
• Maintains court procedure records.
• Transports prisoners to and from court, other jurisdictions or institutions, and clinics and hospitals for medical and psychological treatments.

Administrative / Support:
• Performs maintenance to Sheriff’s Office and Jail building and grounds; and vehicles.
• Oversees inmate workers on work details.
• Assists with administrative duties and research as assigned.

Knowledge Required by the Position:
• Knowledge of law enforcement concepts and terminology, including jail operations, criminal investigation, law enforcement, and crime prevention; first-aid principles and techniques; report preparation and record keeping; and human behavior theories related to criminology, crisis intervention, and crowd control.
• Knowledge of laws and court decisions pertaining to law enforcement, including search and seizure, suspects and prisoner’s rights, and custody and protection of evidence; operational principles and practices of criminal investigation, law enforcement, and crime prevention; court and trial procedures.
• Knowledge of the use and effects of law enforcement weapons; methods of self-defense and physical restraint.
• Knowledge of Sheriff’s Office organization, policies, and procedures; geographic layout of Rockdale County; vocabulary of technical/specialized fields of law enforcement such as identification, detention, and pathology.
• Skill in learning, interpreting, applying, and explaining complex laws and regulations; reading and interpreting documents such as maps, diagrams, and textbooks.
• Skill in performing accurate mathematical calculations; comprehending and retaining factual information and applying what is learned.
• Skill in observing and remembering details of events, names, faces, numbers, and physical descriptions; preparing and maintaining clear, accurate, and concise reports and files.
• Skill in communicating effectively in both verbal and written form; exercising tact, self-restraint, judgment, and strategy in dealing with people of all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic groups and who may have emotional or physical difficulties.
• Skill in exercising sound independent judgment in emergency or stressful situations; correctly interpreting a given situation and taking appropriate action under a variety of conditions.
• Ability to react quickly and calmly in emergencies.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to gather, assemble, analyze, and evaluate facts and evidence and to draw sound conclusions; working ability to obtain valid information by interview and interrogation.
• Ability to work rotating shifts, varying hours, and be on call.

Supervisory Controls: The bureau commander or his/her designee assigns work in terms of agency goals and objectives. The work is reviewed through reports and observation of activities.

Guidelines: Guidelines include applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures related to public safety communications and law enforcement standards. These guidelines require sound judgment and interpretation in application.

Personal Contacts: Contacts are typically with co-workers, business leaders, educators, attorneys, representatives of the judicial system, federal state, and local law enforcement officers, inmates, and the general public.

Purpose of Contacts: Contacts are typically to give and exchange information, resolve problems, influence/motivate persons, justify/settle matters, coordinate work efforts, and provide services.

Physical Demands: Work may be sedentary in the office environment and/or fieldwork may subject the incumbent to extended periods of physical and mental exertion under highly stressful conditions. The person must be able to remain calm and think logically when defending himself/herself from imminent danger, apprehending suspects of crimes, etc. The person must be able to load, unload, aim, and operate firearms. The individual must have correctable hearing, visual, and speaking abilities to perform assigned duties. The person must be able to sit or stand for prolonged periods; walk, run, kneel, stoop, crawl, and crouch; make precise and coordinated finger, hand and limb movements; maintain uniform, controlled hand-arm posture or movement; push, pull or drag an adult (averaging 5'6", 160 pounds); lift and carry boxes of evidence (average 50 pounds); use force to restrain/subdue others; work efficiently for long periods of time.

Work Environment: Work is performed in a variety of field, office, and in-vehicle settings, including a secured jail facility, and may require exposure to dangerous and life-threatening situations. The employee must be willing to carry a firearm on the job; mentally and physically capable of taking the life of another, if justified; willing to work any hour of the day or night (shift work), overtime, weekends, on-call, and holidays. Employees must be willing to work at any location in the County travel on specific assignments, comply with the agency’s grooming standards, and wear a uniform.

Supervisory and Management Responsibility: None.

Minimum Qualifications:
• High school diploma or equivalent;

• Baccalaureate degree in criminology, criminal justice, political science, public administration, or related field preferred.
  • Must be a United States citizen.
  • Must have a valid State of Georgia Driver’s license.
  • Must be certified as a Peace Officer under regulations of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Council.
  • Equivalent combination of education and experience.
  
  Position Content: This position classification is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position's activities and requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary.