Assistant City Attorney (Police Department)

ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY (Police Department)

This recruitment is open until the position is filled.

First review of applications will occur on February 15, 2024.

Annual Salary Range:

$129,246 - $172,544

Starting salary negotiable depending on experience.

Department / Division:

City Attorneys Office /Police

Job Type:

Full-Time Regular

Schedule:

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Monday thru Friday

Job Number:

RC#902014

DESCRIPTION

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide legal advice to Police Department Command Staff and supervisors on administrative and operational issues.
• Required to be available on call (including weekends and holidays) to provide legal consultation and guidance to law enforcement personnel conducting criminal investigations; respond to major incidents involving serious injury, death, and/or extensive property damage involving or related to police action.
• Provide written legal opinions for the Police Department, including investigations of facts and conducting legal research.
• Prepare the Police Departments legal documents, including, but not limited to, draft orders and documents required for search, seizure, and forfeiture activities or other investigative purposes.
• Research court cases and legislative actions affecting law enforcement operations and notify appropriate personnel.
• Represent the City as needed, on legislative issues of interest to the Police Department.
• Foresee potential liability concerns; conduct legal research and review recent legislation and court decisions to determine the relationship with current and/or proposed policies, procedures, law enforcement protocol, officer training, handling/disposition of evidence, etc.; recommend, draft, and/or amend revisions to policy and procedures.
• Consult with the Citys Risk Management Department and on individual claims against the Police Department; compile and summarize the Police Departments position in response to any claims.
• Serve as liaison between the Police Department handling civil litigation cases; represent the City in civil litigation in State and Federal courts.
• Evaluate claims against the Police Department, examine reports of enforcement activities, and review disciplinary matters to identify trends/patterns and recommend changes in policies and procedures as need.
• Coordinate and conduct training on legal matters. Review operational training outlines.
• Assist Department in personnel and other employment related matters and consult with Assistant City Attorneys assigned to the Human Resources Department.
• Draft, review, revise and negotiate contracts, Intergovernmental Agreements, and other legal documents on behalf of the Police Department.
• Review hiring, transfer, promotional, and compensation processes in conjunction with the City Attorneys Office and the Human Resources Department for compliance with City policy and State and Federal requirements.
• Review internal personnel investigations and any proposed disciplinary actions.
• May assist in negotiating the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tempe Officers Association (TOA) and other Police Department work groups requesting formal representation under the Citys meet and confer ordinance.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Work Experience:

Requires one (1) year of civil litigation / transactional legal experience.

Years of experience are based upon a full-time work schedule (2,080 hours per year). The sum of an applicants full-time and/or part-time qualifying work experience must meet or exceed the stated minimum qualification. Education will not substitute for the required work experience; however, related unpaid and/or volunteer work experience may be used as qualifying work experience.

Education:

Requires a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.

Certifications, Licenses, and/or Registrations:

Membership in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Applicants considered for this job classification must pass the following:

• Criminal history background investigation
• Must pass police polygraph and background examination.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

For a complete list of City of Tempe job descriptions go to:

Job Descriptions | City of Tempe, AZ

This position is FLSA Exempt which means employees are not eligible for overtime compensation and/or compensatory time.

Employees in this position are considered confidential.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The City of Tempe is an Equal Opportunity / Reasonable Accommodation employer. The City does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, familial status, age, disability, and United States military veteran status. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will make a reasonable accommodation(s) during the recruitment & selection process. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting Human Resources at 480-350-8276. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.