Criminalist

Criminalist

Salary

$58,347.34 - $76,832.30 Annually

Location

Wylie, TX

Job Type

FULL TIME

Job Number

2026-00038

Department

POLICE

Opening Date

06/29/2026

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Use our Total Compensation Calculator to see how salary and our excellent benefits package add up!

General Summary

Why work for the City of Wylie?

The reason we exist is to serve our residents and guests. By combining our unique talents to ensure the preservation of the small town feel of our area, we are committed to building and sustaining a safe community where economic development and neighborhood enrichment can flourish while creating an unparalleled experience for all.

How we accomplish our mission:

Leveraging the diversity of our workforce to continually think and do things differently, the City of Wylie invests in the development of our employees by providing them with a working environment that serves to enhance their personal happiness and elevate their professional goals.

Performs administrative and technical duties associated with the acceptance, storage control and disposition of police evidence and property. Protect the integrity of evidence throughout the judicial process, and to ensure compliance with all State and local laws regarding the storage and disposition of property and evidence. Analysis, comparison, evaluation and verification of latent prints to known prints, individualizing the source of latent prints. This includes the elimination and or identification of suspects. To identify, collect and preserve evidence. Assist in criminal investigations. Processing crime scenes and processing evidence.

Supervision is provided by the Investigative Services Sergeant.

Essential Job Functions

• Receives, sorts and secures all property delivered to the evidence room.

• Enter evidence into the computer system to enter submitted items into Police Department evidence tracking system.

• Accountable for security and integrity of evidence room; responsible for preserving the critical chain of custody.

• Determines appropriate and lawful disposition of property; releases property to officers, property owners, the courts and/or other agencies. Prepares destruction orders and completes destruction of evidence that is no longer needed or no longer has evidentiary value or property that has not been claimed or has no known owner.

• Processes evidence for latent prints when needed.

• Ensure that all evidence to be processed by an outside lab is sent to the appropriate lab in a timely manner and in accordance with policy and procedure to maintain chain of custody.

• Maintains an accurate accounting of all property transfers and releases.

• Conducts periodic audits of property room and completes an annual inventory.

• Processes crime scenes by taking photographs, sketches and measurements, dusting for fingerprints, conduct trajectory and or blood pattern stain analysis when needed, collecting, preserving and logging physical evidence, completing reports, and packaging, managing and inventorying evidence

• Lifts, processes and compares latent prints

• Completes analysis, comparison, evaluation and verification of latent prints individualizing the source of the latent print to the suspect, victim or other source. This includes identifications and eliminations.

• Identifying latent prints through conducting searches on latent prints utilizing the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) (AFIX Tracker) and the Department of Public Safety's Universal Latent Workstation.

• Processes evidence by performing presumptive laboratory tests, analysis, classifications, comparisons, and identifications of all types of physical evidence from crime scenes and completes and distributes lab reports for each request received.

• Testifies in court by consulting with court personnel concerning testimony, responding to requests for specific evidentiary information and testifying under oath on crime scenes processed for specific cases on latent print comparisons, and or chain of custody events.

• Provides educational opportunities by conducting training classes for police officers on crime scenes, training for interns and high school crime scene skills groups.

• Provides departmental support by maintaining files and records, preparing detailed reports to ensure proper chain of custody, and assisting other organizations and agencies that do not have crime scene investigative units or latent print examiners.

• On call availability for crimes scenes or other specific after hour needs or demands

• Continues training and education for changing laws and processing techniques

• Attends meetings to maintain awareness of new developments in the field

• Works cooperatively with other departments, City officials, and outside agencies

• Responds tactfully, clearly, concisely, and appropriately to inquiries from the public, City staff, or other agencies.

• Communicates clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

• Other duties as may be assigned

Minimum Job Requirements

High school diploma is required. Six months to one year of college level coursework or training beyond high school from an accredited college or university with major course work in Police Science, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Mathematics/Statistics or a related field and one to three years of experience is preferred.

Valid Drivers License required with no restrictions except "A". Driving record must be in compliance with City policy.

Completion of National Incident Management System (NIMS) training courses as outlined by Emergency Management after hire.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

PHYSICAL STRENGTH REQUIRED:

Heavy: Exerting 50 to 100 pounds occasionally, 25 - 50 pounds frequently, or from 10 to 20 pounds consistently.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED:

Balancing Bending Carrying Climbing

Crawling Crouching Fine Dexterity Foot Controls

Handling Hearing Kneeling Lifting

Pushing/Pulling Reaching Sitting Standing

Talking Twisting Vision Walking

PRIMARY WORK ENVIRONMENT: Indoors and outdoors

SHIFT WORK: No

CALL-OUT: Yes

COMPETENCIES:

Performance will be evaluated based on core competencies and competencies associated with the specific job family.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Customer Service

Dependability and Consistency

Teamwork

Safety

JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES:

Attendance and Punctuality

Communication and Collaboration

Continuous Learning/Development

Flexibility and Adaptability

Interpersonal Relations

Job Knowledge

Motivation and Initiative

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Productivity and Work Quality

• Retirement benefits with Texas Municipal Retirement System. Contributions by payroll deduction. Employee contributes at 7% level. City matches 200% of employee contribution. Mandatory.
• Deferred compensation - Nationwide and Edward Jones. The City does not contribute. Employee contributions by pre and post-tax payroll deduction. Optional.
• Health/Dental/Vision/Prescription insurance PPO and HDHP/HSA plans. PPO - Employee pays $30 per pay period for employee only coverage and 60% of dependent premiums, the City covers 40% of dependent premiums. HDHP/HSA - City pays full premium costs for employee only coverage and 50% of dependent premiums.
• Flexible Spending Account - allows for pre-tax deduction for eligible medical expenses as well as dependent care expenses. Optional.
• Health Savings Account with a High Deductible Health Plan - City contributes $1000 for employee only coverage and $200 for employee + one dependent or more coverage.
• Life insurance - 2x annual salary through New York Life. Fully paid by City and 1x annual salary through TMRS. Total of 3x annual base salary.
• Long-Term Disability for all full-time City employees.
• Thirteen paid holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Friday following, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and one floating holiday.
• Vacation - Earn three weeks of vacation in the first year.
• Sick leave accrues each full pay period.
• Sick leave conversion to vacation leave (once per year in January).
• Sick leave buy back (if budget allows; once per year).
• Bereavement leave, military leave, jury duty leave.
• Longevity pay $8 per month of service; paid once per year.
• Workers compensation benefits
• Tuition reimbursement - $2,000 per year.
• Direct Deposit - City of Wylie Payroll will deposit employee paycheck to any bank accepting wire transfers.
• Family and Medical Leave Policy as described by federal legislation.
• Free Recreation Center family membership.
• City pays every two weeks. (26 pay periods per year)

01

The supplemental questions are a very important first step in our screening process. Therefore, you are required to complete these questions so that we may initially determine your eligibility for this position. A lack of detail and explanation in the supplemental questions and in your application may result in disqualification for this position. This means you will be ineligible for further consideration in this recruitment process. Please check "yes" to confirm that you have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

02

Are you currently an employee at the City of Wylie? If you are applying for a position within your current department, the Internal Transfer Request IS NOT required. If you are applying for a position within another department, you must submit a completed Internal Transfer Request to Human Resources, prior to submitting your application. Your application will not be forwarded to the hiring manager until you have submitted the completed Internal Transfer Request. (Employee Handbook, Section 23: Transfers, Promotions & Interim Pay: "Current employees must submit an online application or a resume as well as an Internal Transfer Request to Human Resources for consideration.") Please request a link to the Internal Transfer Request form from HR.

• Yes, I am currently an employee at the City of Wylie
• No, I am not currently an employee at the City of Wylie

03

Do you have a valid Drivers License?

• Yes, I have a valid Drivers License.
• No, I do not have a valid Drivers License.

04

What is your highest level of education?

• No High School Diploma or equivalent
• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Some College
• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree or Higher

05

Do you have education, training, or coursework in Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, Police Science, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

06

If yes to the previous question, please list your experience below. If no to the previous question, please type N/A.

07

How many years of experience do you have in crime scene investigation, forensic evidence processing, or property and evidence management?

• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 3 years
• 3 - 5 years
• More than 5 years

08

Describe your experience collecting, preserving, processing, and documenting evidence. If no experience, please type N/A.

09

Do you have experience processing latent fingerprints and/or using AFIS or similar fingerprint identification systems?

• Yes
• No

10

If yes to the previous question, please list your experience below. If no to the previous question, please type N/A.

11

Have you ever testified in court regarding evidence, crime scene processing, or chain of custody?

• Yes
• No

12

If yes to the previous question, please list your experience below. If no to the previous question, please type N/A.

13

This position requires responding to crime scenes after hours, maintaining evidence chain of custody, and handling sensitive or graphic evidence. Are you able to meet these requirements?

• Yes
• No

14

Please take this opportunity to review your responses to the supplemental questions. Ensure that the qualifications stated above can be cross-referenced with the qualifications in your application. Your application may not be considered for further review if you have failed to show details of where the minimum qualifications are met. By agreeing to the statement below, you are confirming that you understand this statement, have reviewed your responses to the questions for accuracy and verify that your responses accurately describe your current qualifications.

• I verify that all of my responses to the supplemental questions are true and accurate. I accept that if my supporting documentation and/or later steps in the selection process do no support one or more of my responses to the supplemental questions that my application may be disapproved and/or I may be removed from consideration.

Required Question

Employer City of Wylie

Address 300 Country Club Road

Wylie, Texas, 75098

Phone 972-516-6040

Website http://www.wylietexas.gov