CLASS SPECIFICATION

POLICE AIDE

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is civilian support work assisting Police Officers, the public or others with criminal or non-criminal situations and performing clerical or administrative work in one or more functions of the Department of Police when specialized programmatic or operational knowledge and skills are required. Contacts are with sworn personnel and civilians in the Department of Police, other County departments/agencies, other jurisdictions and/or the courts (and may include attorneys and court officers) and private sector firms that provide support services, to exchange information and thereby facilitate law enforcement. Public service/assistance is provided to many people on daily basis (which may include civil violators, criminal defendants, family members or others) to exchange programmatic or transactional information and thereby facilitate or carry out effective law enforcement programs or operations. A question or issue may require a brief, routine or straightforward response, but some questions or issues require the employee to carefully interviews the individual about facts and circumstances and use judgment to identify the appropriate response.
A distinguishing characteristic of this class is application of specialized programmatic or operational knowledge in the performance of related clerical or administrative support activities in one or more functional areas, such as preparing law enforcement reports, using computer systems to access criminal, motor vehicle or other types of sensitive records, processing sensitive or emergency information, and exchanging routine and non-routine (including emergency) assistance and information to public safety personnel, citizens and others. Under normal supervision, the employee proceeds independently to carry out recurring assignments by selecting and applying the appropriate regulations, policies, methods or procedures to varying situations and referring unusual situations without clear precedent to the supervisor or other authority for guidance. Work is reviewed for conformance to guidelines. The complexity of this class is characterized by its requirement for close attention to detail in using databases, reviewing photographs, preparing documents, signing traffic citations, interviewing people to discover facts and performing similar activities. The work involves performance of direct and support services requiring the application of specific rules or procedures. Properly performed work supports programs and operations of the Department of Police and affects the reliability of the information used by law enforcement personnel in the performance of their work and/or used by citizens seeking service and may result in a person being detained, arrested or fined. The employee exercises judgment and effective interpersonal skills (such as tact, firmness or restraint) in dealing with inquiries, requests or complaints from persons who may be subject to detention, arrest or fine. The work involves sitting, listening, speaking, keyboarding, standing, walking, limited lifting or carrying and other physical demands typical of administrative workers in office settings, and may include occasional ongoing keyboard operation or use of video display terminals. Employees may encounter some abusive language or hostile behavior (typically in telephone exchanges) from violators, persons sought on warrant, and others, but the observance of special safety precautions is rarely if ever required. Employees may work rotating or fixed shifts including, evenings, nights, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Automated Traffic Enforcement
Issues civil violation notices (citations) to motorists for red light and speeding violations by visually inspecting photographic evidence and determining if standards for issuance are met.
Screens red light images and retrieves photos from computer records.
Uses visual information or computer databases to match automobile makes with tags and ownership to identify registered owner, verify citizen assertions about such matters as change in ownership, funeral procession and other mitigating circumstances. Interacts with public safety contacts, State Motor Vehicle Administration and others, as needed.
Personally identifies registered owner (or reviews work of others) and prepares and signs the computer-generated summons. This includes issuing citations to public safety and general fleet of the County.
Submits completed summonses to ensure timely receipt by violators and the courts.
Transfers liability for violation from vehicle owner to vehicle operator, notifying the court.
Reviews and modifies court dockets.
Spot checks the work of vendors printing and transporting citations.
Interacts with citizens questioning or contesting a citation by obtaining input, providing information and making a decision to proceed with or void the citation.
Prepares brief correspondence (standardized format and content) to citizens concerning violations, 'bad checks', etc.
Testifies in court to present evidence in contested cases.

Warrants Control
Processes arrest and bench (criminal) warrants received from the District Court for Montgomery County by coding the warrant for type and querying databases to verify the offender's identification, including distinguishing marks, aliases, criminal history (if any), any outstanding Maryland or out-of-State warrants, charges or extraditions, likelihood to be armed or resist, etc. Decides, within guidelines, the information to put in the warrant, including the caution code.
Notes and corrects misinformation in the databases used.
Forwards information to the State Motor Vehicle Administration to 'flag' licenses.
May (based on crime, extradition limits and other factors) issue a 'detainer' to another jurisdiction requesting that the subject of a Montgomery County warrant detained and extradited to Montgomery County after that jurisdiction's judicial/penal process is completed.
Closes out served warrants.
Answers inquiries from defendants, attorneys, court officers and others concerning wanted persons.
Interacts with subjects of warrants and family members. May recommend voluntary turn-in to the subject of a warrant or to his/her family.
Arranges for prisoner pick-ups from out-of-state by a private transport service by telephone or radio when subject waives extradition.

Other
Prepares or modifies specialized forms supporting law enforcement activities.
Writes reports of incidents and violations using specialized software.
Collects and accounts for checks or money and processes payments for civil violations.
Performs database queries and transactions.
Transcribes, reviews, codes and compiles data, prepares and distributes elementary statistical reports.
Responds to callers, directing errant calls to correct specialized law enforcement unit, Police District Station or other entity.
May completes insurance verifications.
Exchanges information with callers.
May receive and issue supplies and otherwise assist in inventory control of law enforcement materials and equipment.
May provide case numbers to callers, including crime victims and insurance companies.
May assist in inventorying and handling seized and stolen property, which may be used as evidence in court.
May take fingerprints.
Exchanges information (primarily routine, but also non-routine in nature) with the public, co-workers, including sworn police officers, attorneys, court officers or support personnel, and others. Provides or receives technical or nontechnical information concerning law enforcement services, cases, situations, policies, procedures and other matters.
Attends in-service, mandatory, basic, advanced or specialized training to attain proficiency or maintain currency, learn new information and update/improve skills in interpreting red light photos, querying databases, using office or safety equipment, etc., as required.
Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Two (2) years of previous clerical experience that included, as pertinent to the assignment, public contact work.
Education: Completion of high school or High School Certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of, or ability to rapidly acquire and use knowledge of, Department of Police and unit of assignment or function-specific policies, procedures and practices to determine and follow or explain to others (such as the public) the proper procedure(s) or effective course(s) of action.
Knowledge of, or ability to rapidly acquire and use knowledge of, directories, manuals, specialized computer systems and databases, including but not limited to (according to the assignment) systems used by contractors, the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system of the County, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the Maryland Interagency Law Enforcement System (MILES), the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (Nlets), and other sources of information, communication, etc. to access, relay or otherwise use and input information.
Skill in problem solving to select, organize and logically process relevant information (verbal, numerical or abstract) to solve a problem. This includes ability to recognize problems and identify relevant information. Examples include paying attention to detail in using various databases and filing systems and preparing various reports, identifying discrepancies in database information, filing and cross-indexing, compiling data from various sources, making routine arithmetic calculations, operating office equipment and complying with procedures in identifying and only providing authorized information.
Skill in written communication to understand written information (including instructions, descriptions and ideas), ands to express such information in writing so that others will understand. Examples include reading work objects, such as summonses/warrants or tickets, preparing or reviewing brief, factual reports, querying and retrieving information from databases and reading policies and procedures.
Skill in oral communication to understand verbal information (including instructions, descriptions and ideas), and to express such information verbally to that others will understand. Examples include exchanging factual information, explaining procedures and testifying in court.
Interpersonal skills to interact in a businesslike, customer service-oriented manner with people of widely diverse backgrounds.
As pertinent to the assignment, ability to work under pressure and maintain emotional self-control during peak periods, emergencies, critical incidents and other situations.
As pertinent to the assignment, ability and willingness to work rotating or fixed shift work schedules, including weekends and Holidays.
As pertinent to the assignment, ability to complete a criminal history check (or background investigation) prior to appointment.
Special licensing, certification, designation or access (such as MILES/NCIC access) may be required depending on the assignment.
Possession of a valid driver's license may be required depending on the assignment.

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

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Limited Core Exam

Class Established: December 2008
Revised: April 2010