CRIMINALIST

Position/Program Information

FIRST DAY OF FILING:
JANUARY 16 , 2024, at 8:00 A.M. (PT)

THE FILING PERIOD MAY BE SUSPENDED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. THIS EXAMINATION MAY REOPEN AS THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE REQUIRE.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION FILING PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS.



EXAM NUMBER:

J4333P

REPOSTING INFORMATION:

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING REPOSTED TO CHANGE THE APPLICATION FILING PERIOD FROM A STANDARD TO AN OPEN CONTINUOUS, UPDATE THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION, ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION, AND APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

DEFINITION
Performs physical and chemical analyses required in scientific criminal investigations.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS
Positions allocable to this entry level class typically report to a Supervising Criminalist and work under close supervision and guidance in each section of a forensic science or criminalistics laboratory, receiving work of a progressively responsible nature and of broadening scope as capability develops and complete familiarity with all phases of laboratory analysis is gained. Incumbents in this class are characterized by their participation in an extensive, mandatory in-service training program designed to teach the techniques and procedures used in forensic science or criminalistic laboratories and, through classroom instruction and on-the-job training, prepare incumbents for higher level criminalistic positions. Incumbents are required to respond to crime scenes at any time during their assigned shift, as well as during off duty hours, and will be required to testify in court regarding their analyses. Upon completion of a one year probationary period within Technology and Support Division, and with a rating of competent, incumbents may be assigned to any section or regional laboratory within Scientific Services Bureau.

Essential Job Functions

Performs physical and chemical analyses of evidentiary material such as blood, narcotics, drugs, hairs, fibers, metals, tool marks, and body fluids by making observations; applying appropriate scientific techniques such as presumptive tests, confirmation tests, evaluation of class characteristics; etc. in order to provide information to assist with investigations.

Uses microscopic techniques by preparing samples; observing sample features; documenting optical characteristics; etc. in order to provide class characteristic information or to make an identification.

Uses comparison macrophotography by evaluating available images; selecting appropriate images; documenting class and individual characteristics; etc. in order to provide findings regarding associations, exclusions, or identifications.

Uses chromatography by preparing samples; operating instruments; interpreting and evaluating data; etc. in order to identify and/or quantitate chemical compounds.

Uses sprectrography by preparing samples; operating instruments; interpreting and evaluating data; etc. in order to identify chemical compounds.

Prepares written reports and displays for court testimony by memorializing examination findings in order to communicate information to intended audiences.

Provides testimony by answering questions; providing background information on test methods; qualifying opinions and conclusions; etc. in order to present scientific findings in court.

Responds to crime scenes by examining, documenting, collecting, and interpreting, physical evidence in order to preserve evidence for subsequent testing.

Conducts research by reviewing technical journals, textbooks, chemical manuals, and other source materials in order to determine the best methods of performing analytical testing.

Preserves physical evidence by observing, documenting, sampling, etc. in order to allow for subsequent testing.

Requirements

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university* with specialization in criminalistics, chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely related scientific field, including at least eight (8) semester hours of general chemistry.

LICENSE
A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions such as traveling to crime scenes. Candidates offered these positions would be required to show proof of a driver license prior to appointment.

LICENSE INFORMATION : Successful applicants for this position will be required to obtain a copy of his/her driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before being appointed. A copy of your driving record must be presented at the time of your appointment. License must not be suspended, restricted, or revoked. AN APPLICANT WHOSE DRIVING RECORD SHOWS THREE (3) OR MORE MOVING VIOLATIONS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR WILL NOT BE APPOINTED.

PHYSICAL CLASS
Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION
*In order to receive credit for the required coursework and degree, you MUST include a legible copy of the official transcripts AND official degree, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the completed semester/quarter units of coursework in the areas of specialization at the time of filing, or within seven (7) calendar days from the date of filing your online application. Failure to provide the required documentation will result in application rejection.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
As part of this application process, applicants will be required to complete a supplemental questionnaire. The questionnaire contains a pre-investigative questionnaire which will be utilized as part of the background investigation process to ensure applicants meet the standards set forth by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Applicants who fail the pre-investigative questionnaire will be disqualified and will have to wait twelve (12) months from the date of the disqualification in order to reapply

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of THREE (3) parts:

PART I
A multiple choice and/or simulation assessment(s) assessing Professional Potential; Achievement; Coping with Uncertainty; Responsibility; Working to High Quality Standards; Willingness to Learn; Working Relationships; Analyzing Information; Learning Quickly; Generating New Ideas; Using Time Efficiently; Adapting to Change.

PART II
A written test assessing Biology; Chemistry; Quantitative Analysis; Scientific Methodology; and Criminalistics.

TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS:

• Applicants that have taken identical test parts for other exams within the last (12) twelve months, will have their test responses for the identical test part(s) automatically transferred to this examination.
• This examination contains test parts that may be used in the future for new examinations. Upon acceptance of your application, your scores may be transferred to the new examination and you may not be allowed to retake any identical test part(s) for at least (12) twelve months.

PART I and PART II combined is weighted 50%. Applicants must achieve a combined passing score of 70% or higher on PART I and PART II in order to be invited to PART III.

PART III
Structured Interview, weighted 50%, assessing Time Management/Adaptability; Technical Translation; Ethics; Oral Communications; Written Communications. As part of the interview, candidates will also be required to complete a brief writing exercise.

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE, SIMULATION ASSESSMENT AND WRITTEN TEST ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON EACH WEIGHTED PART OF THE EXAMINATION TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER.

TEST PREPARATION

Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/ . Please click on "Find A Job" and then "Job Search Toolkit." Test preparation information is located under the "Employment Test Assistance" section. You can also access test preparation for the computerized portion of the test by going to http://www.shldirect.com/en-us/practice-tests /. While the guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.

Please note that these resources are intended to provide general information about the types of tests and assessments used by the County of Los Angeles. These resources do not contain details of the exam nor the specific questions you will be asked to answer during the test administration. The exam content section describes the areas assessed by the test and you are invited to study and review whatever material you believe will help you to prepare.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of promulgation. Applicants will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY TWELVE (12) MONTHS.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES MUST COMPLETE A THOROUGH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING FINGERPRINT SEARCH. Examples of disqualifying factors include: Any felony convictions; job related misdemeanor convictions; certain serious traffic convictions or patterns of traffic violations (3 moving violations in one year; failure to appear; at fault accidents; suspended license; driving under the influence); poor credit history; poor employment history; substance abuse; anyone on probation.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY IF HIRED
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Department) has a "zero tolerance" policy for its employees for the following:

• use of narcotics, controlled substances, and/or prescription drugs without a prescription.

Any employee found in violation of this policy will be subject to discharge.

VACANCY INFORMATION
T he eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Technology and Support Division, Scientific Services Bureau.

AVAILABLE SHIFT Any Shift

APPOINTEES MUST BE WILLING TO WORK ANY SHIFT, INCLUDING EVENINGS, NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, AND HOLIDAYS.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION

APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY - APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX, OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

TO ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED, YOU MUST HAVE RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION EMAIL AS VERIFICATION.
All applicants are required to submit a Standard County of Los Angeles Employment application and supplemental questionnaire ONLINE only. Resumes cannot be accepted in lieu of applications, although resumes and supporting documents may be uploaded as attachments to the online application.

Fill out your application and supplemental questionnaire completely. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. All information is subject to verification and applications may be rejected at any time during the selection process.

The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the SELECTION REQUIREMENTS and you have completely filled out your application.

Apply online by clicking on the green " Apply " button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website. Your application and supplemental questionnaire must be submitted electronically before 5:00 P.M. PT, on the last day of filing

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED OUTSIDE THE OFFICIAL APPLICATION FILING PERIOD, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the 5:00 P.M. (PT) deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Please note that ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made.
• FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT .
• Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED .

CORRESPONDENCE AND UPDATES WILL BE SENT VIA E-MAIL

• All notices including invitation letters, results letters and notices of non-acceptance will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add j11garcia@lasd.org, yrodriguez@hr.lacounty.gov , talentcentral@shl.com, donot-reply@amcatmail.com and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Please note, if you opt out of receiving emails, you can visit governmentjobs.com, log into your profile and check your inbox. The inbox retains a copy of all emails sent, for your records

NOTE: Candidates who apply online must upload any required documents as attachments during application submission. If you are unable to attach required documents, you may fax the documents to (323) 415-2580 at the time of filing , or within seven (7) calendar days from the date of application filing. Failure to provide the required documentation will result in application rejection. Please include your Name, the Exam Number, and the Exam Title on the faxed documents.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD : All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
ADA Coordinator Phone: (213) 229-1621
Teletype Phone: (213) 626-0251
Department Contact Name: Professional Examinations Unit
Department Contact Phone: (323) 526-5611
Department Contact Email: sheriffexamsunit@lasd.org

For more information on Employment Information, click on the link below.

http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/247636_EmploymentInformation.pdf

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 4/30/2024 5:00 PM Pacific

Los Angeles, California United States View Map