CLASS SPECIFICATION

POLICE SERGEANT

DEFINITION OF CLASS:

This is first level supervisory police work the majority of which assignments involve serving at a Police District Station in one of several capacities. Most contacts for an employee in this class are with sworn officers and civilian employees assigned to a District Station. Contacts are also maintained with higher ranking officers, from whom employees receive work assignments, instructions, interpretation of written directives, regulations and laws, work priorities, and decisions about matters requiring higher level authority. Police Sergeants routinely pass to and receive information from lower ranking members of their shift/unit, primarily to assign, coordinate and monitor their work, answer questions and give guidance and instructions concerning unusual situations, and to control situations requiring police presence/assistance. Contact is also maintained with employees of other County Government agencies to report situations requiring their presence/assistance and to coordinate mutually supporting actions. To a lesser degree, contacts with citizens are occasioned by enforcement of laws and responding to their inquiries and/or investigating their complaints about individual officers and police services in general. Police Sergeants often provide short term assistance to citizens, the nature of which normally is determined by asking brief questions and either providing them direct assistance or referring them to another service provider. Taking custody of arrested persons is a recurring feature of this work.

The majority of employees in this class serve as an "on street" supervisor of either a police patrol shift, a special assignment team, or a traffic (motorcycle) squad, all of which positions are assigned to a District Station. (A much smaller number of employees are assigned to one-of-a-kind staff/support units ((e.g., training, records, management and budget, forensic science)), the focus of which units is to support and facilitate police operations in general. Other employees are assigned to special investigative units, while a few occupy staff positions in either the Office of the Chief of Police or a Police Major. The large majority of all of these other assignments entail first level supervisory responsibilities.) While employees of this class frequently perform the duties of the police officers they supervise, their primary responsibility is to command and control a segment of the District's police resources which provide daily, direct law enforcement services to citizens. Employees at this level continually monitor police operations and calls for assistance/service to coordinate and prioritize police response based on available police resources and the nature of calls received. In this capacity, employees are expected to independently plan and assign daily operations for the unit they supervise often without benefit of on-site supervision from their immediate supervisor. The guidelines which cover the work performed by employees in this class are numerous and detailed, and closely followed under normal circumstances. There are encountered, however, situations which are not covered by specific guidelines and require immediate action. Under these circumstances, employees apply judgment and discretion. Based on their experience in the field and application of written directives, Police Sergeants are expected to provide recommended changes to established policies and procedures. The complexity of this class of work results from daily work planning and supervising a dispersed work force to timely and effectively respond to calls for police service and assistance. Factors considered by these employees are the nature/urgency of calls received, availability of police resources, and the safety of the requesting citizens and the responding police officer(s). Complexity is also realized by supervising and participating in the response to emergency situations (e.g., vehicle accidents, toxic/chemical spills on roadways, robberies, assaults, etc.) which require quick, decisive and coordinated actions, tactically and otherwise, and comport with laws and department policies and procedures. Additional complexity is presented through responding to a variety of personnel issues and supervising a large group of sworn officers whose work is covered by a collective bargaining agreement and the Police Officers Bill of Rights. To a lesser degree, work is complicated by reviewing and correcting police reports, and investigating citizen complaints concerning lower ranking police officers. The impact of properly performed work is directly realized by the effective daily supervision and deployment of police officers who provide "hands on" enforcement and protective services to a segment of the community. The large majority of work is performed outside, driving a police vehicle interspersed with periods of walking and standing. A portion of each day normally is spent in a comfortable office environment which is appropriately lighted and heated, to make telephone calls and complete administrative tasks. The hazards of police work are present throughout each work day and present serious risk to employees. While the large majority of work performed requires normal physical strength and agility, occasional situations require sudden and strenuous physical exercise from which employees are fatigued.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

Supervises lower ranking police officers to achieve unit goals and objectives.
Monitors and coordinates police activity in assigned area of responsibility; ensures response by police officers is reasonable, proportionate to the situation at hand, and in compliance with laws and standard operating procedures.
Directs initial police response in unusual and emergency situations until relieved by higher authority.
Assigns work to employees based on resources available and police service needs of the community.
Reviews and critiques written reports to ensure documents are completed in compliance with rules, regulations and policies.
Provides guidance and solutions to subordinate police officers for unusual problems/situations.
Prepares correspondence for signature by higher authority.
Inspects police officers to ensure proper maintenance and appearance of uniforms, weapons and equipment.
Evaluates employee work performance and provides recommendations regarding a variety of personnel actions -- e.g., transfers, promotions, increments, commendatory/disciplinary actions, etc.
Conducts investigations regarding citizen complaints about police officer conduct/performance.
Meets with higher ranking police officers to discuss work progress/problems of unit employees; offers solutions and alternate work methods.
Oversees and provides recommendations concerning testing and evaluation of proposed equipment and weapons.
Receives recovered property and/or evidence from subordinate officers and others; ensures proper tagging, recording, storage and release of same.
Maintains daily attendance records and time sheets for assigned employees.
Ensures that written directives, training bulletins, and related instructional documents are distributed and understood by police officer employees.
Notifies police officers of court appearance dates.
Schedules officers for in-service training.
Performs related duties as required.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:

Employees in this class may be assigned to either a staff position or to supervise special units, functions, services and programs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

In-Grade Requirement: Must be a Montgomery County Master Police Officer, or a Police Officer III with two (2) years of time in grade.
Education: Possession of a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
Equivalency: Education may not be substituted for In-Grade Requirement, nor may experience be substituted for required education.
Other: Satisfactory completion of required Department training classes.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of generally accepted supervisory practices and techniques.
Ability to comprehend and apply Federal, State and County criminal and traffic laws; Department of Police written directives; County Government Administrative Procedures and Personnel Regulations; the Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights; and a collective bargaining agreement.
Ability to quickly analyze problems and situations and take decisive and effective action.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with lower ranking employees, union shop stewards, representatives of other government agencies, and the community at large.
Ability to prepare routine reports, correspondence and performance evaluation documents.
Ability to understand, demonstrate, and implement problem solving techniques based on the concepts and tenets of community oriented policing.
Knowledge, skill and ability to effectively use personal and standard weapons and equipment, including use of self-defense tactics and operation of police vehicle under emergency conditions.
Other: Must have personal integrity, pay attention to details, be emotionally stable, and physically fit to perform all of the duties of the Police Sergeant class of work.

LICENSE:

Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:

Individuals appointed or promoted to this class will be required to serve a probationary period of one year, during which time performance will be carefully evaluated. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Core I exam.

Class Established: June 1979
Revised: September 1986
May 1993 (M)
September 1993
August, 1996
January, 1997
July, 1999
February 2004