Police Officer

Description

Performs protective service work enforcing laws, investigating criminal activity, ensuring safety of public, collecting evidence, testifying in court, maintaining files and records, preparing reports, and related work as apparent or assigned. This position is designated as a safety sensitive position and will be subject to random drug and alcohol screenings under the Town’s Drug-Free and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy. This position is designated as essential during emergency or disaster situations. Work is performed under the supervision of the Police Sergeant. Applies the mission, vision, and values of the Leland Police Department and the Town of Leland’s core values. 

Essential Job Functions

• Operates a patrol vehicle or walks on an assigned shift, to observe violations of traffic laws, suspicious activities or persons, and disturbances of law and order.
• Enforces all State and local laws pertaining to criminal, civil and traffic offenses and ensures the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
• Interviews victims and witnesses to obtain additional necessary information regarding crimes, accidents, violations, etc.; helps investigate crimes and collect evidence; conducts searches; investigates traffic accidents.
• Responds to radio dispatches and answers calls and complaints; issues traffic citations; serves warrants, summons, etc.
• Assists the public with services including education on crime prevention, provision of general information, assistance with auto or home lockouts, general complaints, stranded motorists and provides escort services for banks, funerals and other business.
• Makes arrests, completes arrest records and testifies in court; writes clear, concise reports to ensure legal procedures are followed, court testimony is complete and accurate, and evidence is collected and maintained with exact details.
• Directs traffic; performs residential and commercial checks.
• Assists other law enforcement agencies when requested or assigned.
• Performs basic maintenance of all issued equipment.
• Participates in various in-service and special training programs.
• May be required to work outside normal work hours in on-call and emergency situations.
• Performs work during emergency or disaster situations upon request and as assigned by management.
• Secures and assists in executing search warrants; serves warrants, summons and subpoenas on suspects and defendants; makes arrests.
• Prepares reports on facts gathered in investigations; processes and photographs crime scenes; takes fingerprints.
• Investigates criminal activity in area of assignment by interviewing victims and witnesses and interrogating suspects; performs various duties related to area of assignment including reviewing medical and/or domestic violence reports, conducting illegal drug and vice operations, etc.
• Investigates crime scenes; documents them by sketching, photography, and making notes.
• Integrates and aligns with Leland Police Department mission, vision, and values and Town of Leland core values.
• Build relationships with the community to contribute to the health and safety of vulnerable populations and the community, generally.
• Regularly demonstrates and supports others to demonstrate the Town’s core values of respect, engagement, supportive work environment, communication and service excellence.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED and up to three years of experience in law enforcement.
• Associates Degree or Bachelors Degree preferred.
• Possession of Basic Law Enforcement Training certification.
• Between 1 – 3 Years of Law Enforcement Experience.
• Possession of an appropriate driver's license valid in the State of North Carolina.
• Possession of or ability to obtain FEMA ICS-100 and ICS-700 certifications within six months of appointment.
• Work a variety of shifts, including weekdays and weekends, day, evening, and overnight.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Some knowledge of police methods, practices, and procedures.
• General knowledge of the geography of the Town and location of important buildings.
• Some knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Police Department.
• Ability to deescalate situations to help prevent harm.
• Ability to use critical thinking and problem solving skills.
• Ability to communicate ideas effectively in both oral and written formats.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions and to prepare clear reports.
• Ability to deal courteously, but firmly with the public.
• Ability to analyze situations and to adopt quick, effective and reasonable courses of action with due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances.
• Ability to perform work during stressful situations, including emergency or disaster situations upon request and as assigned by management.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, medical personnel, court personnel and the general public.
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of a firearm.
• Demonstrate proficiency in driving a patrol vehicle.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions, frequently requires standing and sitting and occasionally requires walking, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, smelling, pushing or pulling and lifting; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception, night vision and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, using of measuring devices, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work regularly requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions, frequently requires exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment and occasionally requires exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, exposure to the risk of electrical shock and working with explosives; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The Town is interested in hiring qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas. 

F-3: Please upload your F-3 utilizing the Upload Additional Files tab. If you have any problems uploading; please email your F-3 to sputnam@townofleland.com. 

Salary Range effective July 1, 2026.