Police Captain

Successful candidates for the position of Captain must possess the following qualifications and/or skills:

Knowledge of:
• Principles of organizational dynamics, management, training and progressive discipline.
• Federal, State, and local laws and ordinances including those pertaining to search and seizure, rules of evidence, interviewing of suspects, court procedure, criminal law, laws of arrest, and laws governing the care, custody and control of prisoners.
• Investigative procedures, methods and techniques, including preserving crime scenes, identifying the elements of a crime, preserving evidence, obtaining statements, and provisions of the Peace Officer Bill of Rights.
• Department policies and procedures, including the General Orders; university policies and procedures, including the Administrative Guide; and the provisions outlined in the MOA between Stanford University and the Stanford Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
• The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics law.
• The Incident Command System.
• Self defense, officer safety, crowd control tactics and active killer/shooter response.
• Techniques to develop and promote teamwork.

Ability to:
• Effectively delegate, coordinate, direct, set goals and manage a diverse work force.
• Interpret, convey and ensure implementation of agency policies, procedures and methods; ensure that personnel have clear guidelines of authority and responsibility.
• Establish and maintain effective community and public relations within a culturally diverse population.
• Manage and develop mentoring relationships with sworn and non-sworn personnel.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing; develop and present information to groups.
• Work both independently and as part of a group, maintaining effective interpersonal working relationships both within and external to the department.
• Use sound judgment and independence in determining priorities.
• Assimilate and understand information in a manner consistent with the essential job functions.
• Understand the complexities of department operations and how individual divisions impact the overall mission of the department.
• Understand the relationship between the Stanford Department of Public Safety, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Stanford University; implement programs and initiatives that serve the intersecting needs and demands of all three entities.
• Work in fast-paced environment and complete work in a timely and accurate manner.
• Carry out advanced law enforcement functions such as reviewing investigation crime reports, interviewing individuals, reviewing citations, and managing crowds.
• Investigate complaints, infractions, violations of department or university policies, procedures and standards.
• Take appropriate actions in emergency and stressful situations.
• Perform law enforcement specific duties and responsibilities which may include effecting arrests, subduing resisting individuals, chasing fleeing subjects, running, walking, crouching or crawling during emergency operations moving equipment and injured/deceased persons, climbing stairs/ladders, performing life-saving and rescue procedures, walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time, and operating assigned equipment and vehicles.
• Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating assigned equipment and vehicles.
• Maintain mental capacity which allows the capability to exercise sound judgment and rational thinking under dangerous circumstances, evaluate various options and alternatives and choose an appropriate and reasonable course of action, and demonstrate intellectual capabilities during training and testing processes.
• Effectively deal with personal danger which may include exposure to armed/dangerous persons, dangerous animals, communicable diseases, hazards of emergency driving, hazards associated with traffic control and working in and near traffic, and natural and man-made disasters.
• Use computers and supporting applications.

Personal Characteristics
• Desire to motivate and inspire others to achieve departmental goals and objectives.
• Ability to develop department-wide goals that further the mission of the university and the department.
• Willingness to promote and personally model high ethical standards, integrity, dependability and the department’s Core Values.
• Conscientious, self-motivated and driven.
• Mature response to challenges and setbacks; emotional control, including under stressful conditions.
• Receptive to feedback; flexible and adaptable.
• Commitment to the development of personnel and the department.
• Acceptance that one’s behavior off-duty impacts one’s on-duty credibility and ability to function effectively; in the event an officer’s off-duty conduct is determined through a department investigation to have violated department policies and procedures governing behavior, the officer may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

Certificates, Licenses and Education Required
• Prior completion of a California Basic Police academy or possession of a current and valid California Basic Course Waiver.
•Possession of a valid Advanced California Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate or the equivalent.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and five to seven years of satisfactory, continuous, and recent experience as a sergeant or higher rank (equivalent work history will be considered in lieu of a degree).
• Possess and maintain a valid California Driver’s License and an acceptable driving record.

Physical Requirements
• Ability to pass a physical demands test relevant to the job requirements.
• Maintain minimal peace officer status requirements to perform job duties (e.g., arrest and control techniques, defensive tactics, driving under stressful conditions, and proficiency with a variety of firearms).
• Must be able to affect arrests, including subjects who may resist or attempt to flee.
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment related to job duties.
• Vision not less than 20/100 in each eye; correctable to no less than 20/30 in each eye; without functional color blindness or impairment.
• Constantly lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 11-20 pounds.
• Frequently stand/walk, sit, perform desk-based computer tasks, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, operate foot and/or hand controls.
• Occasionally writing by hand.
• Rarely kneel/crawl, climb (ladders, scaffolds, or other), reach/work above shoulders, grasp forcefully, use a telephone, sort/file paperwork or parts, scrub/sweep/mop, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh >40 pounds, use a respirator.

* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

Working Conditions
• Work in emergency situations, confined spaces, intense life-threatening conditions, and inclement weather conditions.
• May have exposure to dangerous persons, firearms, bodily fluids, fumes, moving objects, and noise.
• Work irregular work hours, including overtime and holidays.

Work Standards
• When conducting university business, must comply with the California Vehicle Code and Stanford University driving requirements.
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients, and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University and department policies, procedures and general orders, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, and the Department General Orders.

Special Requirements
•Not be in violation of Brady v. Maryland 373 U.S. 83 (1963).• Ability to accommodate schedule adjustments in order to meet departmental needs.
• Willingness to work special events on scheduled days off or after regular shift hours, sometimes with little or no advance notice.
• Willingness and ability to respond to emergency and critical conditions with short notice.

Selection Process (specific order of the process is subject to change)
• Application
• Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ)
• Oral Board Interview
• Background investigation, including a polygraph examination
• Medical/Physical Demands Exam
• Interview with the Director of Public Safety
• Approval by the Sheriff of Santa Clara County (if being sworn in for the first time at DPS)


* Stanford Department of Public Safety does not pay the candidate for travel expenses associated with testing / interviewing, unless otherwise indicated by the department at the time of call for interview.

* Stanford is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants with previous Stanford Department of Public Safety experience are strongly preferred.