Salary: $28.51 – $34.66 Hourly
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Extra Help
Job Number: 23/06-3397-EHC
Department: Sheriff’s Office (SHF)
Opening Date: 06/20/2023
Closing Date: Continuous
Position Information
Join the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office as a Sheriff’s Community Services Officer II – Extra-Help. Two positions available!
The Central Information Bureau at the Sheriff’s Office has two unique extra-help Community Services Officer (CSO) opportunities to perform non-law enforcement duties and support the Front Desk and Property/Evidence operations at the office.
Front Desk CSO
As the face of the Sheriff’s Office for anyone walking into the public lobby, this position answers the public’s questions in person and over the phone, directs calls, schedules appointments, and writes simple reports. Additionally, this CSO:
- Registers sex, gang, and arson offenders who are court-mandated to register annually
- Performs Live Scan fingerprinting for the public for volunteer work, permits, etc.
- Processes vehicle and property releases for the public
- Signs off on correctable traffic citations
- Processes incarceration verification and clearance letters
- Releases copies of reports to the public
- accepts service of paperwork on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office
Property/Evidence CSO
Working in the Property/Evidence unit, this CSO is responsible for properly maintaining security and control of all property and evidence held by the Sheriff’s Office. This CSO:
- Receives, catalogs, safely stores, transports, and maintains the integrity of evidence, found property, and property taken for safekeeping.
- Restores evidence/property to its rightful owners
- Facilitates the legal disposition of property/evidence in the Sheriff’s Office possession
Ideal candidates for these positions will thrive working on collaborative teams and will have previous experience assisting the public and staff in a law enforcement agency environment. They will also possess:
- Superb customer service skills
- The ability to be flexible and address simultaneous and changing competing requests and priorities
- Computer, data entry, organizational, and multi-phone skills to effectively work in an office environment
- Problem-solving skills, and the ability to address the needs of and work with customers who may be in heightened states of agitation and/or distress
- A positive mindset, empathy, patience, and the ability to stay calm in stressful situations
CSOs wear a uniform and may receive day, swing, graveyard or other shift assignments, including holidays, and special events.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills for either position is desired, but not required and would include $1.50 per hour for fluent skills or $1.15 per hour for basic bilingual skills. A bilingual examination will be conducted to confirm level of skill. The bilingual premium pay begins upon the assignment of bilingual responsibilities.EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYMENT
Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Temporary, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most employee benefits such as long-term disability insurance coverage; accrual of vacation; participation in the County retirement program; or eligibility to take promotional examinations. Temporary, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of one calendar year. These employees must be off of work for three months before they can be re-employed on an extra help basis. Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.
*Salary is negotiable within the established range. This employment list may also be used to fill future extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list. The Civil Service title for this position is Community Services Officer II.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE
COMPLETED.
Minimum Qualifications
Any combination of education, training, and experience, which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.
Normally, a High School Diploma or equivalent and one year of experience in a position that is comparable to that of Community Services Officer I with the County of Sonoma. Academic coursework in law enforcement or a closely related field is highly desirable.
License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including necessary special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Background Requirements: Applicants must successfully complete a thorough background investigation including a polygraph examination. Applicants who have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, or of any offense in any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, which would have been a felony if committed in California, or are under formal probation may be subject to disqualification for this class.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Working knowledge of: function, organization, purpose and procedures of law enforcement and/or public safety agencies; basic laws, codes, ordinances, processes, techniques, rules, regulations, and practices pertaining to area of assignment; principles and procedures related to department policies, procedures, legal, court, and law enforcement documents and reports; local resources and services for referrals; crime/court report writing; modern office routines and equipment, record keeping, and filing; techniques of receiving, storing, inventorying, safeguarding, delivering, and disposing of property; basic arithmetic; local geography; English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Ability to: apply basic laws, codes, ordinances, processes, techniques, rules, regulations, and practices pertaining to area of assignment; interpret and apply department policies and procedures; interpret legal, court, and law enforcement documents and reports; work, communicate effectively, and demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and sensitivity with the general public, outside agencies, department personnel, etc.; obtain accurate and detailed information in person or by telephone; follow written and oral instructions; make decisions in routine procedural matters without immediate supervision; read, correct, prepare, and maintain accurate and concise records and reports; work under stress and in emergency situations; exercise judgment and discretion in sensitive situations and in analyzing and resolving problems; speak before public groups; work in contact with and oversee inmate/probation workers; obtain information, enter data, develop correspondence, etc. in modern software programs.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant’s combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the position will be placed on an extra-help employment list and referred to the department. The department may contact candidates from the employment list who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications for further consideration.
BACKGROUND PROCESS
Being part of the Sheriff’s Office and being expected to keep the public safe requires a thorough background investigation process. This process includes an assessment of prior work history, verifying educational experiences, court reports, public records searches, understanding past patterns relating to drug usage, financial patterns, etc. This entails gathering a significant amount of information from job candidates and speaking to former employers, friends, family members, etc. Polygraphs, drug tests, and medical and physical examinations are also part of this process. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment. This process can take anywhere from 3-5 months. Many factors are taken into consideration and one should not assume a credit issue or prior drug use is automatically disqualifying. Candidates will be given the opportunity to present mitigating information they feel should be considered. You are encouraged to be as responsive as possible while this process is taking place to help expedite the timeline, and we encourage you to stay patient and interested in this great career opportunity while this process is taking place.
You may also review the to determine the requirements for this position.
Please read the for further information.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are accepted online at Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.
The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.
HR Analyst: AK
HR Technician: KK
IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.
COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*
These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.
Health Plan: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County contribution toward the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit. For specific details, please refer to the applicable MOU). A County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is available for some bargaining units.
Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit
IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.
Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.
For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to or, contact the Human Resources’ Risk Management-Benefits Office at or (707) 565-2900.
*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
01
How did you first learn about this opportunity?
- Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
- CalJobs
- Careers in Government
- College or University
- Craigslist
- DiversityJobs
- Employee of Sonoma County
- Glassdoor
- Google Jobs
- GovernmentJobs.com
- Handshake
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
- Indeed
- Job Fair
- La Voz
- Latino Service Providers
- Los Cien
- Minority Organization or Group
- sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
- Sonoma County Human Resources Office
- Sonoma County Job Line
- Start Here!
- Veterans Services Office
- Women’s Organization or Group
- Workplace Diversity
- Other Internet Site
- Other Publication
02
This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English/Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.
- Yes, I have basic (conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
- Yes, I have fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
- No, I do not have English/Spanish bilingual skills, and/or I do not wish to be considered for a bilingual position
03
Have you reviewed and do you understand the Sheriff’s Office Drug Guidelines? (Please note, if you do not have Internet access, you can request the drug standards packet from the Human Resources reception desk.)
- Yes
- No
04
Are you willing to wear a uniform and work day, swing, graveyard or other shift assignments, including holidays, and special events?
- Yes
- No
05
Are you a high school graduate or do you have a General Education Development Certificate (GED)?
- Yes
- No
06
Are you willing to undergo a thorough background investigation, which may include a review of criminal, employment, education, driving, and credit records, and an inquiry into your personal and social history, including any use of drugs and/or alcohol?
- Yes
- No
07
Please indicate if you have experience performing the following type of tasks in a law enforcement environment (check all that apply):
- Conducting annual registrations for offenders
- Facilitating the legal disposition of property/evidence
- Maintaining security and control of property and evidence
- Performing Live Scan fingerprinting
- Processing paperwork including forms, letters, and/or reports
- Processing vehicle and property releases
- Restoring evidence/property to its rightful owners
- Signing off on correctable traffic citations
- None of the above
08
Please detail your one or more years of experience in a role comparable to a Community Services Officer I performing public relations, technical, clerical, and/or manual activities related to law enforcement functions.
09
Please describe your experience providing customer service to a diverse customer base. Describe the customers you assisted/served and the information and/or services you provided them.
Required Question