Raleigh DWI Lawyer

Probation and Surveillance Officer Duties

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Admin in Uncategorized

In general, parole and probation officers will not wear a uniform – but will dress in standard business attire or occasionally, casual wear. This will assist them in forming a more productive relationship with the parolees that are assigned to them. However, they will carry some form of credentials, such as a badge, and they may also carry concealed weapons for self protection – especially when serving an arrest warrant. Individuals who are assigned law enforcement powers are classified as peace officers and, as such, are required to attend a police academy as part of their certification and training.

Agency
Agencies that supervise probation have a command structure similar to that of the military. An agency is usually headed by a Director or Chief Probation Officer. Moving down the chain-of-command, there will be an Assistant Director or Deputy Chief. From there, a Senior Probation Officer or Supervisor will work with individual line officers. Parole officers can supervise general caseloads or they can specialize in one particular area of offenders, such as GPS monitoring, mental health issues and sex offenders.

Probation Officer
A probation officer will perform various functions assigned by the court. Those functions usually involve supervision and research the offender’s criminal and personal history, prior to sentencing. Parole and probation officers must possess a broad knowledge of legal issues as well as possess excellent communication skills – both oral and written. In addition to understanding the various aspects and roles involved in their particular jurisdiction, they must understand the social relationships of the community. The citizens in the parole officer’s jurisdiction may be extremely diverse and there may be additional potential hazards when associating with an element of the criminal population.

Surveillance Officer
In some localities, probation departments may have a specialized position known as a surveillance officer. This position affords all the authority of a probation officer and they can sometimes have the responsibilities of peace officers. This will entail attending a police academy, serving arrest warrants and carrying concealed weapons.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

A probation hearing may involve complex legal issues that are best addressed by an attorney. If you need further assistance in this matter, don’t hesitate to contact probation attorney Gary R. Jodat, in Sarasota, Florida.

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