Account Clerk Job Descriptions
We are reaching out for Account Clerk job descriptions as well as policy and procedures related to the position which includes processing payments, invoicing, account codes, rate schedules, collection of fees, payroll and completing other general accounting paperwork. Please forward job descriptions and other pertinent documents to tkovalski@ipma-hr.org.
If you are interested, also complete this very short survey on possible test content: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4732814/Account-Clerk-Test-Development
Any assistance you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Law Enforcement Agencies Nationwide Respond to Crisis-level Hiring Shortage
This article originally appeared in IPMA-HR’s monthly magazine, HR News.
It seems you can’t open a newspaper or turn on the news without hearing a story about the hiring crisis in law enforcement. There’s no way around it: departments nationwide – from large metropolitan areas to small town America – are embroiled in a crisis-level hiring shortage.
The reasons for it are many, and none of them easily surmountable. It starts with large numbers of baby boomers retiring and a robust economy – officers who leave before retirement are often moving to the private sector for better pay, better hours and less stress.
The thriving economy also provides much more opportunity for those entering the workforce. And, given a choice between a job known for its high-stress, low-pay and nontraditional work hours, a 9-5, Monday-Friday in the private sector seems the obvious choice for many.
Then there’s the undeniable sullied image of the profession. Where once choosing a career in law enforcement was akin to that of superhero, now a solid percentage (34 percent, according to Pew Research Center) of the public hold a neutral or negative view of the badge and the people behind it. Among minorities, the number trends much higher.
The Millennial generation is also of a different mindset than any previous generation. They place a much higher value on work-life balance, need greater variety in their work assignments, and aren’t as patient with the lengthy hiring process: “… for some Millennials, there’s an expectation for immediate gratification: instant replies, constant communication. It’s labor intensive for my command staff,” said Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce.
“Today’s recruits are more interested in a work-life balance; they want time off,” said former Deputy Chief John Haas of the Arlington County Police Department. “The four-day workweek is very popular. Departments are going to have to adapt to the Millennial way of thinking and values. This is a different generation.”
And, while the job has always been dangerous, wearing the uniform today carries with it greater risk than in times past. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, there were 135 officers killed in the line of duty in 2016, twenty-one of which were the result of ambush-style attacks – such as the five Dallas police officers who were assassinated – the highest it’s been in over 20 years. If the trend for 2018 continues, the number of officers killed in the line of duty will increase by 13 percent, with 146 officers lost.
Departments are doing their best to maintain the safety of their communities despite the shortage; however, the fact is: open positions create gaps in patrol, leading to slower response times – and less safe communities. Quite simply, the lack of qualified applicants has left departments from coast to coast desperately searching for new and creative ways to recruit – and retain – good officers.
Addressing the issue in the short-term
There are a number of ways in which departments are seeking to address the issue in the short-term:
- Traveling and/or advertising far outside their typical recruitment area. Baltimore Police Department went to Puerto Rico to recruit bilingual officers, Scottsdale put up advertisements in the men’s restrooms of Fenway Park in Boston, Aurora (Colo.) sent its recruitment team to Dallas for the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization conference, and San Jose received over 150 applications from New Yorkers after attending a job fair in New York City.
- Lowering requirements. Many departments are considering – or have already – relaxed the rules regarding past use of marijuana. Additionally, Chicago cut the minimum age requirement for its police academy from 25 to 21, and several departments have lowered their educational requirements for recruits.
- Increasing pay and benefits. Phoenix Police Department is offering lifetime medical benefits; Tempe offers hefty starting salaries; some departments offer matching vacation or sick time new hires accrued at their former position; Durham is offering a $5,000 bonus for new and lateral officers; and, in September 2017, Palo Alto instituted a $25,000 bonus to officers transferring from another department.
- Referral rewards. Salt Lake City and San Jose Police Departments are both offering bonuses to employees who refer an experienced officer to them – awarding anywhere from $600 to $6,500 per referral.
- Mentoring applicants through the process. Another increasingly utilized method is the assignment of a mentor to help applicants through the process, which typically includes paperwork, computerized tests, criminal background checks, psychological exams and polygraphs. San Jose Police Department employs this tactic, assigning mentors to coach applicants through the process.
- Modern and creative communication tactics. Fort Worth Police Department received quite a bit of attention for its “Star Wars” series of recruitment videos posted on YouTube, Philadelphia created an entire website devoted to recruitment; and departments everywhere are producing videos – some professional and informative and some reminiscent of the armed forces’ style recruitment videos where your average workday looks like an action movie.
Small agencies struggling to keep up turn to each other
Small, rural agencies simply can’t compete with the larger agencies in terms of budget or opportunity for advancement or variety of duties (e.g., tactical team, drug task force). In a small department, the loss of even one officer can deal a serious blow. Take Searsport, Maine, where the department is staffed by just three officers: Call the department, and there’s a good chance Chief Dick LaHaye will answer the phone.
In response to the hiring crisis, more small, rural agencies are looking into a merger with surrounding towns. For example, in New York, Spring Valley Police Department is looking into merging with neighboring Clarkstown and Ramapo, and in Maine, a voter referendum question is under review that could result in the merger of the Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor departments.
Other cities contract with neighboring towns or the county. This is the case in Lanesboro and Fountain, Minnesota, where city officials have a contract with the Preston Police Department for law enforcement.
A failsafe, short-term solution doesn’t exist
Departments nationwide are trying everything they can think of to get qualified applicants in the door who truly desire to be in law enforcement. But, try as they may, a failsafe, short-term solution doesn’t exist, according to Haas.
“They have to do more than hang a ‘help wanted’ sign,” said Haas. “It’s going to take time, thinking differently and investing in people early on, especially teens and college students. The agencies that are seeing the most success in hiring are those that have Explorer programs, that have programs and training on college campuses. They get people hooked on the profession early on.”
Programs such as Haas suggested are cropping up in forward-looking departments all across the country.
- Fairfax County Police Department (Va.) has three Explorer Posts, a Teen Academy, Police Cadet program (ages 18-20), and participates in the Road Dawg Camp for “middle school youth who are at risk of substance abuse or gang involvement.”
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (N.C.) offers an Explorers program, College Cadets program (ages 17-22), college internship, and a high school academy, which is a “one-week, hands-on course for young people who are interested in a career in law enforcement or students who would like to find out more about the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.”
- New York City Police Department offers a Summer Youth Police Academy, Explorer program, and the Police Athletic League, which “serves the youth [ages 3-21] of New York City with recreational, educational, cultural, and social programs.”
- Seattle Police Department offers an Explorer program and the Seattle Police Activities League (SEAPAL), which “provides youth 5-18 years of age the opportunity to be a part of a variety of programming activities with police officers serving as coaches, mentors and role models.”
One constant amid the hiring frenzy
Departments are desperate for good recruits, no question. But there’s one standard that hasn’t changed in the face of the current hiring crisis: Every department from the big to the small wants people who are not only passionate about making a difference in their community, but who are inspired to begin – or maintain – a career in law enforcement.
“Policing isn’t easy,” said Michael Parker, consultant with The Parker Group and retired police commander for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, in a recent Police Magazine article. “People are under distress. Policing provides a great opportunity to help people in a great degree of need. But it’s also very difficult because you are in danger, both physically and emotionally. You really need to look inward to see if this is for you.”
Jenny Donovan is a freelance writer and former police officer who resides in Maine.
News Alert: House Passes First Step Act by Overwhelming Majority
From NBC News
WASHINGTON — The House passed The First Step Act — the bipartisan criminal justice reform bill — by an overwhelming margin on Thursday, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
The House passed the bill by a 358 to 36 margin after the Senate passed it earlier this week by an 87 to 12 margin.
Soon after its passage, Trump tweeted that the measure represented a “great” bipartisan achievement.
Read the full article here.
News Alert: Senate Passes Bipartisan First Step Act
From the New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly approved on Tuesday the most substantial changes in a generation to the tough-on-crime prison and sentencing laws that ballooned the federal prison population and created a criminal justice system that many conservatives and liberals view as costly and unfair.
The First Step Act would expand job training and other programming aimed at reducing recidivism rates among federal prisoners. It also expands early-release programs and modifies sentencing laws, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, to more equitably punish drug offenders.
But the legislation falls short of benchmarks set by a more expansive overhaul proposed in Congress during Barack Obama’s presidency and of the kinds of changes sought by some liberal and conservative activists targeting mass incarceration.
House leaders have pledged to pass the measure this week, and President Trump, whose support resuscitated a yearslong overhaul effort last month, said he would sign the bill.
Read the full article here. Additionally, the American Jail Association has set up an informational website on the bill.
New Customized Exam Policy
IPMA-HR’s Assessment Services Department is pleased to announce our new and improved Customized Exam Policy! The new policy was designed to make the customization process more convenient for customers, while also increasing test security.
New Customized Exam Policy
Agencies that place a customized test order will no longer receive a master copy of the exam, nor will they be required to make copies of the exam for their candidates. The Assessment Services Department will provide up to 20 professional candidate test booklets for no additional charge. If you need more than 20 candidate booklets, the cost is $16 per additional booklet.
IPMA-HR will retain all master copies, answer keys, reading lists, and original customization packets for up to three years. If you would like to reorder a customized exam that was created under this new policy, there is a $97 administration fee to ensure the test questions are up to date and that your reading list is current. You will also be charged $16 per candidate booklet.
Please note that this pricing only applies if no changes or revisions have been made to the previously ordered test. If you want to change or replace any items, you will be charged the standard pricing of $395 labor fee + $10.00 per test question.
How does this affect me?
Agencies that have ordered customized exams prior to the new policy may continue to use their previously received materials (i.e., master copy, answer key, reading list, etc.). However, you should contact the Assessment Services Department before each test administration to make sure there were no updates to the questions on your test and to ensure your reading list is current. If you no longer have your reading list, master copy or answer key and need to request another from the Assessment Services Department, the following rules apply:
- For customized exam orders placed under the previous policy in 2015 or later, your exam will need to be rebuilt in order to generate an extra answer key, test, and/or reading list. To update your customized test and bring it in line with the current policy, there will be a flat fee of $395 to rebuild your test. You will receive up to 20 candidate booklets as part of the cost to update the test. Any additional booklets are priced at $16 each. Future orders for this test will be under the standard pricing described above.
- For customized exam orders placed prior to 2015, you will need to start an entirely new customized test order.
Public Safety Voices | Sheriff Ty Trenary
Creativity is key to meeting the challenges we face.
We’re facing four major challenges – all equally big. First, we’re one of the top five fastest growing counties in the country, and we’re having a hard time keeping up with that growth. We’re not currently staffed appropriately to provide the level of service we’d like to. Most days it feels like we’re throwing mud on the wall and seeing what sticks. We’re working with other elected officials on growth, helping them see why we need add staff, but it has been and continues to be a serious challenge.
We also police the transit system. Plus, a new commercial airport is set to open where Boeing is, and we have to police that also. We have got to staff up to these changes, and it’s been a challenge, especially in the current climate. We’ve had to become a lot of more engaged with the community and connect with youth.
Then come the big three: mental illness, homelessness, and the opioid crisis. All three affect how we manage policing. We’re constantly thinking about how to keep everyone safe and in the loop. These issues create challenges that force us to look beyond traditional policing. How do we retool ourselves?
We’re in the midst of a public health crisis: 60-70 percent of our inmate pop have reported metal illness in the last five years. The Snohomish County Jail isn’t staffed for or designed to be a mental health hospital. We can’t use the jail in this way. People aren’t getting the help they need. We can’t make them healthy and are thus sending them back out with same issues. We’ve enhanced our medical staff, brought in outside vendors, we use Facetime for therapy with outside providers, and partnered with the state to bring folks in part-time. But the state is backlogged.
And there’s the opioid crisis. Over 90 percent of our homeless population is suffering from an addiction or mental health issue. Some of our deputies are partnered with social workers, and they’re going out to homeless camps to try to figure out who needs help with addiction and get them treatment.
This is a nationwide crisis that’s on everyone’s mind; everyone wants to talk about it, and it’s going to be here for a while. The thing I’m proud of are the changes we’ve made: a pair of handcuffs and a trip to jail doesn’t work with this crisis. It won’t get us out of this. People say “take them to jail” all the time, but when we give people a hand up, we connect with them, we get them help, they’re not in our system anymore.
Ours is the one business that doesn’t want repeat customers. It’s not fair that we have to fix it, but nontraditional methods are working. We’re trying to be creative as we can. I deal with a lot of people — good families — who are dealing with this. These are human beings. We don’t choose who we protect and serve, it’s everybody.
Over 30 years in law enforcement has taught me a lot.
I’m getting ready to start my 32nd year in this profession. Back when I joined the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy, I was chosen to be part of a community policing program. My experience with that program is something that has stuck with me and set me on a path toward working very closely with the community. I learned a lot from it. For example, I learned the importance of saying, “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have done that.” And I’ve learned the importance of sitting with people and working together to find solutions.
Our motto is “community first,” and it’s the defining value of my career.
We understand our role as law enforcement; it’s a very honorable but contentious task.
If there’s one thing I’d like the people of Snohomish County to know about our job, it’s that we understand our role. We’re very fortunate to live in a community that supports law enforcement, and in turn we work really, really hard to reduce crime and be engaged in the community.
Every single day we work to engage and connect — and take our lumps when we need to. We don’t ever lose sight of that. Our is a very honorable but contentious task, and we have to be compassionate in everything we do.
-Sheriff Trenary, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington