Confidential Investigator Jobs

Confidential Investigator

SALARY: $41.13/hr- 2023 Hire Rate

LOCATION: District Attorney

TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT: Full Time

ISSUE DATE: 08/08/23

THE FINAL DATE TO FILE APPLICATIONS: 09/08/23

RESIDENCY: Candidates must have been legal residents of Tompkins County or one of the six adjoining counties (Cayuga,
Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga) for at least one month immediately preceding the date of application and maintain
residency. For Examinations: The eligible list resulting from the examination will be established in accordance with the final
earned numerical ratings of passing candidates regardless of residence. A municipality or district may exercise its right under
section 23-4-a. of Civil Service Law to request a certification of eligible candidates who have been residents of that municipality
or district for at least one month prior to appointment. After the names of residents have been exhausted, Tompkins County must
then certify the names of non-residents on the list.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

(a) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four year college or university with a Bachelors Degree
AND two years of full-time paid (or the equivalent part-time and/or volunteer) experience as an Investigator/Detective serving
with a certified police department, sheriff’s office or other government agency, which must have included gathering evidence
and/or assisting in the conducting of criminal investigations and/or prosecutions; OR

(b) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered two year college with an Associates Degree AND four
years of full-time paid (or the equivalent part-time and/or volunteer) experience as an Investigator/Detective serving with a
certified police department, sheriff’s office or other government agency, which must have included gathering evidence and/or
assisting in the conducting of criminal investigations and/or prosecutions; OR

(c) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma AND six years of full-time paid (or the
equivalent part-time and/or volunteer) experience as an Investigator/Detective serving with a certified police department, sheriff’s
office, or other government agency which must have included gathering evidence and/or assisting in the conducting of criminal
investigations and/or prosecutions; OR

(d) Any combination of training and experience equal to or greater than that described in (a), (b) or (c) above.

Tompkins County is committed to Equity and Inclusion. We encourage those with similar values to apply.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

This work involves responsibility for conducting investigations and interviews to substantiate facts for cases being prepared by the
District Attorney’s Office. The position of Confidential Investigator requires the handling of high profile and sensitive cases,
which include homicide investigations and investigations of official misconduct or other malfeasance by public officials or county
employees. The position of Confidential Investigator will also require investigation of crimes against revenue and all types of
fraud. He or she will work in accordance with the established practices and procedures set forth by the District Attorney of
Tompkins County and under the NYS Criminal procedure Law. A high degree of autonomy is required to effectively carry out the
duties and responsibilities of this position. As a result, there must be a high level of trust and confidence between an incumbent of
this position and the District Attorney. An employee in this class is on call 24 hours a day and is responsible for assisting and
aiding the District Attorney with ongoing case investigation and preparation. An employee in this class is assigned difficult,
complex and specialized criminal investigations. The Confidential Investigator aids the District Attorney and Assistant District
Attorney’s with trial preparation, including court testimony, regarding evidence and confessional affidavits. This investigator is
assigned proactive and reactive investigations and must maintain a high level of respect and knowledge within the police
community in order to accomplish the desired results, which are only obtainable with years of experience and a solid network. An
employee in this class works under the general direction of the District Attorney and will enjoy the full trust and confidence of the
District Attorney. Supervision of others is not generally a function of this class, although an Investigator will lead all
investigations. The incumbent will perform all related duties as required.

TYPICALWORK ACTIVITIES:

• Conducts interviews and/or interrogations as needed to prepare case files in support of the District Attorney, Deputy or
• Conducts investigations as requested by the District Attorney;

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Good knowledge of the New York State Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Search and Seizure Laws, and Rules of

• Good knowledge of techniques involved in serving legal papers;
• Good knowledge of the techniques and procedures involved in establishing legal action in court;
• Skill in performing investigations and interrogations;
• Ability to maintain a close, personal and confidential relationship with the District Attorney in order that s/he has th
• Good knowledge of modern investigative techniques;

utmost confidence in this employee’s ability to conduct confidential investigations in support of the District Attorney’s
positions;

• Ability to prepare clear and accurate oral and written reports;
• Ability to establish rapport with, and to work effectively with, other members of the law enforcement community;
• Ability to analyze findings and make solid recommendations;
• Honesty, integrity, accuracy, discretion and excellent judgment are all required personal characteristics.

Originally created 01/20/2011

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FURTHER INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Falsification of any part of the "Application for Employment" will result in disqualification.

Accepted candidates will be notified when and where to appear for the examination. If you do not receive your notice to appear at least three days before the
date of the written examination, call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources at 274-5526. If an application is disapproved, due notice will be
sent. This department does not make formal acknowledgment of the receipt of an application or take responsibility for non-delivery or postal delay.

Applicants must answer every question on the application form and make sure that the application is complete in all respects. Incomplete applications will
be disapproved.

ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL, VETERANS OR DISABLED VETERANS desiring to claim additional credit will request the Veterans Credits
application form, at any time between the date of application for examination(s) and the date of the establishment of the resulting eligible list. You must
meet the requirements set by NYS for these credits and they may be used only once. YOU MAY NOT CLAIM ADDITIONAL CREDITS AFTER THE
ELIGIBLE LIST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. IT IS THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST THE VETERANS CREDIT
APPLICATION FORMS AND TO SUBMIT THESE FORMS AND ANY SUPPORTING PAPERWORK BEFORE THE ELIGIBLE LIST IS
ESTABLISHED.
Tompkins County's written examinations are prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of
Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations, which deal with the rating and review of the examinations
apply.

The duration of the eligible lists may be fixed for a minimum of one and a maximum of four years and may be extended beyond four years if there has been
a restriction against the filling of vacancies in that title.
The candidates must complete a separate "Application for Employment" for each open-competitive and/or promotional examination that the candidate is
eligible to take.

All experience required meeting the acceptable training and experience is full-time experience. (Part-time experience will be credited on a prorated basis).

Appointment from an eligible list must be made from the top three candidates willing to accept the appointment.

Tompkins County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As part of its efforts to provide employment opportunities to the physically handicapped, Tompkins
County Civil Service has adopted a rule permitting the employment of qualified physically handicapped persons without competitive examination (pursuant
to Section 55 of Civil Service Law). If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position and wish to know more about this rule, please contact the
Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Office.

Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, and solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with Typewriter Keyboards,
Spell Checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring
books or other reference materials.

CROSS-FILING - APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN EXAMINATIONS ARE
SCHEDULED ON THE SAME DATE: When applying for examinations across multiple jurisdictions - all of which are scheduled on the same day - you
must submit a Tompkins County Cross-Filing Form. This form must be submitted no later than 4:30 PM on the final filing date of the examination. On this
form, list each examination that you are taking and then tell us where you would like to sit. The purpose is to ensure that all of the test materials for the
various examinations that you are taking will be available in one location. If you do not provide the cross-filing form to us by the final filing date, we cannot
ensure that we can accommodate your desire to cross-file. If any of the examinations are State level examinations, you must sit at the State test center. You
will still need to complete the Tompkins County cross-filing form. If sitting at the State site, the State will notify you of when and where to report for your
examination(s) and you should bring all admittance letters to the State site. If you are not taking a State examination, bring all admittance letters to your
chosen testing site. If you have any question please call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Department (607) 274-5526. The Cross File
form is located at http://www.tompkins-co.org/personnel/CivilSrvForms/index.html

FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS: If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on
your application.

ALL CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT FOR POSITIONS IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES GOVERNED BY TOMPKINS COUNTY
CIVIL SERVICE MAY HAVE THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL REQUIREMENT. PER CHAPTER 180 OF THE LAWS OF 2000, AND BY
REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, TO BE EMPLOYED IN A POSITION DESIGNATED BY A SCHOOL
DISTRICT OR BOCES AS INVOLVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH STUDENTS, A CLEARANCE FOR EMPLOYMENT FROM THE
STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED.
In conformance with Section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duties shall be entitled to receive
an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are
qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duties in this municipality, please inform this
office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the
application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has
been established.⒝

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to undergo a State and national criminal history background investigation, which will
include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in
disqualification.

TOMPKINS COUNTY PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, 125 EAST COURT STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850