City of Tampa

This is highly responsible administrative and technical work in supervising the police department’s criminal history, fingerprint, and photograph files.

The employee in this class is responsible for performing assignments of considerable difficulty in planning, developing, organizing, coordinating, and directing the activities of the police department’s forensics investigation unit. Though the employee works with considerable independence and exercises extensive initiative and judgment, the activities are administered within established policies, procedures, directives, and general orders. Any plans the employee formulates to improve overall management, particularly the rapidity with which technology changes administrative practices, must be submitted to superiors for discussion, consideration, and approval. Considering the important role that the forensics investigation unit has in criminal proceedings, the employee must assure that subordinates are properly trained and that the organizational unit enjoys high employee morale. As a result of supervisory responsibilities, the employee administers selected facets of personnel administration. Work in this class requires that the employee keep current with professional literature in the areas of criminalistics and administration. Nature of the unit’s work requires the ability to deal with scenes of violence and death. Supervision is exercised over technical and clerical subordinates. The employee works under general direction and performance is reviewed through conferences, reports submitted, and results obtained.

Plans, develops, organizes, coordinates, and supervises all activities of the police department’s forensics investigation unit; develops and submits plans, policies, procedures, and related documents leading to organizational and administrative improvements for consideration by supervisors; implements improvements of the more routine office practices and procedures without prior approval to relieve superiors of administrative burden.

Provides technical assistance in: processing all major crime scenes; maintaining criminal history, master fingerprint and photographic files; classifying and verifying fingerprints; providing specialized fingerprint comparisons; and developing the department’s photographs.

Recommends such personnel actions as employment, promotions, transfers, demotions, suspensions, and dismissals; responds to employee requests for leave; completes performance evaluations; serves as first step in responding to employee grievances; provides technical advice and guidance to all subordinate personnel; trains employees or makes arrangements to provide adequate training; promotes effective working relationships among employees through effective communication and investigation of problems and complaints; assigns personnel in an effective and efficient manner and establishes an orderly rotation of work assignments.

Ensures that adequate equipment and supplies are available; oversees the maintenance of property and equipment; maintains records and reports necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the unit; operates a mobile crime laboratory, if necessary.

Performs related work as required.

Comprehensive knowledge of: modern fingerprinting, fingerprint classification and crime photography techniques; fingerprint procedures of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other law enforcement agencies.

Extensive knowledge of: office management, record keeping, supervisory techniques, and report writing procedures.

Considerable knowledge of: courtroom proceedings.

Ability to: testify in court as to validity of evidence; maintain records and write reports in a clear, concise, and complete manner; plan, develop, organize, assign, supervise, and review the work of others; establish and maintain effective working relations with employees and the general public; operate a mobile crime laboratory; perform duties requiring physical strength and endurance; work under hazardous conditions.

Graduation from an accredited high school with seven (7) years of experience in criminal identification and fingerprint classification activities, and three (3) years of administrative and supervisory experience; or similar experience related to forensics or other identification activities required for official proceedings. 

Bachelor's degree in a related field of study preferred.  

Possession of a valid Florida Driver’s license required.

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

Employees may be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed. During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.