The purpose of this position is to assist law enforcement in crime scene investigations by documenting, collecting, and processing physical evidence for forensic analysis and the direct supervision of the Crime Scene Investigators/Technicians.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Supervises staff by prioritizing and assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, ensuring staff training and adherence to policies and procedures, and making hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.
- Secures crime scenes immediately upon arrival to isolate the area, establish boundaries, and prevent unauthorized access or scene degradation.
- Captures high-quality photographs, detailed sketches, and video recordings of crime scenes to ensure accurate documentation of the location and condition of physical evidence.
- Identifies and collects various types of evidence such as latent impressions, biological samples, and ballistic material from diverse environments.
- Utilizes forensic technologies to analyze and processes evidence in the forensic lab, including latent impression development, DNA collection, chemical processing, and the collection of trace evidence.
- Writes and finalizes comprehensive, highly detailed technical reports based on thorough crime scene analysis for investigative and legal use.
- Provides expert witness testimony in court as required, clearly communicating forensic findings to judges and juries as required.
- Ensures forensic tools and equipment are properly maintained, calibrated, and ready for deployment at a moment's notice.
- Cleans and maintains forensic equipment to ensure operational readiness.
- Assists and oversees evidence inventory and storage.
- Provides training on crime scene processing techniques.
- Ensures that all work/processing/scenes are completed thoroughly and policy and procedure are adhered to.
- Responsible for ensuring there are enough personnel on duty at all times to meet the city's needs and departmental minimum-coverage policies, preparing schedules (daily as well as on call).
Supplemental Functions:
- Performs other similar duties as required.
Job Specifications and Qualifications:
Knowledge:
- General knowledge of police department policies, procedures, rules, and regulations
- General knowledge of the City Code and NC General Statutes
- General knowledge of operations, services, and activities of a property and evidence program
- General knowledge of methods, procedures, principles, practices, and terminology used in property and evidence handling, recording, preservation, storage and release
- General knowledge of office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications Maintain all protocols in the chain of custody
Licensing and Certifications:
- Possession of or ability to obtain International Association for Identification (IAI) Crime Scene Certification within one (1) year from date of hire. Failure to obtain within one (1) year from date hire may result in termination.
- Valid North Carolina Driver’s License
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must meet the City’s criteria for an acceptable driving record.
Working Conditions / Physical Requirements:
- Positions in this class require: standing, fine dexterity, walking, lifting, carrying, sitting, reaching, handling, kneeling, pushing/pulling, climbing, vision, bending, crouching, hearing, twisting, talking.
- Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds occasionally, 10 pounds frequently, or negligible amounts constantly AND/OR walking or standing to a significant degree
Required Skills
- Ability to receive, process, and document various evidence and property
- Ability to operate camera and other equipment used at crime scenes
- Ability to identify details, such as fingerprints and crime scene evidence
- Ability to listen and have strong written and oral communication skills
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships both internally and externally with excellent customer service
- Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
Required Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in Physical, Natural or Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, or related field, from an accredited college or university, with at least three (3) years of relevant crime scene investigator experience inclusive of one (1) year of relevant and supervisory experience; or the City may consider an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
Please be sure to complete the application in full. Resumes may be uploaded with your application but will not be accepted in lieu of a fully completed application and will not be considered for qualifying credit. "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will NOT be accepted.
If multiple applications are submitted to an individual position, only the most recent application received prior to the posting closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the closing date.
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of the positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. Fair Labor Standards Act (exempt/non-exempt) is designated by position. The employer actively supports Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations.
