Summary
The mission of the VA police officer is to serve and protect Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities. Their safety and security is paramount to ensuring that the VA can successfully fulfill President Lincoln's promise.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS.
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
Duties
Serves as a Police Officer carrying out responsibilities where most work is performed on Veterans Affairs Departmental properties, which includes any properties owned, leased, or licensed to VA. Provides policing services in a variety of jurisdictional environments, where each type of jurisdiction (Exclusive, Concurrent, and Proprietorial) has different enforcement rules and requires Police Officers to understand the complexities and legally apply the correct set of laws, regulations, and processes.
Provides services routinely at all segments of VA facilities located over large geographical areas, some of which may be in different states, counties, municipalities, or townships. Performs certain elements of the work away from Departmental properties when consistent with Federal law, regulation, VA policy, and operational guidance.
Protects Veterans, volunteers, and others on Departmental property, U.S. officials, other individuals, and him or herself during any given situation against threats to personal safety when force becomes necessary to enforce laws and regulations.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Recognizing and determining if a crime is about to be committed, is in the process of being committed, or has already been committed. Detaining and/or arresting individuals suspected of committing crimes against the criminal laws of the United States, State of Maryland or local laws. Interrogating individuals suspected of committing crimes, interviewing witnesses and obtaining written statements. Performing Terry stops, frisks and pat-downs to determine the presence of weapons in the possession of the suspect being interrogated or interviewed. Informing suspect individuals about their Miranda rights and Weingarten rights (if appropriate).Seeking, detecting, preserving, and protecting evidence and crime scenes. Responding to violence calls in the Medical Center and taking appropriate action to stop violent behavior, arresting the violator if a battery has been committed, obtaining emergency medical treatment and restoring the peace. Independently conducting crime prevention foot and vehicle patrol for a prescribed patrol area over the course of the shift. Issuing Federal Violation Notices, Courtesy Violation Notices (as appropriate) for personally observed violations of the traffic laws, rules, or regulations. Other duties, as assigned.
Work Schedule: Full-time, schedule to be discussed during interview.
Position Description Title/PD#: Senior Police Officer/PD99926S
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
The incumbent and all Federal Employees must:
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- be eligible for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential and must maintain
- PIV credential eligibility during their services with the agency.
- have a successfully required adjudicated background investigation and obtain and maintain a required security clearance.
- carry firearms for safety and security as required by the VHA Police Service (PS).
- be proficient in the English language.
- pass an initial pre-employment medical examination and an annual medical examination to include psychological assessment. Must immediately report to the supervisor any significant medical threshold shifts in health status and/or medication requirements.
- possess a valid driver's license as a condition of continued employment as a VA Police Officer.
- successfully pass Police Officer Standardized Training (POST) at the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC).
- successfully pass the POST/R (refresher) training course on a recurring basis as defined by VA.
- complete other mandatory training to remain knowledgeable and skilled in specialized tactics, techniques, and procedures necessary to prepare and respond to catastrophic events, terror attacks and related threats to the facility.
- work uncommon tours of duty as needed, to include nights, weekends, holidays, overtime, rotating shifts, and emergency call-backs.
- achieve and maintain qualification in the use of agency approved firearms as a condition of continued employment as a VA Police Officer. This include meeting the provisions of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968, as amended by Public Law 104-108 and found at 18 USC, Section 992.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6 level. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics 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: knowledge of general law enforcement methods and techniques; ability to determine if a crime is about to be committed, is in the process of being committed, or has already been committed and recognizing and protecting the crime scene; ability to perform duties effectively in stressful situations in the field of law enforcement; ability to interpret federal and state statutes and laws, agency regulations, and federal, state and local game laws and regulations; ability to performing law enforcement work involved in the preservation of the peace, the arrest or apprehension of violators and provide assistance to citizens in emergency situations, including the protection of civil rights; and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-06. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
Physical Requirements: For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Education
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Documents Required:
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/07/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12397167.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
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