Detective (Crime Scene)

Horry County•Conway, SC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Evaluates and analyzes crime scenes; collects, preserves, processes, analyzes and presents in court any evidence relevant to a crime scene investigation. Is responsible for completion and submission of crime scene related documents, forms, and case files associated with the Records Section document record system. This position performs related duties as required, and any and all duties assigned by supervision. Incumbents are trained in Crime Scene processing / laboratory techniques and procedures. Supervision is received from the unit Sergeant or designee who reviews work through observation on the job, reports, conferences, and results achieved. The work involves exposure to chemicals and other hazardous materials, and requires considerable exercise of judgment and care in handling physical evidence to ensure legal acceptability. This class is FLSA nonexempt.

Requirements

Horry County Police Department policies, procedures, general and operations orders
Federal, State, and County criminal and traffic laws, ordinances, and related court decisions
The principles and practices of police work and the laws governing the apprehension, arrest, and custody of persons committing misdemeanors and felonies, search and seizure, and the rules of evidence; resources available to assist individuals in various situations.
Police methods and procedures related to patrol, traffic control, investigation, and suspect identification techniques.
The geography and demographics of Horry County.
Must be available for call-out on a 24 hour basis.
Must have demonstrated knowledge of police command policies and procedures, of civil, criminal and county ordinances, of methods and techniques of investigation and surveillance, of supervision.
Ability to maintain physical conditions necessary to perform official duties and day-to-day operations, and to operate job related equipment, including lethal and non-lethal weapons, radios, handcuffs, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, crime scene kits, photography equipment, and any other equipment as needed, to deal with offenders, witnesses and public, to be objective with unfamiliar or unpleasant problems, to enforce laws, to reason and make sound decisions in emergencies.
Demonstrate skill in using firearms and related crime control equipment.

Nice To Haves

Class I SCCJA certification (preferred but not required). If not currently certified, must be able to successfully complete the Class I certification at the SCCJA.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate’s Degree in Biology and/or Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Forensic Science is preferred.
Training in the safety requirements of a chemical laboratory; or experience in laboratory assistance is preferred.

Responsibilities

Communicates with coworkers, other County employees, vendors, and the general public.
Receives instructions and on-the-job training from other Forensic Services Section personnel.
Prepares reports and records with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar.
Processes all evidence at crime scenes in Horry County. Includes searching for evidence, photographing, collecting, preserving, packaging, and marking for identification all items of evidence.
Transferring evidence to the appropriate laboratory, processing for fingerprints, and trace evidence such as hairs, fibers, paint chips, etc.
Measuring distances relevant to crime scenes and casting impressions such as tire prints, footprints, tool marks, etc.
Completes and submits final crime scene reports for review by supervision.
Performs a variety of procedures for identifying suspects and persons of interest brought to the police department. Duties include fingerprinting, photographing, comparing latent lifts to known impressions, and making post mortem identification of unknown deceased persons.
Provides court testimony as necessary.
Works under stressful conditions on an on-call, twenty-four hour basis.
Attends required periodic training sessions and seminars.
Interacts and communicates with various groups and individuals including the Chief and other Department supervisors, County administration, coworkers, volunteers, citizens, suspects, vendors, court personnel, victims, witnesses, pathologists, medical personnel, lab technicians, Coroner representatives, other state and federal agencies, property/business owners, etc.
Operates and maintains a county vehicle, computer, processing chamber, fingerprint kit, telephone, camera, crime scene kit, hand tools, and various other crime scene equipment.
Exercises care and safety in the use of equipment and tools required to complete assigned tasks.
Performs other related duties as required.