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Home My WebLink About4.D.1. Approval of Police Receptionist Job Description �.p. i . City of Shakopee MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill,City Administrator FROM: Kris Wilson,Assistant City Administrator SUBJECT: Approval of Police Receptionist Job Description--UPDATE DATE: September 28,2012 The draft job description contained in the Council packet was given its second reading by the Police Civil Service Commission this morning. The Commission made no changes to the document and approved it . as drafted. Therefore,Council is asked to proceed with this action as presented in the original staff memo. , D• City of Shakopee MEMORANDUM . TO: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator FROM: Kris Wilson, Assistant City Administrato L1JL) SUBJECT: Approval of Police Receptionist Job Description DATE: September 28, 2012 Action Sought The City Council is asked to approve the attached job description for the new position of Police Receptionist. Background The front desk of the police station is currently staffed primarily by a Community Service Officer (CSO). With the recent promotion of Phil Sendelbach to police officer, the Department now has a vacancy in one of its two CSO positions. Rather than filling the open position with a newly hired CSO, Chief Tate is considering hiring a receptionist instead. The primary reason for this change would be to try to reduce turnover and provide more stability and consistency in this front desk role. The City's CSO program has been a good recruitment ground for police officers. Six out of our 47 sworn officers were promoted to their current positions after starting out as a CSO. However, in the last five years we have hired 8 CSOs. Two have been promoted to police officer with the Department and one is currently employed. For the 5 who have not been promoted to officer, their tenure with the City ranged from 3 months to 12 months, with an average of about 8.5 months. All left of their own accord; primarily to take licensed officer positions with other Departments when those came open ahead of opportunities with our Department. This is easily the highest turnover rate of any full -time position within the City and under the Civil Service process, recruitment and hiring is time consuming and expensive. If the currently vacant CSO position is filled with a receptionist instead, the Department would still have one CSO, who would be focused largely on code enforcement activities. The change is also expected to yield a slight savings for the City, as a receptionist is one pay grade lower than a CSO on the City's non- union pay plan. Lastly, recent experience indicates that reducing turnover can have very positive results for the Department. Last year, the City hired an Evidence Technician rather than filling a vacancy in what was then a third budgeted CSO position. To date this has yielded excellent results for the Department. The attached job description has had one reading before the Police Civil Service Commission and will have its second the morning of the Council meeting. No changes to the document are expected as a result of the second reading. However, if there are any changes, this item can be removed from consent and those changes brought forward by staff Tuesday evening. Budget Impact As noted, the position of receptionist is in grade 1 of the City's non -union pay plan, which is one grade lower than the Community Service Officer position. Therefore, the Department could expect a slight savings in starting salary if a receptionist is hired instead of a CSO. However, it should be noted that if this does in fact reduce turnover as intended, the Receptionist is likely to reach a higher salary over time than the constantly rotating array of CSOs who generally leave the position before passing step 2 of their pay scale. Relationship to Visioning This item relates to Goal E: Deliver effective and efficient public services by a staff of well- trained, caring and professional employees. Requested Action If the Council concurs, it is asked to offer a motion to approve the attached job description for the position of Police Receptionist. CITY OF SHAKOPEE POSITION DESCRIPTION POSITION TITLE: Police Receptionist DEPARTMENT: Police EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full - Time, Non - Exempt ACCOUNTABLE TO: Police Records Supervisor POSITION SUMMARY Provides customer service in- person, over the phone and via email to members of the public and visitors to the police department. Performs basic administrative support tasks such as typing, copying, filing and data entry to support the effective and efficient operation of the Police Department. This position may require varying hours and work days due to training needs, vacancies and work load. ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS • Answers incoming telephone calls, determines purpose of callers, and forwards calls to appropriate personnel or dispatch. Takes and delivers messages or transfers calls to voice mail when necessary. • Answers questions about organization and provides callers with address, directions, and other commonly requested information. • Welcomes on -site visitors, determines nature of business, and announces visitors to appropriate personnel. May also contact dispatch for an officer and create incident in records management system. • Provides requested information, forms and report copies to members of the public in accordance with City policy and the Minnesota Data Practices Act. Refers more complicated requests to records staff. • Releases impounded vehicles according to Department procedures and maintains inventory of impounded vehicles. • Reads and responds to or appropriately forwards email inquiries directed to the Police Department via the City website or general department email address. • Performs daily data entry of initial police calls and citations into records management system. • Performs data entry for accident reports and provides copies to authorized agencies. • Receives deliveries and routes packages to the appropriate personnel. • Performs daily filing of case reports and supplemental data. • Performs other related duties as apparent or assigned. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED • Ability to meet and greet the public, interpret questions and requests, and effectively and accurately present information to customers, the public, and other employees of the organization. • Ability to communicate ideas and explanations clearly in English, both orally and in writing. • Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, correspondence, and memos. • Ability to work professionally with other employees and to deal with the public in a friendly, tactful manner. • Ability to maintain confidentiality of Police Department information. • Knowledge of and ability to operate common office equipment such as personal computers, typewriters, dictation and transcription devices and copying machines. • Ability to type and input data accurately. • Ability to use Word and Excel, and learn records management system for data entry and retrieval purposes. • Ability to operate a multi -line telephone system. • Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and to perform these operations using units of American money. • Ability to learn the geography of Shakopee, including the location of important buildings and the street system. • Ability to deal with problems and make decisions based on established rules and procedures. PHYSICAL DEMANDS While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and move about the office; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and to talk, hear and see. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS • High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED). • One year related experience. • Demonstrated communication and customer service skills. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS • Post - secondary education in a related field. • Fluency in a second language, in addition to English, that has a recognized presence in the community (Spanish, Russian, Hmong, etc.). • Familiarity with the operation of a municipal or law enforcement office. Commission Chair Date Commission Secretary