September 29, 2025

SUMMARY:

The work of a police officer involves responsibility for the protection of life and property, prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals and general enforcement of laws and ordinances.

 Duties normally consist of routine patrol, preliminary investigation, and traffic regulation. Work involves an element of personal danger, and the employee must be able to exercise sound independent judgment under stress. The duties are performed in patrol cars or on foot. Supervision is received from superior officers who review work methods and results through accomplishments, personal inspection, and review of written reports covering activities and discussions.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

(Any one position of this class may not include all duties listed, nor do listed examples include all duties which may be found in positions of this class.)

• Patrols a designated area of the city on foot or in a radio-equipped car to preserve law and order, to prevent crime, help citizens in need and report situations which endanger the health, safety, and convenience of the public.
• Answers assigned calls for service and impartially investigates assigned complaints.
• When assigned, they investigate crimes, legally arrest persons, participate in prosecutions, educate, and collaborate with citizens to reduce crime in the community.
• Enforces traffic laws, investigates traffic accidents, issues traffic citations, participates in prosecutions of City cases, educates, and works with citizens to reduce traffic problems and cause traffic to flow safely in the community.
• Provides other services to citizens as permitted by the department’s resources (i.e., funeral escorts, medical assists, and other services)
• Complete all required reports.
• Attends training to develop skills on the use of firearms, police baton, intoxilyzer, CPR, first aid and other equipment; and on laws, investigation techniques, hazardous materials, etc. from an accredited
• Law Enforcement Training Academy.
• Perform any other duties as directed by the chain of command.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS:

(Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodation, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.)

• Knowledge of English, spelling, and math.
• Demonstrated ability to remember names, faces, and details of incidents; and to develop skill in use of police equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to learn a wide variety of police duties and methods within a reasonable period.
• Knowledge of occupational hazards involved in the work and the safety precautions for safe performance of the job.
• Demonstrated ability to act quickly and calmly in emergency situations; to determine proper course of action in various dangerous situations and use sound judgment in managing them.
• Ability to meet approved age, mental, physical, psychological, and medical requirements for this class.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relations, to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing, to groups and individuals.
• Ability and physical strength to do prolonged and arduous work.
• Ability to react productively and manage other tasks as assigned.
• Must have and maintain a valid Mississippi vehicle operator’s license.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

 

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Graduation from high school or acceptable equivalent from an accredited institution and provide a copy with employment application prior to taking the physical agility test.

 

MINIMUM SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS-POLICE OFFICER:

All non-certified law enforcement applicants MUST meet the following guidelines to be employed as a law enforcement officer. They are:

• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age,
• Be a high school graduate or obtain a General Education Development Diploma (GED), in lieu of a high school diploma, a college diploma or certified transcript from an accredited institution will be accepted. It must be an Associate’s (AA or AAS) or higher. Technical Certificates will not be accepted.
• Must be a United States citizen.
• Be of good physical and mental condition, capable of performing the duties, under conditions inherent to the profession, as verified by a licensed physician,
• And be of good moral character as evidenced among other things by having neither a conviction, a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contender, having been ordered into probation or pre-trial diversion or have been fined in relation to a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or to a crime that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities of a law enforcement officer. Former members of the
• Armed Forces Individuals must have been discharged from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions. Fitness for service as it relates to moral character must be verified by an appropriate background investigation.
• Individuals who meet both the definition of a law enforcement officer above and who meet the minimum employment guidelines are eligible to be employed as a law enforcement officer and must successfully complete prescribed training and obtain certification within one (1) year for full-time status and two (2) years for part-time from their date of hire, if approved for hire.

 

CIVIL SERVICE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

For minimum qualifications established by the Mississippi Code, see Section 21-31-15.

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS:

Continuing education requirement for municipal police chiefs and officers established by MS Code, Ann. 45-6-19.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. An employee in this job is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions, occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, toxic or caustic chemicals, and has a risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment may be loud.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to hold or feel, reach with hands and arms, walk, talk, smell and hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, sit, climb, balance, stoop,
  crouch and crawl.
• Specific vision abilities include close, distance, color, peripheral vision, and depth perception. 
• The employee regularly lifts and/or moves up to 25 pounds and occasionally lifts and/or moves over 50 pounds.
• The employee regularly runs and uses physical force to subdue or arrest a suspect.

Physical Address: 

4320 McInnis Avenue, Moss Point, MS 39563

City Hall Phone Number:

228-475-0300 ext. 7032 or 7030

Email: veneice.barnett@cityofmosspoint.org

ww.cityofmosspoint.org