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Professionals

Professionals

In addition to employing more than 700 commissioned deputies, the King County Sheriff's Office employs dozens of different types of non-commissioned, or "professional staff" classifications. The following list includes just some of the many options available to professionals who are seeking a career with a trusted law enforcement provider.

Administrative Specialists

These individuals manage a wide variety of administrative and clerical work throughout the department and often interact with the public to provide general assistance. Administrative Specialists create reports, manage databases, transcribe statements, maintain office supplies, and provide customer service to the community and other law enforcement agencies. The duties of this position vary depending on the unit being supported.

Administrative Specialist II (AS II) is the level open most often to the public. These positions require good clerical skills, some clerical experience and the ability to independently interpret and apply a wide range of policies and procedures in support of a work unit, under general supervision. We also have a number of Administrative Specialist III and IV positions, which provide more advanced technical support, and often serve in a lead or supervisory role.

Community Service Officers

Community Service Officers work as the liaison between various community groups and the Sheriff's Office. Foreign language skills are very helpful. A background in social work can help prepare you for this kind of work, but is not required. Situations can include: conflict resolutions in non-violent situations, victim assistance, working with child abuse cases, and offering social agency referrals. CSOs also assist with law enforcement tasks that the officers can't always get to such as taking stolen bike reports, assisting with witness statements, directing traffic in emergency situations, and working with community groups to prevent crime. CSOs wear uniforms and drive a marked department vehicle, but are not armed, commissioned officers. It is busy and rewarding work and a great way to help your community!

Computer Resource Professionals

These are the techies of the KCSO! They take care of computer and network installation, repair, and upgrades. These are the computer problem solvers and trainers of our team and the ones who keep the rest of us happily working away at our desktop computers. There are several levels of positions, from desktop and laptop support specialists to applications developers and senior network administrators. If you love systems development and programming, technical problem solving, and network administration, this is the unit for you!

Data Technicians

Sheriff's Data Technicians receive, enter, maintain, transmit and relay information concerning criminal/civil warrants, court orders, missing and dangerous people, stolen property and other criminal information to, from, and between King County Sheriff’s Office mobile units, other police agencies, police electronic files, paper records, and courts by means of radio, telephone; County, State, national and international criminal justice systems and other telecommunication devices.

Evidence Specialists

Evidence Specialists are the team members who work in the department’s evidence warehouse, called the Property Management Unit. They package and transport criminal case evidence using careful chain of custody principles so it is secure until needed in court. They also store stolen property until the owners are notified and come to get it. Some computer skills are needed in this position to help log and inventory the wide range of evidence that comes in as part of a police investigation. It is an important element to the entire investigation process that starts on the street and ends in the courtroom. This is a really interesting place to work because you never know what piece of evidence is going to come in!

Fiscal Specialists and Accountants

These are the team members who provide a wide range of fiscal services to the KCSO. Their areas of expertise include payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and budget development and tracking. They are the accounting gurus of the Sheriff’s Office. If you have a knack for numbers, love “balancing your own checkbook” and like the satisfaction of getting others their paychecks accurately and on time or providing other related services, these are the jobs for you!

Fingerprint Specialists

Fingerprints are often key to solving a crime. KCSO manages the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Program for the entire region (find out more about it here).  Careers in AFIS are very satisfying, and much of the training can be received on the job. Promotion is possible from entry-level ID Tech to Latent Examiner. 

Identification Technicians and Tenprint Examiners

  • Our Tenprint Examiners and ID Techs take the fingerprints of everyone booked into jail and determine from their fingerprints whether they have given us their true identity.

Latent Fingerprint Examiners

  • Latent Fingerprint Examiners are the team's fingerprint experts. They carefully scrutinize fingerprints recorded from crime scenes, playing a vital partnership role with our detectives in solving crimes. They also utilize state-of-the-art tools to find and lift fingerprints at crime scenes.

Photographers

The Sheriff's Office Photo Lab is a busy, technically complex and interesting way to use your photographic expertise. KCSO photographers must have the ability to take professional portraits and the skill to do forensic photography as well. They are often partnered with detectives to get photos ready for court or for the media. Photographers are involved in the entire process — from taking photos to developing, recording and cataloging them for future reference.

Project Managers and Crime Analysts

These are the team members who provide a wide range of planning and research services. They do professional crime analysis, perform statistical research, manage department-wide projects, manage database content, serve on inter-jurisdictional committees and develop management presentations. If you love research, computers, and statistics it's all here for you! Project Program Manager is the job title for this classification.

Records Specialists

Sheriff’s Office Records Specialists perform a variety of functions necessary to support the Sheriff’s Office, other members of the criminal justice community, and the general public. Duties include case flow processing (receiving, data entry, efiling, and scanning of police reports), developing criminal history background information, responding to public disclosure requests, processing a variety of firearm-related licensing and screening applicants to purchase handguns, and registering sex offenders. To do this job, Records Specialists must be aware of various state and local laws in order to use State, Local and Federal criminal records databases.

Search & Rescue

As a civilian, you may choose to volunteer with King County Search and Rescue.  In order to be a duty officer one must be a commissioned Sheriff Deputy with KCSO and if you are a Sheriff Deputy with KCSO you may not volunteer as a SAR member in the unit.  For more information, please see http://kcsara.org/.

       

All careers offer a generous salary and benefit package, paid vacation and sick leave.  Most positions with the Sheriff's Office are civil service positions, and the hiring process is governed by the applicable rules and laws.

Applying for Jobs

Apply online for current openings at King County.

 

King County Job Benefits Site:

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