Public Safety Officer

Boston Medical Center•Boston, MA

About The Position

The Public Safety Officer provides police, security, parking, transportation, and control center services within the BMC Department of Public Safety. The role supports consistent and safe service delivery throughout the medical center and uses the medical center’s core values to guide decisions and support its mission. The officer responds to requests for assistance and emergency situations, investigates suspicious activity and reports of criminal activity, documents incidents, protects and processes evidence, and takes appropriate safety, security, or police action. The role also provides escorts, patrols BMC property, enforces parking and access-control policies, and assists patients, visitors, employees, staff, and students. When assigned desk-officer duties, the officer coordinates Public Safety, Parking, and Transportation activities during non-business hours; assigns and prioritizes responses; maintains records and chain of custody; monitors electronic security systems; and coordinates with BMC departments and external agencies. All services are performed in accordance with BMC policies and procedures.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Ability to be CPR certified.
Ability to legally operate a motor vehicle in Massachusetts.
Ability to use effective de-escalation techniques and physical force when necessary and appropriate, consistent with training and legal requirements.

Nice To Haves

Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice or equivalent.
Six months to one year of security and customer service experience.

Responsibilities

Respond promptly to requests for assistance, emergencies, contingencies, and disaster situations.
Document incidents and actions taken, complete clear and objective incident reports, and submit supporting documentation before the end of the shift.
Build relationships with the community using customer-service skills and community-policing philosophies.
Manage complex, dynamic, and emotionally charged situations; investigate suspicious activity, hazards, risks, and alleged criminal activity; and take appropriate steps to protect patients, visitors, and staff.
Protect and process evidence, interview witnesses and victims, question persons of interest and suspects, and document investigative findings.
Take appropriate police action when necessary, appropriate, or mandated, consistent with training, procedures, and legal requirements.
Use de-escalation techniques and, when necessary and appropriate, physical force to contain, restrain, arrest, or stop a physical threat or assault.
Provide escorts for patients, visitors, employees, staff, and students, including cash-transfer escorts, in accordance with BMC policies.
Patrol BMC property and grounds and document deficiencies and policy violations.
Control access to BMC parking areas, ensure only authorized vehicles enter, and document parking-policy violations.
Perform duties as a Special Police Officer in accordance with applicable requirements.
Provide access control by checking identification, challenging individuals without visible identification courteously, enforcing visitor-age and restricted-area policies, identifying and directing vendor representatives, inspecting materials leaving the medical center, and restricting unauthorized access.
Provide patients, visitors, employees, staff, and students with friendly, courteous, and helpful information.
When assigned desk-officer duties, coordinate Public Safety, Parking, and Transportation activities during non-business hours and liaise with BMC departments and external agencies.
Coordinate staff post assignments, prioritize and assign responses, and ensure requests and incidents are resolved in a timely manner.
Maintain chain of custody for property, evidence, and equipment; document departmental actions and reported incidents; and ensure supporting documentation is provided.
Monitor electronic security systems at the main Public Safety desk and notify a supervisor when additional resources or response to a system failure is needed.
Perform services in accordance with BMC policy and procedure manuals.