Property & Evidence Technician (0.6 FTE / 24 hours per week)

City of Lake Forest Park; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 41,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Time off benefits

401(a) retirement plan with employer

457 deferred compensation plan

EAP

Job summary

City of Lake Forest Park seeks a Property and Evidence Technician to collect, record, and safeguard property and evidence for the Police Department. You will also support crime scene processing, fingerprint work, and public records requests for body-worn camera footage.

The role is part-time, non-exempt, with benefits under the Police Guild. Requires background screening, driver’s license, and specific certifications, with occasional evening hours.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent with 5+ years clerical/records experience.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License and ability to maintain insurability.
• CPR, First Aid & AED certification within six months of hire.
• Must pass background check and drug screening.
• ACCESS certification within 30 days of hire.
• CJTC Property and Evidence Technician course within 12 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Receive, inventory, protect and store crime scene materials and evidence.
• Provide documented chain of custody from entry to disposition.
• Transport evidence for outside laboratory examination.
• Process property disposal/release including owner notification and transfer.
• Purge unclaimed or illegal property per applicable laws.
• Maintain accurate inventory systems and reports.
• May testify in court regarding evidence handling and custody.
• Process fingerprint and trace evidence at crime scenes as needed.

Skills

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Attention to detail

Discretion & integrity

Teamwork

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Associates degree in Criminal Justice

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Under the direction of the Support Services Division Commander, the Property and Evidence Technician performs specialized duties pertaining to the collection, recording and safeguarding of property and evidence in support of the Police Department; includes maintaining found public property items and inmate property items. Additionally, the Property and Evidence Technician provides crime scene and evidence processing support to the Patrol and Investigations staff as needed, to include fingerprint and trace evidence collection; and processes public records requests for officer body worn camera video footage and other administrative duties, as assigned.

This non-commissioned civilian position is non-exempt, eligible for healthcare and time-off benefits, and covered by the Police Guild Collective Bargaining Agreement: https://www.cityoflfp.gov/344/Labor-Contracts

• The City provides benefit eligible employees the following: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability (LTD), employee assistance program (EAP),HRA/HSA/FSA, enrollment in Washington State's DRS PERS plan, 401(a) retirement plan (social security replacement plan) with matching employer contribution, and an optional 457 deferred compensation plan (DCP).

Work Schedule:

This part-time position works 24 hours per week, with choice of either schedule: (1) 8 hour shifts / 3 days per week or (2) 6 hour shifts / 4 days per week. Occasional evening or night shift work may be required.

New hire must successfully pass a comprehensive criminal background investigation including satisfactory driving record, psychological evaluation, and pre-employment drug screening.

Property And Evidence

• Receives, inventories, protects and stores a variety of crime scene materials collected for analysis and/or evidence submitted by commissioned personnel for potential litigation or criminal investigation.
• Provides documented chain of custody for all property/evidence from entry into system until final disposition.
• Physically transport evidence items for outside laboratory examination.
• Conducts property disposal/release procedures including owner identification, location, notification, release and transfer.
• Purges evidence and recovered property in accordance with applicable laws, for disposition of unclaimed or illegal property.
• Maintains accurate manual and automated inventory systems and reports of all property and evidence.
• Responds to inquiries from the public, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial offices; Assists citizens in the return of stolen and/or confiscated property; Initiates inquiries on property and evidence to obtain information on ownership for possible release and disposition; Prepares and processes property for return to owner, destruction, transportation to other law enforcement agencies, or disposal at public auctions.
• Maintains statistics and data for property and evidence intake and disposition.
• Stores, inventories, and maintains custody of the items and completes appropriate forms for tracking and audit purposes.
• May be required to testify in court relative to evidence handling and chain of custody.
• Processes fingerprint and trace evidence at crime scenes in support of Patrol/Detectives, as needed.

Additional Support Services

• Processes public records requests for officer body worn camera video.
• Complete general and technical administrative duties, as assigned by the Commander.
• Conducts yearly equipment inventory for the Police Department.
• Assists the Commander during WASPC reaccreditation every four years.

Education And Experience

Required:

• High School diploma, or equivalent AND at least five years of work experience in clerical, administrative, or record keeping OR equivalent education/experience.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License and the ability to maintain insurability with the City upon hire.
• CPR, First Aid & AED certification within six months of hire.
• Must successfully pass a comprehensive criminal background investigation and drug screening.
• Washington State Patrol's ACCESS certification within 30 days of hire.
• Washington's Criminal Justice Training Commission's Property and Evidence Technician course must be completed within 12 months of hire.

Preferred

• Associates degree in Criminal Justice or related field.
• Prior experience with evidence handling and law enforcement procedures.
• Records management experience.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Procedures and regulations pertaining to best management practices of property and evidence in the custody of the Police Department.
• Proficient knowledge of computers and applicable computer software applications, including specific knowledge of standard Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Working knowledge of modern administrative office procedures, methods, and equipment.
• Business letter writing and basic report preparation with proficient spelling and grammatical skills.
• Federal, state and local laws, including traffic control laws.
• Procedures, regulations, court procedures, federal, state and local laws pertaining to property and evidence in the custody of the police department.

Skills In

• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Strong attention to detail, working in a busy and sometimes stressful environment and changing priorities.
• Using initiative and independent judgement within established guidelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.
• Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with the public and team members.
• Proficient skill and ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Ability To

• Participate and work effectively in an organization committed to advancing principles and practices of equity and anti-racism.
• Safely operate a city-owned transport vehicle.
• Interact with the public, co-workers and representatives of other public agencies using courtesy, tact and good judgment.
• Successfully pass required training courses relevant to position.
• Report for scheduled work with regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.
• Maintain and establish effective and cooperative working relationships with City employees, customers, and vendors and work effectively in a team environment.
• Work independently with a high degree of reliability, accuracy, and productivity.
• Conduct oneself in a professional manner as defined by City policy and maintain confidentiality.
• Respond timely to customer inquiries, complaints, concerns and needs and provide excellent customer service.
• Prioritize multiple projects; anticipate needs and work effectively within deadlines while subject to frequent interruptions.
• Understand, interpret, and apply documents such as operating instructions, applicable policies, procedures, and governmental regulations.
• Follow all safety requirements, policies, and procedures. Identify work hazards and respond appropriately to mitigate safety concerns.
• Work with or near potentially hazardous material using appropriate safety precautions.
• Adapt to changes in the work environment and to shifts in organizational philosophy and expectations.
• Communicate in English clearly, concisely, and effectively, both orally and in writing.

Physical Demands And Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

The position works in a standard office environment working at a computer and outdoors; job duties performed outdoors are subject to a variety of terrains, under a variety of weather conditions, including sun, rain, wind, mud, and snow. The position may be exposed to communicable diseases, hazardous materials and physical or verbal abuse from hostile citizens.

To perform the essential function of the job, incumbents must be able to walk, stand, reach, talk, hear and operate a motorized vehicle; moderate or light lifting up to 50 pounds occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds frequently.

Occasional evening, night, and weekend work may be required.