Occupation Description

Patrol: Patrol Officer duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

                    1.     Preserves the public peace.

2.     Prevents crime.

3.     Detects and arrests violators of the law.

4.     Protects life and property.

5.     Responses to all calls for police services.

6.     Enforces all criminal and traffic laws of the State of Illinois and the ordinances of the City of Jacksonville.

7.     Patrols an assigned area of the City and checks buildings to ensure that they are in a safe condition and that no forced entries have occurred.

8.     Investigates suspicious or unusual incidents occurring during his/her tour of duty and conducts preliminary investigations of all actual crimes, which he/she discovers or is assigned to investigate.

9.     Submits accurate written reports to his/her supervisor in a timely manner.

10.  Apprehend and arrests for felony or misdemeanor offenses in accordance with city ordinances and state statutes, collects and preserves evidence, and interviews any possible complainants and witnesses.

11.  Investigates complaints of a non-criminal nature (i.e. family disputes, neighborhood problems, missing or injured persons) and assesses each individual case to determine appropriate action.

12.  Establishes sources of intelligence and information.

13.  Conducts traffic crash investigations, completes required forms, including but not limited to the identification of all passengers, vehicles, witnesses, location, injuries, date and time, and issues citations where appropriate and consistent with Departmental procedures.

14.  Enforces traffic and parking regulations through visual or radar patrol.

15.  Observes and searches the scene of a crime for physical evidence. Collects, photographs, and/or preserves evidence located for possible use in future legal proceedings.

16.  Completes special details when assigned.

17.  Provides traffic and/or crowd control at special events.

18.  Furnishes assistance and information to citizens and motorists.

19.  Completes all required reports and records in an accurate and timely manner.

20.  Serves as a witness in court cases and is responsible for obeying all lawful subpoenas.

21.  Performs special assignments as may be assigned by the Chief of Police or other competent authority. Examples of special assignments include but are not limited to; Field Training Officer, Range Officer, Breath Alcohol Operator, etc.

22.  Responsible for attending daily roll call, unless otherwise engaged in police duties, and recording all appropriate information relayed by the Shift Commander or Shift Supervisor.

23.  Serves subpoena’s and summonses as required.

24.  Attends training sessions and departmental meetings as may be required.

25.  Maintains a courteous and professional demeanor when interacting with members of the Jacksonville Police Department and the public.

26.  Established and maintains a rapport with all members and segments of the community to enhance the police image and instill a respect for law and order.

27.  Reports any circumstance which may present a public safety hazard and/or takes appropriate measures to reduce or remove such hazards.

28.  Notifies dispatch of location and reason for being out of service, location of vehicle stops and vehicle information, and all requests for police service.

29.  Remains obedient and responsible to all verbal and written orders issued by superiors and to all work assignments transmitted to him/her by authorized persons.

30.  Performs such other duties as may be required by state law, city ordinances and departmental rules, policy, or procedures, or as may be assigned by a superior officer.