Print (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/westsacramento/jobs/newprint/4187913)
Apply
Crime Scene Investigator I/II/III
Salary
$54,312.00 - $80,460.00 Annually
Location
West Sacramento, CA
Job Type
Regular Full Time
Job Number
2023-00053
Department
POLICE
Opening Date
08/31/2023
Closing Date
9/21/2023 12:38 AM Pacific
Max Number of Applicants
125
- Benefits
- Description
- Questions
An official City of West Sacramento application form must be filled out, in its entirety. It is the applicant's responsibility to explain their qualifications fully and clearly. In addition, applicants must submit a resume and complete the required supplemental questionnaire (if applicable). Incomplete information on the application, resume and/or supplemental questionnaire may be cause for disqualification. Application packages will be reviewed and screened for qualifications. Additional screening criteria will be developed based on the supplemental questionnaire (if applicable).
This recruitment will close upon receipt of 125 applications.
Preference will be given to canidates who possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or univeristy with coursework in Criminalists, Criminology, Forensic Science, or related field, with 3 years of comparable experience.
An official City of West Sacramento application form must be filled out, in its entirety. It is the applicant's responsibility to explain his/her qualifications fully and clearly. In addition, applicants must submit a resume and complete the required supplemental questionnaire. Incomplete information on the application, resume and/or supplemental questionnaire may be cause for disqualification. Application packages will be reviewed and screened for qualifications. Additional screening criteria will be developed based on the supplemental questionnaire. Depending upon the number of qualified candidates, an oral panel interview may or may not be held. The top candidates will be referred to the department for further consideration.
DEFINITION: The Crime Scene Investigator I/II/III collects, processes and performs analysis of physical evidence obtained from crime and/or fire scenes; provides responsible and technical staff assistance; and performs lead administrative and technical duties associated with the maintenance, control, and disposal of property and evidence within the Police Department.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED: Receives general direction from the Police Chief or his/her designee. Technical or functional supervision is also provided by higher level personnel. The Crime Scene Investigator III may require lead responsibilities over less experienced personnel and/or extra help workers as assigned.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS: The Crime Scene Investigator I is the entry level class in this series and typically performs the more routine tasks and duties. The Crime Scene Investigator II is considered the journey level in this series and works independently, under general direction. Advancement to the Crime Scene Investigator II level shall occur after satisfactorily performing the duties of a Crime Scene Investigator I for one (1) year and meeting the Crime Scene Investigator II education requirements. Advancement to the Crime Scene Investigator III level shall occur after satisfactorily performing the duties of a Crime Scene Investigator II for two (2) years and meeting the Crime Scene Investigator III education requirements. Satisfactory performance means an overall satisfactory or higher rating on the performance evaluation during the last evaluation period.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (Illustrative Only): Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.
- Determines findings in comparing physical evidence.
- Responds to inquiries related to store property.
- Instructs staff on methods for collecting and processing evidence without contamination.
- Enters latent impressions into computer.
- Disposes of and releases property in accordance with applicable laws and departmental procedures.
- Fingerprint development techniques to include collection, preservation and comparison and preparation of reports and court exhibits.
- Coordinates the transportation, delivery, and/or disposal of evidence and/or property.
- Prepares and maintains records and reports.
- Maintains manual and computerized property files.
- Ensures proper disposal of unclaimed or surplus property and evidence.
- Communicates with courts on status and evidence needed.
- Prepares evidence, exhibits, and reports and gives testimony in court on test results and findings.
- Participates in Yolo County Arson and Bomb Investigation team.
- Organizes and coordinates property auction in accordance with applicable laws and departmental procedures.
- Takes and makes fingerprint comparisons and classifications.
- Examines crime and fire scenes and identifies, stores and maintains property and evidence.
- Prints photographs.
- Transports evidence for laboratory and/or criminalistics examination and court presentation.
- Logs and stores all found property and evidence in a safe and secure manner.
- Maintains photographic and other equipment.
- Receives, processes, stores and maintains property and evidence.
- Performs tests to identify and analyze various types of substances including narcotic and toxic substances.
- Prepares and delivers evidence for analysis and process by others.
- Photographs crime/fire scenes.
Preference will be given to canidates who possess a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or univeristy with coursework in Criminalists, Criminology, Forensic Science, or related field, with 3 years of comparable experience.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge and skill. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skill would be:
Education: Crime Scene Investigator I: High school diploma or equivalent. Related college coursework or specialized training is desirable. Crime Scene Investigator II: High school diploma or equivalent and additional specialized coursework in basic police identification principles. Crime Scene Investigator III: Equivalent to an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited college or university in Administration of Justice, Police Science, Public/Business Administration or closely related field.
Experience: Crime Scene Investigator I: One (1) year of public contact work. Crime Scene Investigator II: One (1) year experience equivalent to a Crime Scene Investigator I in the City of West Sacramento.Crime Scene Investigator III: Three (3) years related experience in a California law enforcement agency, including two (2) years experience as a Crime Scene Investigator I or similar position. A Bachelor's Degree with major coursework in Criminalistics, Criminology, Forensic Science or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES: A valid California driver license. Possession of a POST Property Management Certificate highly desirable.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Must be able to work on-call hours and holidays. Work a variety of shifts, weekends and holidays. Position will be required to wear a uniform. Position will be exposed to and may be required to fingerprint dead bodies in various states of decomposition. Will occasionally attend autopsies. May be exposed to chemicals in the course of performing duties. An employee must successfully pass a background investigation. The background investigation is required on all non-sworn police department personnel who will have access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) equipment.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Some stooping, lifting up to 35 pounds, climbing a ladder, working at heights, and inspecting confined areas; travel to attend a variety of meetings and trainings.
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS: Work in an laboratory, office and field environment, pertaining to crime and fire; exposure to chemicals, human body fluids, odors, decomposing matter and deceased bodies as well as narcotics, explosives, weapons and hazardous materials.
An applicant who qualifies for veterans’ preference and successfully places on an eligibility list for initial entrance into employment with the city shall be advanced one rank on the final eligibility list. Where there are five (5) or less qualified applicants, no veterans’ preference shall apply and all applicants shall be placed on the certification list forwarded to the departments for hiring consideration. The exercise of veterans’ preference shall be exhausted upon appointment to a regular position from an eligibility list.
Alternate Work Schedule: Alternate work schedule of 4-10 or 9-80 as approved by the Chief.
Association Time Bank: All employees contribute ½ hour of vacation time during the first full payperiod that begins in January of each year to an Association Time Bank.
Auto Allowance: None
Bereavement Leave: 2-4 days depending upon relationship of employee to deceased. Additional 2 days discretionary. See Personnel Rules.
Bilingual Pay: Employees possessing and utilizing bilingual skills on duty shall receive an additional 5% of their hourly rate of pay. The number of individuals to receive this pay, the languages eligible, and the qualification requirements will be determined by the City.
Call Back: Paid minimum of 2 hours at 1-1/2 regular rate of pay.
Career Enchancement: The City will reimburse up to one thousand dollars ($1000) per fiscal year to all eligible employees (pro-rated for new hires) for materials and fees for career enhancement activities including, but not limited to, job-related classes; classes taken at an accredited college or university in pursuit of a degree; and job-related equipment. Items qualifying for reimbursement include reference books and manuals related to the employee's line of work or approved classes; AV media related to career development; and computer hardware and software and/or other accessories/equipment which can aid the employee in the performance of their job duties and/or advance skills that would enhance job performance, including keyboards, monitors, computer mouse(s)/pointing devices, headsets/earphones, webcams, and printers/printer ink.
Deferred Compensation: Voluntary
Educational Incentive Program: 2.5% for Associate’s Degree OR 4% for a Bachelor’s Degree; and 2.5% for a Master’s Degree. Maximum educational incentive is 6.5%.
Fitness Center: All civilian employees may workout at the department or the City’s recreation facility at no cost.
Holidays: All members earn 96 hours of holiday time per calendar year (10 listed holidays plus 2 floating holidays) to be used as time off. The holiday time can be taken at any time after it is earned (the pay period in which the holiday occurs or July 1 for floating holidays). Upon separation, employees are only entitled to payout for any unused floating holiday time. There is no payout for unused holiday time accrued from the 10 listed holidays in Section 16.1.1. (no cash out).
Longevity: Completion of 10th year of service = 2.5%; Completion of 15th year of service = additional 2.5% for total of 5%.
Long-Term Disability: Voluntary
Management Leave: None
Meal Allowance: An additional 30-minute meal allowance will be provided if overtime exceeds 2 hours.
Medical and Dental After Retirement: For employees and retirees hired before 7/1/2018 : The premiums will be paid, indexed to the CalPERS PORAC rate depending on coverage tier selected, not to exceed the level paid to active employees of associated coverage tier.
10-14 years of service = $50 + 25% of premiums
15-19 years of service = $75 + 30% of premiums
20 or more years of service = $100 + 50% of premiums
Benefit never to exceed 75% of total premium or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750), whichever is less.
For employees hired after 6/30/2018: The City’s maximum monthly medical contribution for each eligible retiree shall be equal to the minimum employer contribution required for active employees pursuant to the Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA). In addition to the PEMHCA minimum, employees will receive the following contributions to their Retiree Health Savings account:
- After completion of twenty (20) years of continuous service with the City, employees shall receive two hundred dollars ($200.00) per month to be deposited into their RHS account.
- From zero (0) to five (5) years of service, employees shall receive twenty-five ($25) per month in to be deposited to the employee’s RHS account
- After completion of ten (10) years of continuous service with the City, employees shall receive one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per month to be deposited into their RHS account.
- After completion of five (5) years of continuous service with the City, employees shall receive one hundred dollars ($100.00) per month to be deposited into their RHS account.
Employees who terminate City service for reasons other than retirement or layoff prior to ten (10) years of continuous service with the City will forfeit any City contribution.
Medical, Dental, Life and Vision Insurance: All POA employees receive a set dollar amount to purchase beneftis (cafeteria plan). Health plans are offered through the CalPERS medical program (PEHMCA) using the unequal, minimum contribution methodology. Dental plan is through Delta Dental. Vision plan is through Vision Service Plan (VSP). The life insurance is a $16,000 term life insurance with $1,000 coverage for a spouse and children aged 6 months to 23 years, and $100 coverage for children aged 14 days to 6 months.
Benefits
The employer contribution toward a cafeteria plan amounts for employees to apply toward health benefits (medical, dental and vision) shall be as follows
- Employee only: City will pay up to actual premium amount of medical, dental, and vision for employee only, not to exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the PORAC plan for employee only and the cost of employee only dental and vision per month.
- Employee plus two or more: City will pay up to actual premium amount of medical, dental, and vision for employee plus two or more, not to exceed eighty-five percent (85%) of the PORAC plan for employee plus two or more and eighty-five percent (85%) of the employee plus two or more dental and vision plans per month.
- Employee plus one: City will pay up to actual premium amount of medical, dental, and vision for employee plus one, not to exceed eighty-five percent (85%) of the PORAC plan for employee plus one and eighty-five percent (85%) of the cost of employee plus one dental and vision per month.
In no event shall the contribution exceed 100% of the selected plan premium cost including dental and vision.
Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Share the Savings (Opt Out): Employees hired before 7/1/18: Employees who choose not to participate in any of the City’s medical plans (opt out) and show proof of health care coverage shall receive four hundred seventy five dollars ($475) per month. The Share the Savings dollars may be diverted to a deferred compensation plan or supplemental salary according to the procedures governing cafeteria plans as established by law. In addition, the City will pay 100% of the premiums for dental, vision and life insurance up to the family rate depending on coverage selected.
Employees hired after 6/30/18: Employees who choose not to participate in any of the City’s medical plans (opt out) and show proof of health care coverage shall receive four hundred, seventy five ($475). The Share the Savings dollars may be diverted to a deferred compensation plan or supplemental salary according to the procedures governing cafeteria plans as established by law. In addition, the City will pay 100% of the premiums for dental and vision up to the employee only rate. Employees can purchase up to the family rate with the opt out funds.
Non-PERSable Retention Pay: Effective the payroll period after ratification and approval by the City Council, employees will receive a one-time, non-PERSable lump sum signing bonus of three percent (3%) of annual base pay.
Effective pay period inclusive of July 1, 2023, employees will receive a one-time, non-PERSable lump sum retention payment of three percent (3%) of annual base pay.
Off-Duty Court Time: Paid at 1-1/2 regular rate of pay for a minimum of 4 hours. Applies to hours that are non-contiguous to the employee's regular duty hours.
On-Call/Stand-by: $4.00 per hour. If called out, paid at 1-1/2 regular rate of pay for a minimum of 2 hours of work.
Overtime: 1-1/2 times regular rate of pay (either 8, 9 or 10 hour days). Overtime to be taken in cash or CTO. CTO not to accrue in excess of 80 hours. All accrued CTO to be paid off at termination.
An employee may only use or cash out compensatory time off during the calendar year in which it is earned. All accrued and unused compensatory time off balances will be cashed out on the last pay date of each calendar year so that the employee’s compensatory time off account is reduced to a zero balance. No unused compensatory time off hours may be carried over to a subsequent calendar year. No compensatory time off can be elected for overtime worked during the last pay period of the calendar year.
Probationary Period: 12 months.
Records Trainer Differential: A Records Trainer, while actually training a new Police Records Technician for the Department will be compensated an additional 5% of their hourly rate of pay for every training day. Record Trainers are expected to perform their training duties during their normal tour of duty and will not receive overtime for training duties unless specifically authorized by the Chief of Police or their designee. A Records Trainer called upon to act in the capacity of a supervisor will be compensated an additional 5% of their hourly rate of pay after working one (1) regular work shift (eight (8), nine (9) or ten (10) consecutive hours) in the supervisory capacity. During these periods, the Records Trainer will have the same authority and responsibility as the supervisor they replace. The Records Trainer training compensation will not be compounded with the supervisory compensation.
Code Enforcement Officer Trainer Differential: A Code Enforcement Officer Trainer, while actually training a new Code Enforcement Officer for the Department will be compensated an additional 5% of their hourly rate of pay for every training day. Code Enforcement Officer Trainers are expected to perform their training duties during their normal tour of duty and will not receive overtime for training duties unless specifically authorized by the Director of Community Development or their designee.
Retiree Health Savings: The City shall contribute $15 per pay period on behalf of each employee hired before 7/1/2018 to the VantageCare Retiree Health Savings plan. The Association may set or adjust the employee contribution amount annually by November 15th.
Retirement: For employees hired on or after January 1, 2013, who have never been a CalPERS member, have not been a CalPERS member in the past 180 days, and who are not eligible for reciprocity with another California public retirement system as defined by the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA), and are not a rehire who is formerly a classic member, the retirement formula will be 2% @ 62 in accordance with the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) and includes highest thirty-six months for final compensation determination and Unused Sick Leave Credit. Employee pays entire contribution as determined by CalPERS on a pre-tax basis.
For employees hired between February 11, 2012, and December 31, 2012, or classic members as defined by CalPERS, the retirement formula shall be the 2% @ 60 formula, highest thirty-six months for final compensation determination, 3rd level of the 1959 Survivor Benefit, Military Service Credit as Public Service, and Unused Sick Leave Credit. Employee pays entire 7% employee contribution on a pre-tax basis.
For employees hired before February 11, 2012, the retirement formula shall be the 2.5% @ 55 plan, includes highest thirty-six months for final compensation determination, 1959 Survivor's Benefit (3rd Level) and Unused Sick Leave Credit. Employee pays entire 8% employee contribution on a pre-tax basis.
New employees covered by a public retirement system with reciprocity (i.e., 37 Act), will be placed in the 2% @ 60 plan, in accordance with PEPRA..
Safety Equipment: Department issue
Salary Increases: Effective the first payroll period after ratification and approval by the City Council, employees shall receive a general salary increase of three percent (3.0%).
Effective The First Pay Period After Ratification And Approval By The City Council, The Following Classifications Shall Receive An Equity Adjustment As Follows
Community Services Officer I 4.27%
Community Services Officer II 6.00%
Crime Analyst II 8.40%
Crime Scene Investigator I 2.00%
Crime Scene Investigator II 2.00%
Crime Scene Investigator III 2.00%
Police Records Technician II 3.47%
Police Services Coordinator 7.71%
Retroactivity of 2022 GSI and Equity Adjustments: Effective the first pay period after ratification and approval by the City Council, employees will receive a one-time, non-PERSable lump sum, payment retroactive to January 1, 2022 which equates to three percent (3%) of annual base pay.
Effective pay period inclusive of January 1, 2023, employees shall receive a general salary increase of three percent (3.0%).
Shift Differential: Paid additional 5% of hourly rate of pay if ½ of work period is before regular shift starts or after regular shift ends.
Sick Leave: 12 days per year. Unlimited accumulation. Up to 50% payoff of hours at separation rate of pay at retirement, layoff or death and remaining hours reported to CalPERS as additional service credit – OR – 100% of hours to be reported to CalPERS as additional service credit.
Unfunded Liability: Employee contributes $10 per month to be used to reduce the unfunded liability for retiree medical.
Uniform Allowance: When hired, an employee shall be directed to the appropriate vendor(s) where they will obtain the required uniforms and/or equipment, which will be paid for by the City directly to the vendor(s).
Vacation: 1-5 yrs = 10 days; 6-10 yrs = 15 days; 11-19 yrs = 20 days; 20+ yrs - 25 days. Effective 7/1/2014, maximum accumulation to 19 years of service = 240 hours per year; maximum accumulation 20+ years of service = 300 hours per year. Total payoff at separation.
Annually through December 31, 2023, eligible employees will have the
