An Assistant Watchhouse officer will be in close contact with prisoners who may be from ethnically, culturally and or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as persons who are suspected of being suicidal, mentally unstable, extremely violent or suffering numerous medical conditions and possibly carriers of contagious diseases.
Assistant Watchhouse Officers must have good communication skills and have the ability to take into consideration ethnic and cultural issues whilst ensuring the safety and security of all prisoners placed into their responsibility. Compassion, understanding, respect, patience, and resilience are key requisites for an Assistant Watchhouse Officer.
Attentiveness is a key requisite to the good management and supervision of prisoners. This attribute ensure that Assistant Watchhouse Officers utilise tactics to defuse high volatile situations, identify contraband being hidden or distributed by in mates, and enhance intelligence gathering using conventional methods.
They will be expected to utilise strong interpersonal skills including well developed verbal. non-verbal and written communication skills to meet operational goals.
An Assistant Watchhouse Officer plays an integral part in the administration of a secure Watchhouse environment. The tasks performed are vital to effective Watchhouse operations and the safe movement of prisoners.
An indication of the tasks that an Assistant Watchhouse Officer will perform during a normal shift may include, but are not limited to the following tasks:
• SUPERVISION, MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING including security camera operation, security of the Watchhouse, console operation, conducting prisoner and visitor checks and attending to prisoner needs (including prisoners' prescribed oral medication as medically directed and ensuring the necessities of life) and preparing video footage of incidents.
• SEARCHES including the use of electronic scanning devices, pat-down/frisk, general searches of prisoners' possessions, and assisting police officer to perform searches of un-clothed prisoners.
• ESCORTS including escorting prisoners on foot or in vehicles to other areas and centres, and guarding prisoners in court.
• COUT DUTIES including recording results, movement of prisoners from holding areas to the court dock, console operation, prisoner movement surveillance, compilation of prisoner files and tasks as directed by the 'proper officer' of the court.
• FIRST AID including resuscitation and liaising with Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Health Professionals.
• TAKE IDENTIFYING PARTICULARS including photographs, fingerprints and DNA sampling.
• ADMINISTRATION including answering telephones, faxing, using computers - word processing, database and spreadsheet programs, compilation of prisoners' files, property officer duties (documenting prisoners' property), conducting shift audits of equipment, and liaison with external agencies.
• TRAINING including internal induction training (use of handcuffs, leg irons and body belts, pat-down and unclothed person searches, property searches, security procedures, the taking photographs and fingerprints, use of force options and the after-care of prisoners who have been exposed to capsicum spray); workplace assessment of Trainee Assistant Watchhouse Officer; external training for the maintenance of a first aid certificate and completing mandatory training requirements.
• DRIVING of police vehicles.