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City of Canyon
Job Description


Job Title: Patrol Officer
Department: Police
Reports To: Sergeant
Salary Group: 14
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Prepared By: Troy Ducheneaux, Police Sergeant
Prepared Date: November 12, 2007
Approved By: Dale Davis, Chief of Police
Approved Date: January 22, 2010

SUMMARY: Responsible for patrol functions, including enforcing the law.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Performs preventative patrols within an assigned geographical area of the city to prevent crime and protect
citizens and their property. Conducts premise inspections of businesses, churches, schools, and parks.
Conduct field interviews of suspicious persons and vehicles. Assist citizens, for example, by changing tires,
unlocking cars, or giving directions.

a. % of Time 40
b. Strength Very Heavy
c. Physical Demand Standing, sitting, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, reaching, handling,
kneeling, crouching crawling, bending, twisting, climbing, balancing, vision, hearing, talking, foot
and hand controls.

2. Responds to calls- for-service, including public disturbances, family violence, suicides, etc. Enforces the
law, making lawful arrests and searches. Drives and operates a patrol vehicle, equipped with emergency
equipment, mobile radio, mobile data terminal, radar, in-car camera, etc. Must be trainable in the
maintenance and safe operation of essential police equipment.

a. % of Time 30
b. Strength Very Heavy
c. Physical Demand Standing, sitting, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, reaching, handling,
kneeling, crouching, crawling, bending, twisting, climbing, balancing, vision, hearing, talking, foot
and hand controls

3. Takes field notes and writes police reports, including arrest, offense, and accident report to document the
incident. Keeps an Officers Daily Activity Log to document field patrol activities. Must be skilled in
report writing, including good penmanship, spelling, and grammar.

a. % of Time 10
b. Strength Sedentary
c. Physical Demand Sitting, handling, fine dexterity, vision

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4. Enforces traffic laws (including Driving Under the Influence), making lawful traffic stops. Investigates and
reports motor vehicle traffic collisions. Directs and controls traffic at accident scenes, fires, parades, etc.
Responsible for the safe and orderly movement of traffic. Must know traffic control hand signals. Must be
knowledgeable of the Transportation Code, including arrest codes.

a. % of Time 5
b. Strength Heavy
c. Physical Demand - Standing, walking, reaching, balancing, twisting, climbing, vision, hearing,
talking, foot and hand controls.

5. Conducts preliminary and follow-up criminal investigations, including processing crime scenes. Interviews
and interrogates persons related to criminal investigations. Takes affidavits and confessions. Executes arrest
and search warrants. Must be knowledgeable of the Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and
Family Code.

a. % of Time 10
b. Strength Medium
c. Physical Demand Standing, sitting, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, reaching, handling,
kneeling, crouching crawling, bending, twisting, climbing, balancing, vision, hearing, talking, foot
and hand controls

6. Perform miscellaneous law enforcement duties, including: attending shift briefings; inspecting patrol
vehicle and equipment to ensure operational readiness; interacting with other officers, dispatchers,
detectives, and prosecutors regarding a criminal investigation; searching, handcuffing, and transporting
prisoners to jail; and testifying in court.

a. % of Time 5
b. Strength Light
c. Physical Demand Sitting, walking, handling, fine dexterity, vision, hearing, talking, foot and hand
controls

7. Performs other assigned duties, as required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The
requirements listed below are representative of the skills, knowledge, and/or abilities required. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
Minimum Education Requirements: Must have a high school diploma or general education degree (GED), or
have 12 semester hours from an accredited college or university. The individual must meet the minimum
licensing standards established by the TCLEOSE and passed the TCLEOSE licensing examination. The
individual is required to complete 40-hours of continuing educations every two years, in compliance with Texas
law.



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INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Must have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to read and comprehend the written word, including criminal
laws, professional journals, agency policies, memorandums, and/or governmental regulations. Ability to write
good police reports. Law Enforcement is a people business. Must have good interpersonal and communication
skills in order to effectively interact and communicate with the public. Must be able to work closely with others
on a shift or two-person unit.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Must be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common
fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY:
Must be able to identify problems, gather data, establish facts, select a reasonable solution, and take decisive
action. Must understand, develop, and practice officer safety skills. Must be able to define Probable Cause
and be familiar with the 4
th
Amendment as it relates to arrest, search and seizures.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Must meet all minimum licensing standards for a Texas Peace Officer, as prescribed by the Texas Law
Enforcement Commission. The individuals must have a valid Texas Drivers License, as well as, a good
driving record.

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 job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable
individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To perform the essential job functions, the individual must be capable of using his/her basic senses of sight,
smell, taste, speech, touch, and hearing: Frequently, the individual is required to stand, walk, sit, reach, handle,
bend, twist, balance, talk, and use of fine dexterity skills. Occasionally, the individual is required to lift, carry,
push, pull, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, climb, jump, or run. The individual must be able to perform essential
job tasks, such as safely operate a motor vehicle, talk on the radio, hand-cuff a prisoner, shoot a firearm,
including a pistol, rifle, and shotgun. The individual must be capable of handling aggressive, combative, and
violent people. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision,
peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while
performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals
with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job is primarily patrol-oriented. The individual will be required to work at least an eight hour shift,
irregular shifts, rotating shifts, and holidays. The individual will be subject to call-out. The individual must be
adaptable and flexible. The work changes frequently from task to task. The individual must be capable of
managing multiple tasks.

Frequently, the individual will be exposed to extreme weather conditions and temperatures, such as working
outside in the summer and winter. Occasionally, the individual will be exposed to rain, thunder-storms, and
snow.


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Police work is considered a dangerous occupation with risks of bodily harm or death. Occasionally, the
individual will be exposed to police hazards, such as- directing traffic, pursuit driving, confronting an armed
suspect, handling intoxicated persons or persons suffering from mental illness. Rarely, the individual may be
exposed to infectious disease, such as AIDS or hepatitis when handling prisoners or investigating drug cases or
processing crime scenes. Rarely, the individual may be exposed to chemicals when responding to traffic
collisions, fires, etc.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

While on patrol, the individual will be required to always wear protective body armor for officer safety. When
directing traffic, the individual will be required to wear a reflective traffic vest for officer safety, in compliance
with agency policy. During foul weather, the individual may choose to wear rain gear, tuffy jacket, and gloves.
During firearms training, the individual is required to wear protective eye glasses, goggles, and ear muffs.
When processing a crime scene, the individual should always wear protective clothing. When operating a
police vehicle, the individual will be required to wear a safety belt, in compliance with both agency policy and
Texas law.