Police Officer - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized

Summary

This position will serve as a Police Officer assigned to the West Los Angeles campus at the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. 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.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Patrolling and Prevention: Patrol neighborhoods and VA Healthcare center to deter and detect criminal activity, maintaining a visible police presence. Emergency Response: Respond to various calls, including Mental Health emergencies and crimes in progress, accidents, assaults, domestic disputes, and medical emergencies, providing first-responder assistance. Legally empowered to carry firearms and enforce laws within the jurisdiction of the Department of Veteran Affairs. Law Enforcement: Community Police officers enforce laws and regulations by issuing citations or making arrests. Investigations: Investigate incidents, gather evidence, interview witnesses and suspects, and prepare detailed reports for potential prosecution. Community Engagement: Participate in community policing strategies, meet with citizens, and engage in outreach programs to build trust and cooperation. Observation: Monitoring people and activities to identify suspicious behaviors or law violations. Arrest and Search: Making arrests and executing searches and seizures as authorized by law. Report Writing: Documenting incidents, evidence, and investigative findings in written reports. Traffic Control: Directing traffic, investigating accidents, and enforcing traffic laws. Public Assistance: Providing information to the public and assisting people in distress. A current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. A Firearm Qualification is a requirement for this position: 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. This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 1996) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. 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. Work Conditions: The work involves both moderate and high risks and possible endangerment of life or serious injury that requires the exercise of safety precautions and use of personal protective equipment The work is performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate to severe discomforts and unpleasantness, such as high temperatures in confined spaces, high temperatures due to mandatory protective personal equipment, or adverse weather conditions during extended periods of traffic and patrol duties. The work involves moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when working around hazardous materials such as toxic gases, explosives, infectious biological materials, and others that pose a moderate risk of exposure 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 - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized/PD99268-S and PD99268S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for 15% up front l…

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-6 position, 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. At this level, police work must have included investigative work, 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: 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. 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. 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). AMENDMENT NOTICE 10/7/2026 - UPDATED TRAINING REQUIREMENT (CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT) This Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) has been amended to reflect an updated training requirement for the VA Police Officer position. The required initial training for new VA Police Officers has been revised from an 8-week course to an 11-week resident course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Applicants who are former Federal Law Enforcement Officers and who have completed a FLETA-accredited training academy may be eligible for a reciprocity option and complete VA-specific training at their local duty station. Please note: The assessment questionnaire associated with this announcement reflects the previous training requirement and cannot be updated. The accurate and current training requirements are contained within the qualifications section of this JOA. All applicants are advised to review the updated information ca…

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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.