Staff Investigator

City of Philadelphia • Philadelphia, PA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Staff Investigator for the Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) will assess and investigate alleged and potential misconduct by officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. This role involves initiating independent investigations, monitoring ongoing investigations by the PPD's Internal Affairs Division, investigating police shootings, assisting in CPOC's participation in the Use of Force Review Board, and investigating systemic patterns related to departmental practices. Due to the on-call nature of responding to police shootings and the need for interviews outside typical business hours, the Staff Investigator must be willing to work evenings and weekends. The position may also undertake large-scale investigative projects originating from various sources, including civilian complaints, officer-involved shootings, media reports, or internal sources. As investigations may overlap with other divisions, the Staff Investigator must be knowledgeable and competent in all CPOC operations. This position reports to the Director of Investigations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in criminal justice or other relevant field required, or any combination of education and experience deemed appropriate by the appointing authority.
• 1-3 years of relevant experience in investigative work required.
• Experience interacting and communicating effectively with persons of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and with persons from all sectors of the criminal legal system, including hostile and reluctant witnesses, complaining witnesses, expert witnesses, law enforcement officials, and families of victims of crime.
• Deep knowledge of criminal justice procedures, investigative techniques, police-community relations, police procedures generally and procedures specific to the Philadelphia Police Department.
• Experience working with sensitive and confidential information.
• Must have a valid driver's license.
• Experience within civilian police oversight and/or investigative experience within the criminal justice system strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of Philadelphia and communities of Philadelphia is a plus.
• Fluency in Spanish preferred.
• Excellent verbal communication and listening skills with the ability to conduct comprehensive interviews and ask probing questions.
• Strong analytical writing and editing skills. Must be able to distill complex information.
• Deep understanding of, and experience with, the complex nature of community-police relations.
• Ability to independently manage an investigation from start to finish with focus, organization, persistence, and flexibility.
• Ability to effectively conduct a caseload of multiple investigations concurrently.
• Demonstrated ability to perform neutral and objective analyses of incidents, policies, and information.
• Experience and fluency in MS Office software programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as required, including a willingness to be “on-call” to respond to police shootings.

Nice To Haves

• Experience within civilian police oversight and/or investigative experience within the criminal justice system
• Knowledge of Philadelphia and communities of Philadelphia
• Fluency in Spanish

Responsibilities

• Conduct interviews of complainants and civilian witnesses about police incidents that are the subject of civilian complaints against police, and other matters.
• Gather evidence through canvassing for witnesses, seeking out video footage, and other means.
• Obtain and review documentary evidence related to incidents under investigation, including medical records, reports related to forensic analysis, and other police reports and documents.
• Interview police personnel as subjects and witnesses of complaints with union representation present; interview police personnel related to other administrative matters and to establish facts for investigative projects.
• Draft and edit reports of investigation, interview summaries, recommendations, and other materials related to investigations.
• Analyze facts of investigations against police policies and legal standards to make logically sound recommendations about whether misconduct occurred.
• Conduct complaint intake for new complaints in a sensitive manner and make referrals to outside agencies as needed.
• Identify and report on policy and tactics issues and potential large-scale policy projects as they arise in investigative work.
• Maintain a working knowledge of police department policies, rules, and practices.
• Act as project lead for critical incident reviews of uses of force, large-scale events, and other matters as directed by Director of Investigations.
• Maintain a thorough and organized record of investigative actions for each assigned investigative project.
• Seek out and participate in professional groups and trainings to maintain awareness of best practices related to community-police relations, civilian oversight of police, and police reform nationally.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Investigations.

Benefits

• Unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program.
• 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Eligibility into the discounted medical plan through the wellness program.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Generous retirement savings options.
• Eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• Access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships (10% to 40% savings) with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED