Police Officer-Full/Part Time

The Police Officer performs general duty law enforcement work to protect life and property, preserve the peace, prevent and detect crime, and enforce federal, state, and local laws and ordinances within the City of Blakely. The officer patrols an assigned area in a marked vehicle or on foot; responds to calls for service and emergencies; conducts traffic enforcement and accident investigations; investigates criminal offenses and gathers, preserves, and documents evidence; makes arrests and serves warrants and civil process; prepares detailed written reports; and testifies in court. The officer works largely independently in the field, exercising significant discretion and judgment, including decisions regarding the use of force, with actions guided by law, department policy, and the Constitution. The position is sworn and safety-sensitive, requires current Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council certification, and requires availability for shift work, court, and emergency recall.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Patrol & Response to Calls for Service

• Patrols an assigned zone by vehicle, on foot, or by other means to deter crime, observe conditions, check businesses and residences, and maintain a visible police presence.

• Responds to emergency and non-emergency calls for service, including crimes in progress, alarms, domestic disputes, disorderly conduct, suspicious persons or vehicles, welfare checks, and citizen complaints; operates a police vehicle under emergency conditions when justified.

• Secures and protects crime and accident scenes; renders first aid and CPR and requests EMS, fire, utility, or other resources as needed.

• Interviews victims, witnesses, complainants, and suspects; obtains statements; and identifies and pursues investigative leads.

• Makes lawful arrests with and without warrants; conducts searches and seizures consistent with constitutional requirements; transports, processes, and books prisoners; and maintains custody and safety of persons in police custody.

• Uses only the force that is objectively reasonable and necessary under the circumstances, in accordance with law and department use-of-force policy; renders aid and reports all uses of force as required.

• Serves arrest warrants, criminal and civil papers, subpoenas, and other legal process as assigned.

Traffic Enforcement & Crash Investigation

• Enforces state traffic laws and City ordinances; conducts traffic stops; issues citations and warnings; and detects and apprehends impaired drivers, including administering standardized field sobriety and chemical testing as certified.

• Investigates motor vehicle crashes; provides aid to the injured; documents scenes through measurements, photographs, and diagrams; completes required state crash reports; and arranges for wreckers and traffic control.

• Directs traffic at accidents, fires, school crossings, funerals, parades, athletic events, and other City events.

• Assists motorists and removes hazards and abandoned vehicles from roadways.

Investigations, Evidence & Court

• Conducts preliminary and, as assigned, follow-up investigations of criminal offenses; identifies and interviews suspects and witnesses; and prepares cases for prosecution.

• Collects, photographs, marks, packages, and preserves physical evidence and property; maintains an unbroken chain of custody; and submits items to the property room or crime laboratory.

• Prepares and submits accurate, complete, and timely incident, arrest, supplemental, use-of-force, and related reports through the department records management system.

• Prepares affidavits, warrants, and search warrant applications for review by a supervisor and the appropriate judicial officer.

• Testifies truthfully and professionally in municipal, state, and federal court, at hearings, and before grand juries; appears in court during off-duty hours as required.

• Queries, enters, and confirms information in GCIC/NCIC and other criminal justice databases in accordance with GCIC rules and the CJIS Security Policy; maintains strict confidentiality of criminal justice information.

Community Policing & Public Service

• Establishes and maintains positive relationships with residents, businesses, schools, churches, and community organizations; identifies neighborhood problems and works toward long-term solutions.

• Participates in community events, school programs, station tours, neighborhood watch meetings, and crime prevention and public education activities.

• Provides assistance, information, and referrals to citizens, including persons in crisis, victims of crime, juveniles, the elderly, and persons with mental illness or substance use disorders.

• Assists other City departments, outside agencies, and mutual aid partners; responds to severe weather, natural disasters, and other emergencies as directed.

Equipment, Training & Conduct

• Inspects, maintains, and properly secures the assigned patrol vehicle, firearm, body-worn camera, radio, body armor, and other issued equipment; reports defects, damage, and loss immediately.

• Operates body-worn and in-car camera systems in accordance with department policy and properly labels and uploads recordings.

• Maintains POST certification in good standing and completes all state-mandated annual training, including firearms qualification and use-of-force and deadly force training, plus all training assigned by the department.

• Maintains physical condition and proficiency with firearms, defensive tactics, and emergency vehicle operation sufficient to perform the duties of the position safely.

• Serves as a Field Training Officer or instructor when assigned and assists in the training of Cadets and new officers.

• Adheres to the department's code of conduct, general orders, and standard operating procedures, and to the law enforcement code of ethics, on and off duty.

• Maintains regular, reliable attendance and reports for assigned shifts, court, holdover, recall, and emergency call-back.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.

• United States citizen.

• Must be at least 18 years of age (Georgia POST minimum under O.C.G.A. § 35-8-8) [confirm whether the City requires age 21].

• Current, active Georgia POST peace officer certification in good standing, or eligibility for reciprocity or comparative compliance certification with completion prior to independent assignment.

• No felony convictions; no conviction of any offense that would bar POST certification or firearm possession, including qualifying domestic violence offenses.

• Valid Georgia driver's license with an acceptable driving record meeting City insurance requirements.

• Must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation, fingerprinting, polygraph or voice stress examination (if required by the department), psychological evaluation, medical examination, physical agility test, and drug screen.

• Must obtain or maintain GCIC/NCIC terminal operator certification, CPR/AED and first aid certification, and NIMS ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 within the timeframe established by the department.

• Must successfully complete the department's field training program and any probationary period established by City policy.

• Must qualify with department-issued firearms and complete all annual state-mandated training to maintain certification.

• Must be able to report to duty within a reasonable response time for emergency recall; residency requirements, if any, are set by City policy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of federal and Georgia criminal and traffic law, rules of criminal procedure and evidence, constitutional limits on search, seizure, and use of force, and City ordinances.

• Knowledge of modern patrol, investigative, crime scene, and community policing practices and of department policies and procedures.

• Knowledge of, or ability to rapidly learn, the geography of the City of Blakely, including streets, businesses, schools, and response districts.

• Skill in the safe and proficient use and care of firearms, less-lethal weapons, defensive tactics, restraints, and emergency vehicle operation.

• Skill in operating police radios, computers, body-worn cameras, radar and speed detection devices, breath testing instruments, and records and CAD systems.

• Ability to observe accurately, recall details, and make sound, lawful decisions quickly and independently, often with incomplete information and under extreme stress.

• Ability to write clear, accurate, and complete reports that will withstand scrutiny in court, and to testify credibly and professionally.

• Ability to remain calm, courteous, and impartial when dealing with hostile, intoxicated, injured, or emotionally disturbed persons, and to de-escalate confrontations whenever possible.

• Ability to establish effective working relationships with coworkers, other agencies, the courts, and a diverse public, and to maintain the highest standards of integrity and confidentiality.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Two (2) or more years of full-time sworn law enforcement experience.

• Associate or bachelor's degree in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, public administration, or a related field.

• Specialized POST certifications such as Field Training Officer, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing / ARIDE / Drug Recognition Expert, Intoxilyzer operator, radar/lidar operator, crash reconstruction, criminal investigations, firearms or defensive tactics instructor, or general instructor.

• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), de-escalation, or mental health first aid training.

• School Resource Officer, K-9, or narcotics investigation experience.

• Prior military service with honorable discharge.

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills.

• Residency in or familiarity with the City of Blakely and Early County.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed both indoors at the police station and courts and outdoors in the community in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, and severe storms, and at all hours of the day and night. The officer works alone in the field for extended periods with limited immediate backup. The work is hazardous: the officer is regularly exposed to armed and violent persons, physical confrontation and resistance, vehicular traffic and high-speed driving, firearms and less-lethal weapons discharge, bloodborne pathogens and infectious disease, hazardous materials and controlled substances, animals, structurally unsafe conditions, and emotionally traumatic scenes involving serious injury, abuse, and death. The officer faces the risk of serious bodily injury or death in the line of duty. Body armor and other protective equipment are required as directed, and critical incident stress support is available through the City.

The work is physically demanding. The officer must sit and drive for extended periods; stand and walk for long intervals; run, sprint, climb stairs, fences, and obstacles, jump, crawl, bend, stoop, kneel, and reach; pursue and physically subdue resisting persons; apply restraints; lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds routinely and more than 100 pounds with assistance, including dragging or carrying an injured person to safety; and sustain physical exertion under stress. Vision (including night vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and color vision), hearing, speech, balance, and manual dexterity must be sufficient to perform law enforcement duties safely.

Shift and Work Period Information

• Pay period and overtime: The City has adopted an 84-hour, bi-weekly (14-day) work period for law enforcement personnel under the FLSA Section 7(k) partial overtime exemption. Employees are paid bi-weekly, and overtime is paid for hours worked in excess of 84 hours in the 14-day work period, rather than after 40 hours in a workweek.

• Shift assignment: Officers work a rotating shift schedule that includes nights, weekends, and holidays [confirm the department's rotation, e.g., 12-hour shifts].

• Court and recall: Officers must appear in court during off-duty hours and are subject to mandatory holdover, recall, and overtime during major incidents, investigations, severe weather, and staffing shortages.

HOW TO APPLY

Employment applications are available at Blakely City Hall, 82 Court Square, Blakely, Georgia 39823, or on the City of Blakely website under Government > Employment.

Completed applications may be submitted by:

• Email: hr@cityofblakely.org or applicant@cityofblakely.org

• In Person: Blakely City Hall, 82 Court Square, Blakely, Georgia 39823

• Mail: City of Blakely, 82 Court Square, Blakely, Georgia 39823

Applicants should submit a fully completed City of Blakely employment application and any additional documents required in the specific job posting. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Please attach copies of your POST certification and training history, driver's license, and DD-214 if applicable. For questions, call City Hall at (229) 723-3677, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., or contact the Police Department. The position will remain open until filled.

$22 - $27 per hour, depending on certifications and experience

Rotating shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays

Paid bi-weekly; 84-hour (14-day) work period, overtime paid after 84 hours