Law Enforcement Training

ML   L  E 

INEXPERIENCED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Note: You must be able to complete these tasks before graduating from BLET. If you need an accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act you must submit a Request for Accommodation and that request must be approved by Training and Standards. Even with a Request for Accommodation you must still meet all of the essential job functions that are listed below.

The following are the "essential job functions" that are common to all inexperienced law enforcement officers in North Carolina, as determined by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and the Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission. The successful applicant must be able to perform ALL of the essential job functions of an inexperienced law enforcement officer, generally unassisted and at a pace and level of performance consistent with the actual job performance requirements. This requires a high level of physical ability to include vision, hearing, speaking, flexibility and strength.

1. Effect an arrest, forcibly if necessary, using handcuffs and other restraints; subdue resisting suspects using maneuvers and weapons and resort to the use of hands and feet and other approved weapons in self-defense.

2. Prepare investigative and other reports, including sketches, using appropriate grammar, symbols and mathematical computations.

3. Exercise independent judgment in determining when there is reasonable suspicion to detain, when probable cause exists to search and arrest and when force may be used and to what degree.

4. Operate a law enforcement vehicle during both the day and night; in emergency situations involving speeds in excess of posted limits, in congested traffic and in unsafe road conditions caused by factors such as fog, smoke, rain, ice and snow.

5. Communicate effectively and coherently over law enforcement radio channels while initiating and responding to radio communications.

6. Gather information in criminal investigations by interviewing and obtaining the statements of victims, witnesses, suspects and confidential informers.

7. Pursue fleeing suspects and perform rescue operations which may involve quickly entering and exiting law enforcement patrol vehicles; lifting, carrying and dragging heavy objects; climbing over and pulling up oneself over obstacles; jumping down from elevated surfaces; climbing through openings; jumping over obstacles, ditches and streams; crawling in confined areas; balancing on uneven or narrow surfaces and using body force to gain entrance through barriers.

8. Load, unload, aim and fire from a variety of body positions handguns, shotguns and other agency firearms under conditions of stress that justify the use of deadly force and at levels of proficiency prescribed in certification standards.

9. Perform searches of people, vehicles, buildings and large outdoor areas which may involve feeling and detecting objects, walking for long periods of time, detaining people and stopping suspicious vehicles and persons.

10. Conduct visual and audio surveillance for extended periods of time.

11. Engage in law enforcement patrol functions that include such things as working rotating shifts, walking on foot patrol and physically checking the doors and windows of buildings to ensure they are secure.

12. Effectively communicate with people, including juveniles, by giving information and directions, mediating disputes and advising of rights and processes.

13. Demonstrate communication skills in court and other formal settings.

14. Detect and collect evidence and substances that provide the basis of criminal offenses and infractions and that indicate the presence of dangerous conditions.

15. Endure verbal and mental abuse when confronted with the hostile views and opinions of suspects and other people encountered in an antagonistic environment.

16. Perform rescue functions at accidents, emergencies and disasters to include directing traffic for long periods of time, administering emergency medical aid, lifting, dragging and carrying people away from dangerous situations and securing and evacuating people from particular areas.

17. Process and transport prisoners and committed mental patients using handcuffs and other appropriate restraints.

18. Put on and operate a gas mask in situations where chemical munitions are being deployed.

19. Extinguish small fires by using a fire extinguisher and other appropriate means.

20. Read and comprehend legal and non-legal documents, including the preparation and processing of such documents as citations, affidavits and warrants.

21. Process arrested suspects to include taking their photographs and obtaining a legible set of inked fingerprint impressions.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Since law enforcement officers are required to enforce the law and they are exposed to certain temptations to show favoritism, corruption, or unlawful monetary gain, it is a "business necessity" that officers exhibit a history and characteristics of honesty, reliability, ability to manage personal finances, interpersonal skill, and integrity.

Additionally, law enforcement officers are frequently placed in a position of physical and mental stress. Therefore, a history of mental or physical disability may be grounds for denying an application; or, these factors might be a consideration in the hiring process.

Applicants posing a substantial risk to themselves, other officers, and the public are at a substantial disadvantage in the hiring process.

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