Sonoma Police Department Community Services Officer
The County of Sonoma offers a challenging and rewarding work environment, the satisfaction of knowing that you're working to better the community, and excellent benefits, including*:
- An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance up to $500 and ongoing education/training opportunities
- Differential pay for swing and graveyard shifts
- Premium pay of $1.15/hour, in addition to the hourly pay rate, for future bilingual assignments
- Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
- Significant portion of health care premiums paid by the County and access to several health plan options
- County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
- Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
- May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment
- Eligibility for a 5% salary increase after 1040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a 5% salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
- With experience and good work performance, career advancement to Community Services Officer II (up to $59,211/year)
Do you have an outgoing personality, enjoy working and building community relationships in a diverse environment, and:
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well in a team
- The ability to remain calm, clear, and in control when working with difficult or irate individuals
- Possess effective problem-solving skills, empathy, patience, and a common sense approach to supporting customers' needs
Working as a Community Services Officer in the City of Sonoma
The current Community Services Officer (CSO) assignment for this recruitment is for a position with the Sonoma Police Department, a contract city with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. In 2004, the City of Sonoma began contracting with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department to provide law enforcement services.
The Sonoma Police Department has a total staff of 14 employees; one chief, two sergeants, nine patrol deputies, one community services officer and one administrative staff. A strong cadre of dedicated Police Explorers and volunteers join them, which plays a vital role in our service to the community.
As the sole CSO within the City of Sonoma, you will be working both independently and as part of the Sonoma Police Department team. Your daily routine can vary from:
- Animal control calls for service within city
- Walking the downtown Sonoma Plaza enforcing the City's Municipal code
- Providing fingerprinting services to assisting the public in the front lobby
Being a Sonoma Police Department CSO can be demanding, but for those who have passion for this work, you will be rewarded with camaraderie and the ability to help others in our community. Although they do not perform the full range of law enforcement duties that are assigned to Sheriff's Deputies or Sonoma Police Officers, CSOs are non-peace officer staff who provide a variety of non-technical support services to community members across the county. They may be assigned to any area in the Sheriff's Office, including the main office, Sheriff's substations located in Guerneville and the Sonoma Valley, and the contracted city offices located in the City of Sonoma and the Town of Windsor. This current position is for working at the City of Sonoma Police Department. CSOs are also subject to departmental policies, including uniform requirements and standards of conduct; and may work weekends, with occasional swing shifts, holiday assignments, and overtime as needed.
*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of the list. The Civil Service title of this position is Community Services Officer I. County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.
Minimum Qualifications
Normally, a High School Diploma or equivalent and some experience in a clerical, customer service, or legal/law enforcement setting which included assisting the public or customers. Academic coursework in law enforcement or a closely related field and/or experience working in a law enforcement or public safety agency is desirable.
License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including necessary special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Background Requirements: Applicants must successfully complete a thorough background investigation including a polygraph examination. Applicants who have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, or of any offense in any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, which would have been a felony if committed in California, or are under formal probation may be subject to disqualification for this class.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to: learn and apply basic laws, codes, ordinances, processes, techniques, rules, regulations, and practices pertaining to area of assignment; learn, interpret and apply department policies, procedures; understand legal, court, and law enforcement documents and reports; understand local resources and services for referrals; work, communicate effectively, and demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and sensitivity with the general public, outside agencies, department personnel, etc.; obtain accurate and detailed information in person or by telephone; follow written and oral instructions; make decisions in routine procedural matters without immediate supervision; read, correct, prepare, and maintain accurate and concise records and reports; work under stress and in emergency situations; exercise judgment and discretion in sensitive situations and in analyzing and resolving problems; speak before public groups; work in contact with and oversee inmate/probation workers; obtain information, enter data, develop correspondence, etc. in modern software programs.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.