This position will serve as a Police Officer at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Charleston, South Carolina. The Police Officer will perform a full range of police duties by following and executing rules, regulations, or procedures covering law and rules enforcement, physical and personal security operations, patrol duties, control desk duty, coordination with local courts, and/or crime prevention activities for the local jurisdiction.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-06 grade level: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the federal service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Police Officer. Specialized experience is experience 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. Creditable specialized 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. Experience as a security guard or corrections officer is generally NOT qualifying. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this position include: 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. 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 in your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. - AND - ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICE OFFICER POSITION:1. Applicants must possess a current, valid 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.2. Applicants are required to successfully complete a comprehensive medical and psychological examination prior to entering on duty to determine fitness for duty as a Police Officer.3. Applicants must undergo a background investigation, which may include the administration of a polygraph examination.4. Applicants are required to undergo and successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening test and must submit to random drug testing after employment.5. 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.6. VA Police Officers may be expected to continue irregular duty hours either at the Medical Center, local police offices, or at court especially during investigations of serious criminal incidents. This type of working schedule may negatively affect or burden family responsibilities.7. VA Police Officers encounter people experiencing extreme poverty and personal hardship, such as separation from family who are difficult, hostile or distressed. Investigators also may witness drownings, vehicle accidents, and other tragedies. VA Police Officers are occasionally exposed to people who carry infectious diseases. IMPORTANT NOTES: (1) 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 assessment. There is no educational substitution 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.
The incumbent serves as a Police Officer ensuring a safe and secure environment across all VA Administrations and properties within various settings, including a variety of jurisdictional environments, such as VHA Medical Centers and facilities, Inpatient Clinics, Outpatient Clinics, and domiciliaries throughout the United States. This position serves as a vital part of the VA Police Services often serving as the face of the VA and as the first person a Veteran or visitor encounters when entering a VA facility. The incumbent provides security and assistance to Veterans, patients, employees, contractors, volunteers, affiliates, visitors, and others who frequent VA facilities daily. The incumbent is expected to empathize, engage, and communicate with all individuals they encounter to ensure a positive outcome and the safety of the facility and all its occupants. Duties include but may not be limited to the following: Serve 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. Protect 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. Protect Veterans, employees and visitors sensitive and protected medical information from unauthorized release or unauthorized use where prohibited by law and or policy as guided by the privacy officer, FOIA, HIPPA, etc. Carry firearms and other weapons, intervenes when necessary to deescalate situations, and determines when and how much force must be applied. Conduct investigations, apprehensions, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the US, protection, and transport of U.S. officials. Provide patrol in vehicles, on foot, and/or on a bicycle. Detect and intervenes in criminal activity; respond to calls for police assistance, irregularities, and unusual or suspicious circumstances. Investigate incidents and take steps to mitigate further risk and resolve situations. Provide emergency response coordination as needed. Take charge of significant and catastrophic events (e.g. active threats/shooter, terroristic threats or attacks, suicides, fires, full and partial property closures, infrastructure failures, and natural disasters) until additional resources are mobilized and response plans are fully executed. Coordinate and direct responding personnel and emergency vehicles to safe routes, establishes perimeters, access control and renders aid in the initial command role. Take appropriate action to mitigate hazardous situations. Protect high-value VA assets, personnel and materials and ensures continuity of operations. 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 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 result is received. Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible Schedule. Candidates must be willing to work weekends, irregular work hours and extended hours if determined by the needs of the service. Furthermore, candidates must be willing to be placed, detailed, or temporarily assigned to other related services and/or locations, if necessary. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Police Officer/PD99926S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, which closes on . The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be on or about August 21, 2025 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Please see the "What To Expect Next" area of the announcement which provides additional information on the referral process for this type of announcement. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Do not submit an award SF-50. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. These positions are NFFE Bargaining Unit positions. Applicants may be referred over for consideration prior to the close date of this announcement.