Community Services Officer

Overview

We are pleased to announce an opening for the position of Community Services Officer with the City of Canyon Lake. Retired law enforcement professionals are strongly encouraged to apply. This position qualifies as a Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) eligible role, allowing qualified retirees to work without impacting retirement benefits through agencies such as CalPERS, OCERS, SBCERA, and other recognized retirement systems.

A Community Services Officer (CSO) is a civilian member of the police department who provides support to law enforcement operations by handling non-sworn duties, often related to public assistance, field reporting, traffic services, and administrative functions that follow or supplement primary emergency response. These duties typically include taking reports, assisting with traffic incidents, providing public information, and engaging in community outreach and crime prevention efforts.

CSOs enhance department efficiency by handling service calls that do not require a sworn officer, allowing police officers to focus on critical law enforcement responsibilities.

This position is a non-sworn, civilian member of the police department who performs a range of public safety support duties without carrying a firearm or exercising arrest powers. In a small city setting, the CSO is often cross-trained in various functions and expected to work independently, providing vital support in areas such as traffic control, report writing, community outreach, and crime prevention.

This position is distinguished by its strong emphasis on community engagement and service-oriented responsibilities. CSOs serve as a visible, approachable presence within the community and play a key role in fostering public trust and cooperation with law enforcement.

• Provide comprehensive non-sworn staff support to the Police Department on a wide variety of programs, projects, and services.
• Patrol the City in a marked vehicle to provide security support; responds to radio and phone dispatches of emergency and non-emergency calls; follows department protocols in actions to be taken.
• Take reports for incidents such as petty theft, vandalism, lost property, and vehicle burglaries.
• Issue parking citations, assist with vehicle abatement, and direct traffic at accident scenes, special events, or during road closures.
• Assist in documenting non-injury traffic collisions, photographing evidence, and collecting basic information at crime or accident scenes.
• Take information from the public regarding burglaries, thefts, missing persons, lost and found property, and other incidents that do not require the presence of a law enforcement officer at the scene; completes standard police reports for review by sworn officers.
• Participate in public outreach such as neighborhood watch programs, school visits, and community safety events.
• Assist with the enforcement of municipal codes (e.g., illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles) and follow up on minor code complaints.
• Follows-up on complaints regarding abandoned vehicles; issues citations and arranges for the towing or abatement of abandoned or illegally parked vehicles.
• Collect, document, and transport evidence or found property in accordance with department policy and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Complete police reports, data entry, filing, and assist the public at the police department front desk or over the phone.
• Deliver court documents, provide court testimony, and support logistical operations such as transporting supplies.
• Conduct basic vehicle inspections and report maintenance issues.
• Transport detainees, from crime scenes, to the holding area at the police station and or the county jail for booking.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the person assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. The City reserves the right to modify job duties or assign additional responsibilities as necessary to meet operational needs, consistent with applicable laws.

At the discretion of the City Manager or their designee, adjustments to the job description may be made to address changing organizational requirements, provided such changes do not substantially alter the overall nature, essential functions, or classification of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of the position.

Knowledge:

• Basic law enforcement terminology, procedures, and practices.
• City codes, ordinances, and relevant local, state, and federal laws.
• Department protocols for responding to emergency and non-emergency calls.
• Police department policies, report writing, and documentation standards.
• Methods and techniques of interviewing and documenting victim and witness statements.
• Basic traffic control and parking regulations.
• Principles of…