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King County

Firearm Enforcement Advocate

King County, Seattle, Washington, us, 98127


The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team as a Firearm Enforcement Advocate. This position is 2-year grant funded to support the Regional Domestic Violence Firearm Enforcement Unit (RDVFEU). The RDVFEU is a joint unit comprised of prosecutors, advocates, law enforcement and other legal services professionals from the City of Seattle and King County.

The grant position is responsible for ensuring that new cases/new referrals on civil and criminal cases (as needed) are screened, triaged and outreach to survivors and protected parties occurs in as close to real time as possible, to reduce harm. The advocate provides safety planning and resource referral to the survivor/protected party and works to gather critical firearm-related case information from various sources, reporting this information to the court, prosecutors, law enforcement, and other appropriate entities to promote the safe recovery of firearms, concealed pistol licenses, and other deadly weapons from those prohibited from possessing them. The firearm enforcement advocate will also work as part of the team to promote compliance with court orders. This role works proactively with law enforcement, advocates, prosecutors and survivors to reduce harm, including lethal harm, and promote survivor and community safety.

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

Our mission is to do Justice:We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.We are guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership.Our office is comprised of six divisions that are further organized into specialized units: To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), please

visit our website .We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with race, equity, and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

Who May Apply:

This position is open to all qualified applicants.

Work Location:

King County Courthouse, 516 3rd AVE, Seattle, WA 98104

Work Schedule:

This position works a 40-hour work week schedule, normally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is eligible for King County’s generous benefits package.

Salary:

Range 50 -- $35.52 (step one) - $45.02 (step ten) Hourly*

Union Membership:

Positions in this classification are represented by Teamsters Local No. 117.

Application Process:

Interested individuals must complete the three application components:Submit a resume and cover letterRespond to the supplemental questionsFully complete King County application. *****Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state “see my resume” or are blank, are considered incomplete and will not be considered competitive.

Selection Process

Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a panel interview process. Current PAO employees who are represented by Teamsters Local No. 117 will receive priority consideration.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Karla Avila Vargas (She/Her)Human Resource AnalystKvargas@kingcounty.gov

Special Requirements

Finalists must successfully submit to a criminal background check, reference check, and be fingerprinted.

* In addition to the benefits listed on the benefits tab, employees with less than 2 years of service will receive .25 per hour less than the hourly salary table due to a mandatory contribution toward the Teamsters Pension Trust that was voted by members of the collective bargaining agreement between our office and Teamsters Local No. 117. This contribution is made by the employee and after two years it is paid by the employer.

Responsibilities:

Conduct extensive review and analysis of court orders in as close to real time as possible. This includes contacting and communicating with high-risk survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other forms of abusive behavior, as well as witnesses, to verify compliance or non-compliance with court orders that mandate restrained parties to immediately surrender firearms.Provide advocacy services including firearm risk-specific safety planning, resources, and referrals.Review and analyze all newly granted protection orders or relevant criminal cases that include an order to surrender and prohibit firearms, identifying any firearm allegations or concerns.Follow up on referrals and consult with advocates, threat assessment specialist and prosecutors at the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office regarding firearm concerns in prioritized criminal domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse cases.Gather information from multiple sources to create a written report for the court summarizing any firearm allegations and relevant criminal history, including any relevant input from the protected person(s).Collaborate closely with all members of the RDVFEU to implement statutory firearm prohibitions and assist the Program Manager in evaluating and improving enforcement of those prohibitions county-wide and assist with efforts for statewide replication, as needed.Ensure consistent data-coding and record-keeping practices related to case handling, court actions, outcomes, and statistics in coordination with the Program Manager and other members of the RDVFEU.Collect and provide feedback to the RDVFEU on any trends or concerning issues identified during the review of newly granted protection orders and court proceedings, including the accuracy of respondent’s declarations of non-surrender or practices that are contrary to statute or legislative intent.Collect and document additional firearm-related information obtained from the survivor or other sources, such as electronic databases and social media, and provide this information to the RDVFEU, law enforcement, and the court. Ensure all necessary documents are included in the court file to support best practices for the RDVFEU.Review all actionable firearm-positive cases including civil and criminal orders with firearm allegations and orders to surrender and prohibit weapons, in coordination with prosecutors, threat assessment specialist and law enforcement to ensure implementation and enforcement, as needed and appropriate. Sharing this information is critical for survivor safety and reducing lethality risks. Communication typically occurs via phone calls, email, and weekly case staffing but in person contacts may be required, as needed.Other duties as assigned.Actively participate in PAO equity work, attending equity trainings and discussions.

Minimum Qualifications:

5+ years of experience in related field(s) or a combination of education and experience that demonstrates a commitment to this subject matter and work.Prior experience working with survivors of domestic violence, criminal prosecution and/or civil protection orders.Prior experience working with attorneys and law enforcement agencies.Ability to communicate professionally, clearly, and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with diverse stakeholders including co-workers, attorneys, survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, witnesses, government officials, the court, and the public.Ability to exercise excellent judgment and discretion.Ability to work both independently and as a collaborative team player, thriving in high-pressure and stressful situations.

Technical Skills:

Required: Excellent MS Office Suite experience, particularly Outlook, Word, and Excel.The successful candidate will perform a variety of tasks that require the exercise of initiative and independent judgment with the ability to anticipate needs and appropriately respond.Knowledge of legal office practices and procedures.Experience or understanding of the operations of the Criminal Division is a plus.Candidates must possess excellent organizational skills.Strong interpersonal and communication skills to ensure culturally relevant and appropriate communications with survivors/protected persons, diverse audiences including community members, deputy prosecutors, law enforcement officers, defense attorneys, defense investigators, court personnel, judicial officers, witnesses, victims, and representatives of social service or other relevant agencies, as needed.Skills in responding in a positive, mature, and helpful manner.Analytical and critical thinking skills to make decisions and initiate action.Time management skills to handle multiple tasks often effectively and accurately within short deadlines.Ability to handle emergency situations and work under pressure.Skill in using computers and a variety of software such as Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK), Word, Adobe Pro and Excel; familiarity with other criminal justice programs is a plus.Must have demonstrated predictable and reliable attendance.Must be able and willing to accept supervision, feedback, and coaching.Commitment to Race, Equity and Social Justice work including ongoing cultural competence development.Desire to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

The Prosecuting Attorney's Office is dedicated to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

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