Job Description

Under general supervision, maintains proficiency in areas of criminal forensics and crime scene collection including but not limit to duties listed in essential functions of this document.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: -- Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodations will be made as required. Employees are required to be in attendance and prepared to begin work at their assigned work location on the specified days and hours. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Carry out the Sheriff's Mission and Vision and adhere to the Office's core values; Trust, Service, Community;

* Cultivates high morale and a Team culture;

* Performs all services at a high-level and is customer-service oriented;

* Builds relationships with the local citizens so as to increase community awareness, support, and involvement in crime prevention;

* Collects, photographs, and preserves evidence such as hair, fingerprints, clothing, fingernail scrapings, saliva, and other physical samples on and from persons at crime scenes; operates videotape and digital recording equipment and prepares crime scene sketches to document the search and collection of evidence at crime scenes; takes measurements of scene;

* Responds to area hospitals to document and collect evidence in criminal investigations; attends autopsies to photograph the deceased, collects fingerprints and other physical evidence, and properly tags evidence as the autopsy is being conducted; picks up, processes, and mails Sexual Assault kits;

* Interprets lab and medical reports; prepares complete crime scene reports that outline the findings/results for presentation in court; prepares physical evidence and exhibits for use in court hearings and trials;

* Prepares evidence for submission to state and federal bureaus of investigation, as well as private laboratories, for examination; assists police officers with criminal investigations, which may include photo arrays, video reproduction, and photography;

* Analyzes and compares latent fingerprints and palm prints for criminal identification and elimination purposes using Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and through manual comparisons;

* Obtains, processes, and preserves digital evidence and prepares for presentation in court;

* Collaborates with other government offices and law enforcement agencies (i.e. District Attorney's Office, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, Crime Lab etc.) in order to exchange information and coordinate activities; testifies for criminal and civil court and grand jury hearings concerning criminal activity investigations;

* Prepares evidence and property held by the Sheriff's Office for final disposition and destruction pursuant to court orders;

* Ensures the proper collection of evidence at crime scenes;

* Participates in search and seizure warrants; photographs before and after search; collects items and evidence; transports evidence;

Performs other duties as assigned.EDUCATION, REQUIREMENTS, AND TRAINING: -- the preferred way to obtain the minimum knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position are listed below. The County reserves the right to allow substitutions in the event that a candidate or incumbent exceeds requirements in one area but may be deficient in another.

FORMAL EDUCATION

* High School graduate , GED or Equivalent

* Bachelor Degree in Criminal Forensics or equivalent

* Or possess an honorable discharge if prior military service

LICENSE & CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

* Valid Texas Driver's License;

* Intermediate TCOLE Peace Officer certification

REQUIREMENTS

* Must be at least 21 years of age

* Have no more than 20/200 vision that is correctable to 20/20

* No past convictions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI or DUI), have no more than three moving violations within the last two years, not have ANY felony convictions, not have ANY misdemeanor convictions for any offense involving moral turpitude or family violence

* Be a United States Citizen [born or naturalized]

* Be prepared to purchase regulation departmental uniforms [a minimum of $200]

* Have a current working telephone

* Successfully pass a written examination consisting of vocabulary and comprehension skills (applicants failing this test will be allowed to test a second time not less than 90 days from the first test, if a position is available at that time).

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this position successfully, an individual(s) must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

KNOWLEDGE OF

* County and state legal principles, practices, procedures regarding the criminal justice system;

* Court settings;

* Legal terminology and various state and federal codes and agencies;

* Applying concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations;

* Principles and practices of adult and juvenile probation processes;

* Kenesic interview and interrogation techniques, statement and handwriting analysis;

* Modern office procedures and equipment;

Department policies, procedures and regulations covering specific areas of assignment.

ABILITIES /SKILLS

* Communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, including writing routine correspondence, reports, and specialized legal documents;

* Providing mature, experienced judgments during potentially hostile situations as well as regarding the legal and technical aspects of law enforcement;

* Maintaining strict confidentiality;

* Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with judges, managers, supervisor, employees, external public agencies and organizations, attorneys, bonding companies and the general public;

* Using initiative, discretion and decision making within established procedures, guidelines and rules;

* Defining problems, collecting data, establishing facts and drawing valid conclusion;

* Performing various mathematical calculations;

* Performing effectively under stressful working conditions;

* Multitasking and adjusting to constantly-changing projects and prioritizing job scheduling daily;

Operating a computer and various software applications.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: -- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Environmental Conditions: Duties and trainings are generally performed within Brazoria County in both indoor and outdoor environments. Occasionally, duties and trainings are performed outside Brazoria County. Exposure to extreme and stressful environmental conditions may include, but not limited to: Natural disasters; Manmade disasters; Exposure to toxic chemicals; Adverse weather conditions involving heat, cold, rain, wind, and ice; Exposure to bio-hazardous materials; Extreme driving conditions; High-voltage areas; Low-light to no light conditions; Bright light conditions; Smoky conditions; Areas containing dangerous and hostile person(s); Areas containing dangerous animals; Confined spaces; Areas in which heavy machinery may be operating; Roadways; Areas containing dangerous debris; Areas containing deceased animals and humans; Spaces not in compliant with local, state, and federal safety code and law regulations/laws.

Physical Demands: Certain physical abilities are required to ensure the essential functions of the position are able to be performed. These abilities may include, but not limited to: Walking, running, crawling, standing, sitting, jumping, kneeling, bending over, laying down for long periods of time; Discharge firearms; Operate a vehicle in normal and high-risk situations; Perform life-saving measures; Carry, push, pull, drag, or hold medium to heavy objects, including a person; Maintain rational decision making abilities in life-threatening and high-stress situations; Engage in high-stress and physically challenging training scenarios; Speak and hear in order to communicate effectively in person, through telephone, and through emergency radios.

DISCLAIMER

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

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