Police Officer

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-05 grade level : One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service);

that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience includes : work that provided knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property.

Experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments;

in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills. At this level, police work must have included patrolling assigned area(s) to enforce laws and ordinances, regulate traffic, control crowds, prevent crimes and / or arrest violators.

Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally NOT qualifying. Note : Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start / end dates AND hour worked per week.

OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. You must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in Police Science or a comparable degree program related to the work of the position.

This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE : Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials.

Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level.

You must have have successfully completed a Federal, State, county, or municipal police academy or comparable training course that included at least 40 classroom hours of instruction in police department procedures and methods, and local law and regulations, to substitute a maximum of 3 months of specialized experience AND possess at least 9 months of specialized experience as identified above.

NOTE : Appropriate documentation of completion must be submitted with your application materials. GS-06 Grade level : you must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service (or equivalent pay band), that provided a knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property.

• Specialized experience includes maintaining order to protect life and property; taking initial complaints; interviewing witnesses;
• securing a crime scene and conducting limited searches; responding to emergency situations; gathering information and preparing reports;

conducting routine patrol, traffic control, and traffic accident investigations. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally not qualifying.

Note : You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Patrolman", "I was a Police Officer for a number of years," or "I enforced Federal, State, county, and laws" is insufficient to determine your qualifications.

Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start / end dates AND hour worked per week.

Driver's License Requirement : Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely.

Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE : We cannot accept photographs, therefore;

please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license.

Firearm Requirement : VA Police Officers are required to carry agency-approved firearms while on duty on VA property. Officers must achieve and maintain qualification / certification with the agency-approved firearms as condition of gaining and continuing employment as a Police Officer.

Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).

Physical Requirements : The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as running, frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs, and carrying items weighing over 50 pounds.

It requires stamina, physical agility, dexterity, and the strength to pursue, apprehend or detain persons who are often uncooperative, assaultive, and / or armed.

POLICE OFFICER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYEMENT 1. New VA Police Officers are required to attend an 8-week course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment. 2. Designated Drug-Testing Position : Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to an appointment.

Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.

3. A medical examination is required. The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and / or duties of a hazardous nature.

The following medical requirements apply to all applicants : good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice.

4. Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others.

Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. A psychological examination is required. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee.

A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position.

For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position.

5. A character investigation will be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.

S. Government. 6. As a condition of employment, must qualify to be issued a firearm and semi-annually with assigned firearm, annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB), maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessments.

Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.