INVESTIGATOR ASSISTANT

Job Specifications

COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, to serve civil papers; investigate matters related to alleged failure to pay child support obligation; assist in investigating consumer fraud or major felony cases; assist in the Public Administrator's Office; and do other work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Positions in this classification are assigned to the District Attorney's Office to support District Attorney Investigators and Attorneys or the Child Support Services Department Attorneys and Investigators, the Public Administrator or other staff in prosecution, child support, or public administrator related efforts.

This class is distinguished from other investigative classes by the limited scope of responsibility for and/or the limited variety and complexity of casework. It is further distinguished from classes with safety member designation by the lack of "active law enforcement" assignments and responsibilities (e.g., powers of arrest) and by assignment to less hazardous duties and cases.

TYPICAL TASKS

Gathers and compiles information needed by investigators, attorneys, the public administrator, and others in support of legal cases; serves subpoenas and delivers legal documents; deals with uncooperative and potentially violent individuals; traces and locates absent parents, heirs, and other individuals using accepted investigative techniques; contacts employers, credit agencies and other parties to secure and verify information, including state locator service, and other government agencies; keeps records, prepares correspondence and written reports of investigation findings; may transport witnesses to and from court; may perform or assist in court coordination duties; testifies in court as necessary; assists investigators and attorneys in a variety of other case development and trial preparation activities; picks up and distributes District Attorney's Office mail or Child Support Services Department mail; operates a van to transport both personal property, witnesses, trustees, and other designated personnel as necessary; serves subpoenas duces tecum; deposits and retrieves files from warehouse; transports evidence or other materials as needed from local hospitals, laboratories, police agencies, courts or other agencies; supervise inmate workers; conduct searches of residences; assist in the packaging of potentially hazardous biological material; access on-line information sources; research real property histories; prepare title reports.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge of:

Working knowledge of:

• Procedures used in gathering and compiling information.
• Office procedures and practices.
• Preparation of correspondence and reports.
• Filing and record keeping systems.
• Interviewing principles and techniques.

Some knowledge of:

• Basic investigative techniques.
• Legal terminology, forms and documents.
• Bookkeeping and financial record keeping methods, practices and terminology.
• Techniques of receiving, inventorying, safeguarding, storing and shipping of property.
• Procedures used to conduct title searches.
• Criminal and civil legal system.
• Banking procedures as they relate to insufficient fund checks.

Ability to:

• Serve legal documents.
• Learn to conduct effective office and field investigations.
• Prepare factual reports in both written and oral formats.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and staff.
• Obtain information through interview and observation.
• Deal effectively with uncooperative and potentially violent individuals.
• Maintain accurate records and filing systems.
• Learn and apply investigative principles and techniques.
• Learn and apply procedures of searching for and obtaining copies of public or private records.
• Learn and apply procedures and principles of testifying in court.
• Remain calm in stressful situations.
• Take photographs.
• Explain procedural information.
• Understand and carry out verbal and/or written instructions.
• Perform responsible bookkeeping and financial record keeping work requiring judgment and arithmetic calculations.
• Safely lift and move heavy or bulky objects such as evidence, property or office equipment weighing up to 60 pounds.
• Work independently without specific instructions.
• Work in a high stress environment.
• Learn to secure legible fingerprints.

Special Requirements/Conditions:

• License: Possess and maintain a valid California class C driver license during the course of employment.
• Fingerprint/Background Investigation: Ability to pass a background investigation.
• Fingerprinting is required.

Special Working Conditions:

• Possible violent reactions from those being served legal documents.
• Exposure to: Variable temperatures and weather; silica dust such as asbestos in old homes of clients; poison oak and insects in yards of clients; infections from needles, syringes, lice, scabies, fleas, and staph infections.
• Other Special Requirements: Availability to work overtime and irregular hours including evenings and weekends.
• Physically and mentally capable of performing the position's essential functions as summarized in the typical tasks.

Training and Experience:

Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:

Successful completion of a minimum 180 hour internship with a California District Attorney's Office, Investigations Bureau.

OR Completion of 15 semester units of course work in law enforcement or a related field

AND 6 months of experience dealing with the public which has included handling stressful situations, interviewing and recordkeeping.

OR

Successful completion of POST Certified Reserve Academy AND 6 months of experience dealing with the public which has included handling stressful situations, interviewing and recordkeeping.