Deputy 1 – Jail

Deputy 1 - Jail

Supervises:

Sheriff’s Reserve Unit, Volunteers, and Jail Inmates

Position Summary:

The Jail Deputy assigned to the Boulder County Jail is primarily a security officer. The major job emphasis is on the security aspects of working with incarcerated individuals. This includes exercising physical control over violent and uncooperative inmates; breaking up fights and restraining violent and uncooperative inmates; booking of prisoners which includes taking fingerprints and photos and conducting strip searchers; hand cuffing and escorting prisoners to and from court; writing reports and testifying in court.

Working varying shift assignments with varying days off is required to provide staffing twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, including recognized holidays. Shifts and days off are bid for on a seniority basis. Working overtime is frequently required. Minimal restriction (non-compensable) on-call is required once a month.

In some positions, deputies must carry a firearm which will required them to maintain qualification and training standards with the firearm. Some assignments (Court and Transports) requires motor vehicle operation. Approximately twenty percent of the job involves some formal and informal counseling with prisoners.

On occasion, appropriately qualified Jail Deputies may be required to perform similar job functions which are normally required of Patrol Deputies, i.e., extra duty events, riot/crowd control response, searches for suspects outside the confines of the Jail, augmentation of the patrol force during major criminal events or natural disaster and catastrophic events such as floods, wind storms and forest fires.

Position Information

The duties require all the assignments listed below on a rotating basis.

  1. Module Assignment – Works directly with prisoners in the individual living areas, seeing to it that they are fed; that the modules are kept clean; escorts prisoners throughout the facility and that interpersonal conflicts are constructively resolved.
  2. Booking Assignment – Books in arrestee, takes photos and fingerprints; conducts searches and inventories property as well as providing a brief orientation to new jail residents.
  3. Court Assignment – Escorts prisoners to and from court and briefs them on what will take place. Responsible for providing courtroom security and filling out assorted court paperwork.
  4. Master Control Assignment – Watches video monitors within the jail to detect unauthorized movement. Responsible for controlling the jail’s interior and perimeter security systems.
  5. Transport Assignment – Transports prisoners to and from other agencies, medical and dental facilities.
  6. Specific individuals – After additional specialized training are subject to hazardous duties, i.e., Hostage Negotiation Team, Hazardous Material Team, etc.
  • Must be 21 years old and United States Citizen.
  • Must not have any felony convictions. Committed no felonies, including illegal drug use, in the past three years.
  • Must not have any domestic violence offense related convictions or domestic violence related restraining orders in effect.
  • Must not have any DUI/DWAI convictions or drivers license suspensions or revocations within 24 months of application or more than one DUI/DWAI conviction in lifetime.
  • Must not have used marijuana within one year of application. A history of excessive use of illegal drugs, or other offenses could disqualify an applicant.
  • Must have a good driving record.

High School Diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.) required. College Degree in the Behavioral Sciences preferred but not required. Corrections, jail or law enforcement experience is helpful but not required. Bi-lingual skills in Spanish is desired but not required.

  • Must be able to complete departmental jail officer training program.
  • Must have ability to accurately perceive, soundly reason, and correctly judge situations, occurrences and circumstances.
  • Must possess good communications skills and be able to express clearly and precisely, orally and in writing.
  • Must have a great deal of initiative and tenacity to actively influence events rather that passively accepting them.
  • Must have a proper degree of stress-tolerance, including stability and the ability to perform under pressure.
  • Must have the personality traits conducive to working with superiors, peers, subordinates, and members of the public from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
  • Must possess the following personality traits:
  • Maturity, honesty, integrity, adaptability, sensitivity, compassion, common sense, good self-esteem, patience, wisdom, reliability, self-discipline, creativity, fortitude, assertiveness, pride in work, initiative, dedication to public service, and problem solving skills.
  • Must be a resident of Colorado and possess a Colorado Driver’s License at the time of appointment.
Boulder County is an equal opportunity employer.

Physical Demands of the Position

Dual vision is not required. Single eye 20/20 vision, natural or corrected, is acceptable. Minimum peripheral vision for single vision is 900 on the ear side and 700 on the nose side. Frequently uses peripheral vision to observe and monitor multiple persons and activity. An individual with single eye vision must adequately demonstrate the ability to compensate for their restricted peripheral vision with increased scan abilities. Dual vision is required if the Deputy is in a job assignment that requires driving a Sheriff’s Office/County vehicle.

Dual hearing is required. Good hearing is required in performing a majority of the tasks. Jail Deputies are constantly required to listen to multiple audible inputs simultaneously such as portable radio conversations, telephone conversations, conversations with inmates or other, noises within the housing units. Frequently listens for audible alarms. Occasionally must hear inmates verbally calling/yelling for help from a distance of fifty feet.

Intact. Occasionally uses olfactory sense to detect illegal use of drugs or chemicals. Occasionally uses the olfactory sense to evaluate the presence of toxic vapors, smoke, and fuels.

Jail Deputies must have the ability to speak and understand English clearly within normal parameters. Constantly uses voice to communicate with other officers, professionals, prisoners, and the public in person and by telephone and two way radio. Clear diction and audible volume is required. Frequently verbally directs inmates and citizens using a louder that normal speaking voice. Occasionally must talk or yell while wearing a gas mask or self contained breathing apparatus.

Sitting is performed on an occasional to frequent basis while in the module and booking areas. The actual amount of sitting varies on a daily and shift basis. Individual preference also influences the amount of sitting as compared to standing. While working in master control, the deputy will sit constantly but with the option to select a standing posture if preferred.

The amount of standing performed by a deputy in the module and booking areas will vary according to individual preference of sitting or standing. While working in master control, a deputy could choose to stand as opposed to sit while performing his/her duties. This is done on a constant basis.

Walking is performed on a constant basis when working as a module and booking deputy. Once per shift a perimeter check is completed involving 1 Deputy walking around the outside perimeter of the jail. The distance covered is approximately 1/3 mile. The maximum distance deputy would have to run inside the jail is approximately 1200 feet (1/4 mile). Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to complete a maximum effort essential job function evaluation in the form of an obstacle course of running a distance of approximately 300 feet from a sitting position in a motor vehicle, up and down two flights of stairs, climb a six foot step ladder, crawl through a 2 foot diameter 12 foot long tube, and return to a sitting position in the car. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to run 1/4 mile in 126 seconds +/- 36 seconds.

The Jail Deputy position is categorized at the Medium Level for the Physical Demands Characteristics of Work. Deputies may be required to lift all the items listed in Lifting Requirements. Deputies may also be required to lift and carry an impaired or combative individual from 20-30 horizontal feet in booking on a occasional basis. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to lift a 35 pound object from the ground to the height of 60 inches and place the object on a shelf.

The items listed in Appendix A under Lifting are also carried with the same frequency. The maximum distance carried can be up to approximately 1000 feet, except for the air packs which are worn on the back. These may have to be carried throughout the facility during training or emergencies. A duty belt and 2-way radio are also carried and worn constantly weighing approximately 8.5 pounds.

Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to carry 60 pounds a distance of 25 feet.

Food carts and doors are pushed on an occasional basis. Table, chairs, laundry carts and a gurney are pushed on a seldom basis. Pushing a gurney requires a force of 30 pounds over a distance of 225 to 300 feet. Pushing a car may be required on an seldom to occasional basis. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to push a 350 pound sled a distance of 5 feet (simulates car push @ 132 pounds of force).

The items listed above under pushing are also pulled on an occasional basis with the same force requirements. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to pull a 155 pound bag a distance of 25 feet (simulates a body drag).

Stooping is performed on a frequent basis in the module area when performing various tasks throughout the day. Those tasks that specifically require stooping include lifting/carrying restrained individuals, talking/handing mail to inmates through food ports, and conducting a cell and pat down search. Stooping is performed on an occasional basis in booking when performing pat down searches. Stooping is seldom performed in master control.

Crawling is only done during cell searches/shakedowns on a seldom basis and only for a short distance, such as checking under beds or counter tops. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to crawl through a 2 foot diameter, 12 foot long tube.

Climbing stairs in performed on an occasional to frequent basis when completing room checks inside the inmate modules, every 15 to 30 minutes. This requires ascending/descending 1 flight of metal stairs with handrails to check inmate cells on the upper level in the modules. Climbing stairs is also required to get to the master control room. This requires a walk up 24 metal steps on a narrow spiral staircase. Access to the penthouse requires climbing a ladder approximately 1.5 stories of stairs. There are several different penthouse areas located throughout the facility. These areas area accessed to shut off the fire sprinkler system, close other vents and valves, or to retrieve a stray volleyball or basketball. Climbing onto beds, toilets, and sinks is also performed while completing room searches. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to climb over fences or walls of at least 5 feet in height (such as the type encountered during the pursuit of an escaped inmate through residential or industrial areas). Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to Climb a six foot step ladder.

Twisting/Turning at the waist and neck occurs on an occasional to frequent basis for deputies. This motion is performed while restraining inmates, when completing cell searches, when loading and unloading carts, when buckling inmates in their seats for transport. Turning or twisting to see out of motor vehicles for backing up or lane change purposes required on an occasional to frequent basis. The amount of twisting will vary on a daily basis. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to twist, while seated in a motor vehicle, sufficient enough to see into and out of the back area of the vehicle.

Good balance is required when restraining/carrying a combative individual. Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability to walk and turn on a 9 foot balance beam back and forth four lengths allowing for 1(one) fall.

  • Reaching at or below shoulder – occasional to frequent.
  • Reaching above shoulder – Occasional, when stocking and picking items from shelves, hanging property bags on conveyer, and performing cell searches/shakedowns.
  • Simple grasping – Occasional to frequent.
  • Power grip – Occasional, when restraining inmates, performing use of force techniques, pushing/pulling carts.
  • Gross, finger dexterity – Occasional to frequent, when performing cell and pat down search, performing use of force techniques, driving, using radios, using control panel in modules, using camera and fingerprint equipment, using computer and fax.
  • Fine, finger dexterity – Occasional to frequent, when performing cell and pat down searches.
  • Feeling – Occasional to frequent when performing cell and pat down searches.Deputies are required to demonstrate the ability, while wearing an equipment belt, to remove and return 4 items (simulated weapon, handcuffs, hand-held radio, and baton) in their appropriate place on the belt in 18 +/- 6 seconds.

Definitions of Terms

  • Seldom: Activity or condition does not exist on a daily basis.
  • Occasionally: Activity or condition exists less than 1/3 of workshift.
  • Frequently: Activity or condition exists from 1/2 to 2/3 of workshift.
  • Constant: Activity or condition exists more than 2/3 of workshift.

Contact

Sheriff Personnel
email: sheriffpersonnel@bouldercounty.org
720-564-2833 regarding deputy and security employment

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5600 Flatiron Parkway
Boulder, CO 80301
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