Police Officer

Position Summary:

This is a responsible safety and security position reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Public Safety, involving considerable independent judgment.

The Duquesne University Police Department is an accredited police agency, accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police, which exemplifies the Community Oriented Police Model, seeking foremost to prevent crime through a broad spectrum of interactions and programs within our Duquesne University community. In addition to Duquesne University police officers possessing full powers of arrest and criminal prosecution.

This is an armed, Act 501 private police agency rendering community service and law enforcement for our students, faculty, staff, guests, and visitors. Being an important part of a Catholic community, our officers are required to act legally, honestly, morally and ethically at all times.

Essential Functions:

• Preserves the peace and resolves any conflicts within the University area.
• Conducts vehicular and foot patrols of university property and buildings.
• Takes all necessary and/or appropriate measures to reduce the opportunity for criminal activity.
• Responds promptly and professionally to calls for service.
• Engages in activities that foster positive relations in day-to-day interactions with university community.
• Receives and responds to various emergency calls (medical emergencies, fires, alarms, accidents, criminal acts, etc.) and determines proper response procedures providing care as a first responder in medical emergencies and mental health crisis.
• Conducts preliminary investigations, submits necessary reports via the Automated Records Management System (ARMS), reacts to criminal activity and makes arrests as appropriate by enforcing all applicable state and local laws.
• Attends court hearings as necessary.
• Facilitates the movement of vehicular traffic on university property and enforces traffic and parking violations.
• Maintains and increases proficiency in police and interpersonal skills by attending mandated training.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Work requires completed MPOETC certification from an accredited police academy upon application, ability to meet legal and psychological standards for certification under PA Act 120, must have no criminal history of conviction, plea agreement or nollo contrendre plea and valid PA driver’s license with good driving history. Pennsylvania State residency or ability to obtain it before oath of office is administered.
• An associate’s degree or a minimum of 60 college credits is required for any external candidate.

Preferred Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.
• Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Must be honest, ethical, accountable, reliable, and consistent in their work attendance.
• Maintain the requirements of PA Act 120 certification throughout course of employment.
• Possess and demonstrate the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary for a professional police officer.
• Maintains PA driver’s license with good driving history in order to remain covered by the University’s auto insurance policy.
• Qualify by current MPOETC and department standards with the departmental firearms and departmental weapons on the specified basis.
• Obtains and maintains CPR, AED, First Aid and other department mandated trainings.
• Must conduct self at all times within the lawful limitations of given authority.
• Commitment to the University’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University’s Mission. Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.
• Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.