Background Investigator and Accreditation Specialist

Job Title

Positions assigned to this class are responsible for conducting a comprehensive pre-employment background investigation on prospective candidates for vacant sworn and civilian positions within the Apache Junction Police Department. Oversee, coordinate, and administer the accreditation process to maintain compliance with Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP).

Essential Duties

The following are intended to describe core work functions of this classification. While the level and broad nature of essential duties may not change, specific work tasks may vary over time depending on the City's needs.

• Conduct formal background interviews and investigations on candidates for sworn and civilian public safety positions.
• Collect information derived from law enforcement systems, public domain databases, and social media websites; analyze sensitive and confidential background findings.
• Prepare pre-employment background investigation report summaries; audit applicant files for completeness.
• Oversee, coordinate, and administer the accreditation process; remain current with the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) policies and procedures to include re-accreditation.
• Maintain, revise, and draft new Apache Junction Police Department policies and procedures.
• Advise agency personnel of compliance requirements; ensure timeliness of reports and inspections; observe, review, and check the proof submissions of agency personnel to ensure conformation to standards.
• May research current local and national police trends; make recommendations on policies, procedures, and practices based upon current research, best practices, and legal requirements.
• Communicate policies and procedures to all department personnel.
• Support the city's policies, goals, and objectives and work with management and other staff to ethically achieve such goals and objectives; ensure compliance with safety procedures.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience Graduation from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with an Associate's degree or equivalent credit hours and three (3) years paid full-time permanent experience as a police officer, investigator, crime analyst or research assistant, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge City, State, Federal, and department procedures, policies and guidelines; city code; chain-of-command protocol; Arizona Revised Statutes. Methods, tools, techniques, and objectives of public safety background investigations including, but not limited to, computerized data searches, and related procedures. Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) standards.

Skills Maintaining effective working relationships with other city departments, outside agencies, city employees, and other members of the criminal justice system. Effective written and verbal communication. Maintaining confidentiality of information processed and prepared, maintaining complex records. Utilizing a personal computer, standard software, specialized software, and various criminal information databases; functioning standard office equipment.

Pre-employment Requirements Candidates who are selected for appointment may be fingerprinted, if 18 or older; successfully complete a background investigation, employment verification and may be subject to a drug / alcohol test, medical, polygraph and / or psychological evaluation. Candidates who are appointed will be required to possess a valid driver's license to operate a vehicle in Arizona or meet the transportation needs of the position. Physical Demands and Work Environment Work is performed in a standard office environment. May require frequent sitting and continuous operation of a personal computer. May be required to perform a full range of motion with lifting and / or carrying items weighing up to 25 pounds.