Probation Officer

Probation Officer

The City of Westminster welcomes diverse candidates from the broadest base possible. Our goal is to find the best candidate for the job—someone who belongs, not just fits. We value life and professional experiences, recognizing equivalent combinations of knowledge skills and education. Aligned with our city SPIRIT values, the successful candidate will have a passion and commitment to serving a diverse population of residents and must respect and uphold the principles of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We encourage you to think broadly aboutyour background and skill set for this role, even if you believe you have a less traditional background than described we invite you to apply.

Position Purpose / Important Application Information

The Probation Officer works in the Municipal Court providing caseload supervision, casemanagement, and monitoring compliance with the Court's order for defendants assigned to probation. Other duties include meeting regularly with offenders to ensure they are connected with external resources necessary to address their identified needs, scoring ODARA documents for the Court. filing petitions to revoke probation when the defendants violate their conditions, preparing status reports for the prosecution team for revocation hearings, and conducting pre-sentence investigations and preparing comprehensive pre-sentence reports. This position is 100% in-office with a Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. schedule. The full salary range for this position is stated above. The starting range of pay is dependent on qualifications and experience of each individual candidate. The City of Westminster has a Multilingual Stipend Program to encourage, and reward benefited employees who are conversationally fluent in languages other than English. Benefited employees have the opportunity to test their language proficiency skills and qualify for a bi-weekly stipend that will vary based on the employee's level of proficiency and usage.

Organizational Competencies and Cultural Values/General Competencies

The City's work culture encourages passionate, positive and enthusiastic employees who, along with our City Council and City Manager, are strong supporters of our mission: The City of Westminster provides high-quality core services and fosters resilience in order to promote a safe and thriving community. Westminster is a city of beautiful, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and destinations with a vibrant, diverse economy, rich and resilient environment and a strong sense of community belonging. Our core values are embodied in our SPIRIT (Service – People – Integrity – Respect – Innovation – Teamwork). This position supports the goals of the Chief of Staff's Office, which coordinates and oversees cross-departmental initiatives and activities across a wide range of municipal systems, services, and programs. This includes managing the Municipal Court Division, the City Clerk's Division, the City Hall Operations Division, the City's justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts, as well as the Policy & Budget Division. This position also directly supports the goals of the Municipal Court to administer equitable, fair, and impartial justice in a timely and courteous manner; protect fundamental rights; promote public safety; and facilitate community reparation through SPIRIT.

• Demonstrate a high level of customer service; encourage others to focus on the customer; foster an environment where customer service is a priority
• Communicate with customers to ensure that, where possible, they are satisfied, and that their needs are being addressed; solicit and evaluate customer feedback
• Act as an ambassador by understanding and fostering the organization's mission and vision
• Exhibit pride in self, the department, the city, and the community; conduct self in a professional manner
• Demonstrate integrity and build trust through credibility, reliability, commitment, loyalty, and ethical behavior
• Address difficult or contentious issues in a constructive manner
• Support/promote change; demonstrate flexibility, and take calculated risks when appropriate
• Participate in personal growth opportunities, and attend training courses designed to enhance capacity to bring new skills and ideas to the job and the organization
• Work to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or product being delivered
• Demonstrate support for team efforts by accepting new roles and responsibilities, and helping others achieve objectives
• Value diversity; demonstrate an awareness of differences; demonstrate sensitivity, and adapt behaviors and communication to accommodate these differences

• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication and follow-through on commitments
• Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, and target areas for personal self-development
• Demonstrate initiative in performing job tasks
• Exhibit problem-solving skills leading to sound judgment and quality decisions
• Achieve goals, and handle assigned workload and new assignments effectively; demonstrate an ability to work independently
• Communicate effectively with individuals and groups using clear and concise verbal and written communications
• Demonstrate accountability for work, and take ownership in job performance
• Demonstrate concern for the accuracy and quality of work; take steps to correct mistakes and improve the overall product

• Apply knowledge of municipal and state laws concerning the terms and limits of probation, types of offenses, and sentencing alternatives
• Display thorough knowledge of criminal justice information, regulations, and procedures
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, and other employees.
• Display skill in evaluation and interview techniques
• Utilize excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to manage hostile offenders and families while de-escalating conflict situations
• Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders and to represent the probation department in a professional and effective manner

Job Specific Functions

Essential Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities, and Tasks

1. Provide caseload supervision for offenders assigned to probation and monitor compliance with the Court's order, including:

• Assessing individuals and their behavior through interviews and investigations to determine appropriate services, referrals, sanctions, and sentencing recommendations to the prosecution team
• Filing petitions to revoke probation when a defendant is in violation of conditions, and testifying at the revocation hearing
• Preparing status reports for the prosecution team and presenting client status and progress during case staffing's
• Preparing discovery materials summarizing the probation case history for the prosecution team
• Exploring alternative options for sentencing with the prosecution team
• Maintaining awareness of community resources and working closely with Court Navigator for any additional resources
• Scoring ODARA documents on new domestic violence cases for the Court
• Authorizing termination of probation when conditions have been met
• Prepares, maintains, and ensures the integrity of the probation records

• Client interviews
• Police record checks
• Consultation with community resources personnel
• Verification of client imparted information

1. Provide information to other jurisdictions upon request

Incumbent is accountable for all duties of this job, and other projects and responsibilities may be added at the City's discretion.

Position Requirements/Working Conditions/Pre-Employment Requirements

Education, Experience, Skills, Formal Training, Licenses, and Certifications Required :

• Bachelor's degree with coursework in social sciences, preferably criminal justice, psychology, or sociology
• Experience working with a Probation/Pretrial Department OR previous work experience and/or knowledge in the criminal justice field
• Possession of a valid driver's license and maintenance of a safe driving record

Preferred:

• Two (2) years of experience working in a court

Government Careers