Definition
Under general supervision, performs enforcement, service, and other specific objectives of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as a peace officer as defined in the Code of Iowa; performs related work as required.
The work examples and competencies listed below are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be the primary basis for position classification decisions.
Work Examples
Patrols assigned territory to enforce natural resource, conservation, outdoor recreation, and other applicable state or federal laws; checks for proper licensing; issues summonses for violation of state and federal laws; secures evidence and testifies in related court cases.
Promotes conservation practices and safe outdoor recreational activities in assigned territory; prepares and presents varied conservation information programs for school, civic, naturalist, and other groups; demonstrates use of firearms and explains fish and game laws; participates in radio and television programming for local audiences; distributes literature on parks, forestry, preserves, wildlife, fishing, conservation careers, and related subjects; conducts workshops and administers hunter safety courses in assigned territory.
Assists Iowa Department of Natural Resources personnel, county conservation boards, and civic groups in conservation management activities or as otherwise requested; obtains fish and wildlife census data, and takes roadside counts.
Investigates complaints; tracks and apprehends poachers; investigates wildlife damage and pollution releases and impacts.
Attends various meetings to increase job-related knowledge and remain informed on current practices.
Competencies Required
Knowledge:
- Public Safety and Security – Relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Customer and Personal Service – Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Law and Government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Administration and Management – Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- English Language – The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Biology – Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment
- Geography – Principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Basic Arithmetic – Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
- Clerical Procedures – Word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Personnel and Human Resources – Principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Abilities:
Law and Government – Understand and adhere to applicable laws, legal codes, administrative rules, and regulations.
Clerical – Maintain complex clerical records.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.
Information Ordering – Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Visualization – Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Manual Dexterity – Quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination – Coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Selective Attention – Concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Skills:
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Service Orientation – Actively looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management – Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing – Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies – Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency.
Notes
All applicants for this class must be eligible for enrollment in the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy training program (Chapter 1, Law Enforcement Academy, Iowa Departmental Rules). Screening for the Academy training program includes:
thorough background investigation and evaluation (including finger print searches) for substance abuse or arrest and conviction records that indicate an individual could not serve effectively as a peace officer;
physical examination to determine that an individual is free from conditions which might adversely affect the performance of duties;
vision exam requiring uncorrected vision of not less than 20/100 in both eyes, correctable to 20/20, and normal color vision;
hearing exam showing normal hearing in both ears;
battery of psychological exams to determine that an individual meets the minimum standards for mental fitness required for a law enforcement officer.
All applicants must be United States citizens and be or become residents of Iowa upon appointment. (Chapter 1, Law Enforcement Academy, Iowa Departmental Rules).
To comply with legislation enacted July 1, 1979, Chapter 107.13 of the Code of Iowa, "...any person appointed as a full-time officer shall be at least twenty-one years of age, but not more than sixty-five years of age, on the date of appointment.”
Effective Date: 02/24 SA