Police Attorney

Compensation Range

$94,866.72 - $128,758.24

Please note: This job opening may close earlier than the stated date, due to high candidate volume. If interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Who We Are:

At the High Point Police Department, we are committed to protecting our city and building relationships with our community. Our team includes over 300 officers and professional staff who are passionate about serving others.

As a proactive, data-driven agency, we take pride in being nationally recognized for excellence. Our department offers some of the finest in-house training in the country, along with numerous opportunities for growth, development, and career advancement.

A rewarding career awaits you here. Join our team and play a vital role in keeping High Point a safe place to live, work, and visit.

What We Offer:

The High Point Police Department offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. We also offer generous benefit package for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed monthly pension upon retirement, vested after 5 years of service

• 401K and 457B Retirement Plans

• Paid Vacation and Sick Time

• Paid Holidays

• Tuition Reimbursement Plan

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision plans effective day one

What You'll Do:

As a member of the Police Department Executive Team, assists in directing the day-to-day operations and activities of the department, which includes developing, maintaining, administering, and implementing standard operating procedures, quality assurance standards, policies, goals, objectives, work plans, and workflow; ensuring procedures and equipment meet operational performance requirements and programs, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures and determining the cost effectiveness of repairing versus replacing systems, equipment, and vehicles.

Participates in employee disciplinary hearings and appeals; reviews and analyzes results and
recommendations of disciplinary hearings for internal staff accused of policy and procedural violations; infractions; recommends approval or modification of disciplinary recommendations.

This position also provides legal advice to Police Department personnel in criminal law and procedure; reviews policies and personnel actions for compliance with legal requirements; and reviews disciplinary action and internal investigations as necessary.

Essential Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Provide legal advice to the Chief of Police and police department staff on criminal law and procedures, to include investigative procedures, substantive law, procedural law, and sufficiency of evidence for court.
• Advise criminal investigators on investigative procedures involving searches, interrogation law, electronic eavesdropping, evidentiary foundations, and traffic fatalities.
• Respond to and advise police leadership on legal issues regarding all police shootings, hostage or barricaded subject standoffs, and critical incidents involving injury or public interest.
• Review drafts of proposed changes in ordinances to assure conformance to legal requirements.
• Review drafts of proposed departmental policy changes to ensure conformance to legal requirements and accreditation standards.
• Review disciplinary files and internal investigations as necessary to ensure fair and unbiased procedures; represent and advise the Chief of Police in administrative actions.
• Represent the Chief of Police, as necessary, at administrative, disciplinary, and unemployment hearings.
• Publish training material on new case law and legislation and review established case law affecting police operations.
• Coordinate with the North Carolina Justice Academy Director and staff for training courses and providing specialized advanced legal training to certified law enforcement officers.
• Teach police leadership and in-house training programs, supervising officers assigned for training.
• Provide written or oral legal opinions for officers and command staff on issues of criminal law, criminal procedures, and civil liability.
• Coordinate investigation working with State agencies (i.e. ALE and ABC) to develop factual support for public nuisance actions.
• Participate in management decision-making on training and policy development.
• Review and approve legal documents.
• Compile, review, and approve public records produced by the Police Department through JustFOIA, reviewing for responsiveness and redacting any applicable statutory exemptions.
• Handle subpoenas for police records and petitions for custodial law enforcement agency recordings.
• Represent the Police Department on a variety of boards and commissions; attend and participate in professional groups and committees i.e., state and national law enforcement conferences and seminars, presenting professional instruction and participating in professional development. Keep the City Attorney apprised of any legal matters that affect the City as a whole or could have enterprise-wide implications, such as agreements that create broader City obligations, financial exposure, liability concerns, or implications for departments outside of the police department Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Modern and complex principles and practices of criminal, constitutional, municipal, and personnel law.
• Standard police procedures and court decisions impacting the use of force and search and seizure.
• Methods and techniques of legal research.
• Principles of legal and business letter writing and report preparation.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.

Ability to:

• Organize, interpret and apply legal principles and knowledge of legal problems.
• Apply legal principles and knowledge to render decisions quickly (or in short-time frames) so as not to delay timely action on police matters.
• Present statements of law and fact clearly and logically.
• Prepare clear and concise legal position papers.
• Interpret and apply pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes and regulations.
• Conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions.
• Gain cooperation through discussion and persuasion.
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with laws, regulations and policies.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Teach and instruct law enforcement personnel according to state standards.
• Plan, organize, direct and coordinate the work of intern(s).
• Work independently with little day-to-day supervision.
• Be available by phone after hours

Qualifications:

• Must have a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• Must be a membership in the State Bar of North Carolina.
• Must currently possess a valid driver's license issued by N.C (Note A valid driver's license Is a current driver's license that is not revoked, suspended, subject to limited restoration or conditional operation privileges)
• Must be able to work under the general supervision and on a fixed work schedule.
• Successful completion of a polygraph and background investigation is required.
• Additional consideration will be given to applicants with related field experience.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Eligible candidates must submit to an interview process, and background checks to include successful completion of a polygraph test and drug screen.
• Must be a US citizen

Preferred Skills

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in municipal or government law, including legal research, preferably in the law enforcement area.
• An equivalent combination of skills and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job, such as those listed above.
• General Instructor certification.

Physical Requirements

Hearing/Speaking - Expressing and/or receiving information by means of spoken word are both necessary to converse with internal and external customers including co-workers, citizens, and applicants.

Visual Abilities – the ability to perceive via eyesight is required for this position:

• Acuity, far – clarity of vision at 20 feet or more. Must be able to see from a distance when administering and observing employment tests, operating a motor vehicle, or addressing an audience.
• Acuity, near – clarity of vision at 20 inches or less. Must be able to see work-related business documents close at hand.
• Depth perception – Three-dimensional vision and the ability to judge distance and space relationships.
• Field of Vision – the area that can be seen up and down or to the right or left while eyes are focused on one point. Must be able to see a wide span of area.
• Accommodation – Must be able to adjust the eye lens to glance quickly.

Physical Strength – degree of physical demands typically associated with this position include:

• Light Work
  • Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally; and/or
  • Exerting up to 10 pounds of force frequently; and
  • A negligible amount of force constantly to handle or move materials related to the position.
• Type of Physical Demands
  • Reaching - Extending the hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.
  • Handling - Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand(s).
  • Fingering - Picking, pinching or otherwise working with fingers primarily rather than the entire hand or arm.

Mental Activity/Requirements

Reasoning:

• Ability to apply principles of logical thinking combined with knowledge of principles and practices of public personnel and employment laws to work tasks and handle practical situations, comprehend, and respond to a variety of situations in a timely fashion and exercise good judgment.

Mathematics Ability:

• Using arithmetic and/or Statistics: Ability to direct and oversee the use of arithmetic and/or statistics in the preparation of a variety of tests and reports.

Language Ability:

• The ability to speak, read and write the English Language are required for this position.

The work location of this job will be 1730 Westchester Dr High Point, North Carolina.

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