CLASS SPECIFICATION

DEPUTY SHERIFF SERGEANT

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is first level supervisory law enforcement work supervising the daily activities of one of several key subordinate units in the Office of the Montgomery County Sheriff. Contacts regularly and predominantly occur with subordinate Deputy Sheriffs, to assign work, provide instructions and advice, answer questions, solve problems, and review, discuss and evaluate their work performance. To a lesser degree, daily contact is maintained with higher ranking Deputy Sheriffs to pass and receive information, receive work assignments and instructions, discuss unusual situations and receive authorization to take selected actions by exception, and discuss work performance of self and subordinate employees. The same frequency of contact is experienced with employees of other local and State law enforcement and regulatory agencies and judicial bodies, to pass and receive information, answer questions, coordinate mutually supporting actions, and resolve problems. Occasional contacts are also experienced with the criminal element, who are usually hostile/uncooperative, to carry out judicial orders. Significant about this class of work is that employees provide frequent assistance to citizens, business employees and representatives, attorneys, judges, governmental officials and other parties to judicial proceedings, in person and on the telephone, to answer questions, provide instructions and information concerning their rights and obligations and measures they may/may not take when they are the subject of a court proceeding and/or contemplate filing an action before a court of law.
An employee in this class is responsible for daily supervising a group of journey and beginning level Deputy Sheriffs whose work involves either apprehending fugitives, serving civil and criminal summonses and writs of attachments and eviction, or transporting prisoners and providing courtroom security. The primary focus of the employees' work is to supervise and ensure accomplishment of daily work assignments by lower ranking Deputy Sheriffs. The majority of work is carried out under a moderate degree of supervision of a higher ranking Deputy Sheriff with the expectation that normal daily work planning, coordination and problem solving are independently accomplished. Guidelines which govern this class of work are numerous and include local, State and Federal laws and rules of procedure, court decisions, Maryland State Attorney General opinions, memorandums of understanding with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies, extensive County Government administrative procedures and requirements, Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights, a collective bargaining agreement, and the Sheriff's Office manual of standard operating procedures. Employees daily use those guidelines which are germane to the unit supervised, and ensure that subordinate Deputy Sheriffs closely follow all laws, regulations and established procedures. The complexity of this class of work is borne of various duties/assignments consisting of different steps, methods, processes and procedures which must be known and applied under different circumstances. The impact of properly performed work is realized through the execution/completion of selected assignments which ensure that the rights of those persons affected by a judicial proceeding are protected. Completed work also allows for a continuation of other steps in a judicial process. The large majority of work is performed in an office environment which is appropriately lighted, heated and cooled. On a scheduled, rotating and recurring basis, employees in this class spend a portion of their time "in the field" when assigned as the Deputy Sheriff in charge of the Sheriff's Office. The hazards associated with this class of work are significant and inherent to the field of law enforcement -- i.e., directly supervising field operations of the Sheriff's Office, enforcing traffic laws, stopping at scenes of accidents and rendering assistance, responding to "officer needs assistance" and "crime in progress" radio calls, infrequent guarding of prisoners in court and during transport, and responding to prisoner escape and courthouse and courtroom security violations. The physical demands of this class of work are strenuous, albeit realized infrequently, when controlling/subduing combative prisoners, fugitives and/or citizens, some of whom have contagious diseases and/or are mentally deranged.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative only)
Plans, assigns, coordinates and checks the work of a group of subordinate Deputy Sheriffs.
Conducts performance evaluations and counsels and instructs subordinate Deputy Sheriffs regarding their work performance.
Conducts personnel and equipment inspections.
Participates in in-service training programs as an evaluator and instructor and as a recipient of instruction.
Maintains personnel rosters and leave and work records.
Maintains peace and security of court to which assigned.
Serves attachment or eviction notices as directed by court documents.
Makes arrests, arranges for and effects transfer of arrested fugitives.
Receives and processes court documents for service in civil and criminal law matters.
Locates citizens to serve court documents.
Returns documents to Sheriff's Office with appropriate notation of action taken for return to issuing court.
Carries out court orders by collecting judgments or taking possession of property, ensuring that legal requirements are met and related documents are properly handled; delivers cash to the Sheriff's Office for deposit.
Transports and maintains custody of prisoners to and from correctional institutions, courts and other locations as assigned, working within and outside of Montgomery County.
Appears in court to testify as required.
Conducts stakeouts to apprehend fugitives.
Keeps records of assigned activities and prepares and submits required reports.
Explains legal rights to citizens and others with whom Deputy Sheriffs come in contact.
Checks legal documents of judicial bodies for completeness and appropriateness.
Conducts applicant background investigations.
Trains new employees and provides informal performance evaluation recommendations.
Provides protection to a sequestered jury and others as they are designated.
May enforce criminal and traffic laws, stops at scenes of vehicle accidents and breakdowns to render assistance, and responds to selected police radio calls.
Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Satisfactory completion of two (2) years of full time experience performing sworn law enforcement work at a level equivalent to that of a Deputy Sheriff III in Montgomery County.
Education: Completion of high school or High School Certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland.
Equivalency: None, except as provided in the Experience subparagraph above.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Thorough knowledge of, and the ability to read, comprehend, and apply Federal, State, and County criminal, juvenile, civil, and traffic laws, and Federal and State Court decisions regarding same.
Thorough knowledge of, and the ability to read, comprehend, and apply Sheriff's Office rules, regulations, and written directives.
Thorough knowledge of the Sheriff's Office, and County and State government agencies' structures and functions.
Thorough knowledge of Montgomery County streets, roads, and related geography.
Thorough knowledge of, and skill in using self-defense techniques.
Thorough knowledge of, and skill in the effective use of firearms and other standard law enforcement weapons and equipment.
Skill in the use of desktop and mobile computer, and two-way radio systems in regular and emergency situations.
Skill in pursuit, apprehension and restraint of suspects and fugitives.
Ability to appropriately respond in emergency situations.
Ability to plan own work assignments in conformance with appropriate law enforcement policies and procedures.
Ability to schedule, assign, and supervise the duties and responsibilities of subordinate staff.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers and with the public, to include provision of cogent information to victims, family members of prisoners, the general public and others.
Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
Ability to prepare clear, concise and accurate reports.

LICENSE: Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license.

OTHER: Be a United States citizen and 21 years of age as of first day of employment.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Individuals appointed or promoted to this class of work 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 l973
Revised: October l975
June l980
September 1986
July l988
April 1993 (M)
July 1996 (M)
May 2003
May 2004
April 2010

Previously Titled Deputy Sheriff III (Corporal)