Evidence Technician (60010774)

State of North Carolina; North Carolina; On-site; USD 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of North Carolina is seeking an Evidence Technician for the State Crime Lab in Raleigh, NC. This role entails receiving and managing evidence, ensuring proper documentation, and assisting law enforcement agencies. Candidates should possess a high school diploma or GED and relevant experience in law enforcement support activities. Opportunities for career progression and a comprehensive benefits package are offered.

Benefits

Employer paid health insurance

Twelve paid holidays

Generous vacation and sick leave accrual

Dental and vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; three years of experience in law enforcement support activities.
• Ability to establish and maintain favorable working relationships with law enforcement agencies.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and receive incoming evidence submissions.
• Assist forensic scientists with evidence analysis tasks.
• Maintain security and integrity of evidence.

Skills

Organizational skills

Ability to perform physical work

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Not sure you meet all listed requirements? Let our team take a look. Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

THE RECRUITMENT RANGE FOR THIS POSITION IS LIMITED TO $35,000 - $47,121. Salary offers for the selected candidate are based on the candidate's education and experience related to the position, as well as our agency budget and equity.

Some travel, including some overnight stays are required.

Selected candidate will undergo a background and records check.

Department Information:

The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General of North Carolina, represents the state, state agencies, and elected officials, and defends the rights of the people of North Carolina. The Department handles all state criminal appeals cases and assists district attorneys with complex criminal cases at their request. Additionally, the Department of Justice includes the North Carolina State Crime Lab, the North Carolina Justice Academy, and the Sheriffs’ and Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Divisions.

Division Information:

State Crime Laboratory -- Helping Solve Crimes

The State Crime Laboratory of the Department of Justice maintains a full-service forensic science laboratory to assist all law enforcement agencies in North Carolina in the investigation of criminal matters. The Laboratory’s mission is to provide state-of-the-art forensic services in the areas of drug analysis, blood alcohol/drug content, firearms, latent prints, footwear and tire tracks, forensic biology, computer forensics, and trace evidence. The services are provided from a central laboratory in Raleigh, N.C. and regional laboratories located in Edneyville, N.C. and Greensboro, N.C.

This position is located at the State Crime Lab in Raleigh, NC.

Position Information:
The primary purpose of theEvidence Control Section is to receive evidence from law enforcement agencies; distribute the evidence to the designated laboratory section; and upon completion of the examination by an analyst, return the evidence to the submitting agency. The Section is responsible for the timely flow and tracking of each case, ensuring the integrity and accountability of each piece of evidence.

What does an Evidence Technician do?Select this link to see!

This position will evaluate and receive incoming evidence submissions, ensure proper identification and storage of evidence, and return evidence to agencies upon completion of analysis. Additionally, this position will be responsible for providing technical support to Forensic Scientists throughout the Raleigh Laboratory. Technicians must demonstrate extensive knowledge of Laboratory capabilities and must be able to assist and advise members of the North Carolina Criminal Justice System in regard to the submission and analysis of evidence. This position is also responsible for providing testimony in court.

* Evaluation, inventory, and receipt of incoming evidence submissions

The Evidence Control Unit receives evidence in criminal cases from law enforcement officers. Evidence Technician receives, evaluates each piece of evidence, determines if the laboratory has the capability to perform the requested analysis, and reviews the submission form for essential data. They inventory each item of evidence, to ensure the integrity and preservation of each case is maintained while in his/her possession. Some items may require specific storage instructions, and the Technician must make this determination to prevent any cross contamination. The chain of custody is first established in the laboratory upon receipt by the Technician.

* Identification of Evidence

Each item of evidence must be properly identified. A case may consist of one item to hundreds of items of evidence. Proper identification of each piece is crucial to eliminate evidence mix up in the laboratory and also for recognition during court testimony. To ensure compliance with accreditation standards, evidence technicians must also ensure that all evidence submissions meet minimum seal requirements. Evidence that does not meet the minimum seal requirements must be remediated by the evidence technician or requestor prior to placement into the vault storage.

* Delivery and pick up of evidence to/from the assigned forensic analyst

Evidence is transferred to analysts for analysis by the technicians. Transfers of evidence are coordinated between the evidence technicians and sections. Evidence that has been analyzed may also be transferred back to evidence technicians; evidence may remain in the technician’s personal custody while processing. The Technician is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the evidence while in his/her possession.

* Disposition of Evidence

Evidence transferred from the forensic analyst will be returned to the requestor. It is imperative for the Technician to maintain the security of the evidence until it is returned to the submitting officer and ensure all evidence is properly packaged and shipped according to federal guidelines to protect the laboratory from liability. It is the responsibility of the Technician to ensure the evidence is being returned according to the disposition reported on the laboratory report and in compliance with laboratory procedures.

* Chain of Custody and related Documentation

Each time evidence is received or returned externally to/from the laboratory a hard signature must be maintained to record the chain of custody. Internally, all evidence transfers are password protected and electronically recorded by barcoding. This record is essential to the Lab’s accountability and tracking of evidence and confirms the admissibility of evidence in a court of law. The Technician is responsible for ensuring each transaction is accurately recorded when an item of evidence is transferred to another individual or different location.

*Assisting Law Enforcement Officers

The Evidence Control Unit acts as the liaison between the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory and other law enforcement agencies. The Technician must be very knowledgeable in the laboratory’s capabilities and acceptance criteria. It is the responsibility of the Technician to assist and train officers in proper evidence packaging, identification and submission requirements both via telephone and in person. The Technician must project a professional and knowledgeable image when representing the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory in this capacity.

*Court Testimony

The Technician must be available to testify to the chain of custody of criminal cases in Federal, Superior and District Court. The Technician must render testimony in a professional, truthful, and non-biased demeanor.

Selected candidate will undergo and must successfully complete acomprehensive background investigation which may take several months to complete. The background investigation includes credit and arrest checks; interviews with associates, personal and business references, past employers and neighbors; verification of education achievement, and urinalysis drug screening.

Out of state applicants: This may require the applicant to return to the State of North Carolina multiple times at his or her own expense after the initial interview, in order to undergo the background investigation process.

Note to Current State Employees:

The salary grade for this position is NC06. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position. Please detail ALL work history including non-state service experience. If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon these factors, a pay increase MAY or MAY NOT result.

The State of North Carolina offers employer paid health insurance plus twelve paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at Employee Benefits.

Ability to establish and maintain favorable working relationships with other law enforcement agencies and officers.
Ability in organizing work and time to maintain production during periods of work overload.
Ability to perform some medium to heavy physical work.
Ability to organize daily schedule with little or no supervision.
Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

High school or General Educational Development (GED) diploma and three years of experience in law enforcement support activities which includes evidence and handling protocols, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Note the following: If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.

Resumes and cover letters: To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the online application form. This information is used to determine if you meet the requirements of the position, and if you are selected, it is used to determine a salary offer.

Using the terms "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will not be accepted, and your application will be rejected as incomplete. Cover letters are highly encouraged but not required.

Transcripts: Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. A copy of your transcripts indicating the degree received can be uploaded with your application. If a transcript has been requested, your application will be considered incomplete if you do not provide one. Using a photograph of your diploma is not acceptable.

Credit for foreign degrees will only be given if verification of degree certification is attached to your application. Transcripts for foreign degrees have to be evaluated by an organization like World Education Services to determine US equivalency.

Any licenses or certificates must be included in the appropriate section of the application form.

Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 or discharge orders.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if you are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If you are a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, you must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Application status: To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take an average of 6 – 8 weeks. All applicants will be notified by email once a position is filled.

If you are having technical issues submitting your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627. If there are any questions about this posting, other than your application status, please contact the NC DOJ Human Resources office.

The NC Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The NC Department of Justice uses Merit-Based Recruitment to select from among the most qualified applicants to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NC Department of Justice Human Resources [e-mail]