Duties

Summary

The mission of the United States Park Police is to support and further the goals of the Department of Interior and the National Park Service by providing quality law enforcement, safeguard lives, protect our national treasures and symbols of democracy, and preserve the natural and cultural resources entrusted to us. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/uspp/become-a-uspp-officer.htm .
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Major Duties of the Police Officer include, but are not limited to, the following:

• • Prevent, detect, and investigate criminal activity.
    • Critical awareness of extraordinary conditions or circumstances that indicated criminal potential or criminal activity.
    • Diligent patrol of assigned beats to reduce and deter the opportunity for the commission of crime.
    • Detect violations of the law and make apprehensions when appropriate.
    • Cooperate with and assist members of the Force, as well as other law enforcement agencies.
  • Safeguards the characteristics and facilities of the parks and other areas of responsibility.
  • Maintains and displays a professional self-assured presence and a self-confident manner; controls or contains demonstrations; maintains control over special events such as parades, festivals, and athletic events.
  • Provides service, assistance, and information to the public consistent with assigned duties.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected the display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

Recruitment Incentives May Be Offered.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• High School Graduate or earned General Education Development (GED)
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• You will be required to pass a pre-employment medical exam. In addition, this position is subject to biennial medical exams up to age 40 and annually beyond age 40.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home.
• You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must submit (within a state sealed envelope or submitted directly by the state authorities and at your own expense, all certified driving records.
• You will be required to maintain a Law Enforcement Commission.
• You will be required to maintain firearms proficiency and carry a firearm.
• Meet the age requirements outlined below.
• Must be able to legally possess firearms under the Lautenberg Amendment to the 1968 Gun Control Act.
• Must meet vision requirements.
• Must not have any Felony Convictions.
• Multiple misdemeanor conviction's may also be subject to disqualification.
• Additional circumstances presented during the application process that indicate a disregard for the Public Trust, at the discretion of the Agency, may be cause for disqualification.
• Achieve and maintain at least a "Secret" level security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must have reached their 21st birthday, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the date of appointment to this position. These positions are covered by the special retirement provisions for Federal Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in a primary covered position sufficient to complete 20 years of service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. You must submit proof of your status in the Law Enforcement retirement system.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/24/2021-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the SP-01 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: You must have at least two years of progressively responsible experience that demonstrates the ability to learn and apply detailed and complex regulations and procedures that involve making sound judgment based on the application of directions, regulations, or laws. Examples of qualifying examples include, but are not limited to: Work on a police force, service as a military police officer, specialized military experience, security guards, physical security, visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forest, or other natural resources or recreational environments, and/or criminal investigations; qualifying experience not immediately related to law enforcement may include, but is not limited to supervisory/managerial experience or personal work related experience that demonstrates the ability to independently manage critical tasks. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of 60 credits hours/2 years of higher education. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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; religious; 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.
After determination of your qualifications you may be selected to continue on with the following qualifications process:
WRITTEN EXAMINATION

• • Applicants must successfully pass a written examination and Job Compatibility Analysis (JCA). The POST exam is a standardized test measuring competency in arithmetic, reading comprehension, grammar, and incident report writing. Applicants must score 70% or better on the written examination to continue in the hiring process.

***Applicants requiring special testing accommodations must indicate so at the time of application to ensure that the test facilitators have ample time to accommodate such requests****

PHYSICAL EFFICIENCY BATTERY (PEB)

• • Applicants must perform a sit and reach, a bench press, an agility run, as well as a 1.5-mile run. Applicants must pass each event with a 70% or better. Applicants who fail any component of the test will not proceed to the next step in the hiring process and will result in removal from the hiring process.

FORMS SCREENING REVIEW and BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION PREPARATION

• • Selected applicants will be interviewed in person by a USPP background investigator. During this process, the applicant shall provide any additional information requested by their investigator in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in removal from the hiring process.
  • Applicants are required t bring all documents that are listed in the Personal History Questionnaire and ensure they have the appropriate copies. An applicant will be removed from the process if he/she fails to provide all requested documents at the Forms Screening, no exceptions.

PASS A QUALIFICATION REVIEW PANEL

• • The Qualification Review is an in-person interview conducted by a panel of Force officials. Applicants are evaluated on their responses to qualification and scenario questions.

MEDICAL REVIEW

• • Applicants that successfully complete the Qualification Review will be sent to a medical evaluation conducted by a Physician at the Federal Occupational Health (FOH) facility nearest to their residential zip code. Specific instructions will be provided to the invited applicants at that time.

SELECTIONS FOR HIRE

• • Selected applicants will receive a conditional offer of employment and will be subjected to a urinalysis/drug screening prior to being officially hired. The drug screening must be passed successfully.

A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL TESTING PROCEDURES IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE
***Due to Covid-19 restrictions, some or all of this hiring process may be modified for health and safety requirements. The US Park Police Point of Contact will communicate any and all changes with effected applicants in advance of any testing procedures***

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

Physical Demands: The physical demands of this position require that all candidates pass an extensive physical examination, take a physical performance test, and meet the age requirements promulgated under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 3307. The incumbent must possess the psychomotor skills required to drive a vehicle in normal and emergency situations; fire a weapon accurately under extremely varied conditions; maintain agility, endurance and strength; and show dexterity in self-defense and apprehension (e.g. safely taking a person into custody with a minimum of force).

Working Conditions: The incumbent will be expected to work alone in areas where there is a probability that a person may be armed while attempting to commit a crime, and in an attempt to evade arrest, the situation may lead to an assault on the officer.

This position is designated as a primary law enforcement position for the purpose of retirement as defined in Title 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 8412 (d).United States Park Police Officers are employed by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. As a United States Park Police Officer, you will provide law enforcement services, e.g., the prevention, detection and investigation of violations of criminal laws of the United States or of the state and local area in which the United States Park Police have jurisdiction. The United States Park Police is a full service law enforcement agency with patrol and other specialized units that include; horse mounted, motorcycle, aviation, marine, canine, SWAT, criminal investigations and narcotics and vice.

Candidates selected for employment will report to the Washington, DC Metropolitan area office for appointment and orientation. After appointment and orientation, candidates will report to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA for approximately 18 weeks of training. Upon successful completion of the training in Glynco, GA, you will be assigned to the Washington, DC area for approximately 5 weeks of additional training.

New United States Park Police Officers start at the SP-01 grade and salary.

PAY, BENEFITS, AND WORK SCHEDULE:

Newly appointed officers are covered under the Federal Employee Retirement Systems (FERS) and are eligible for retirement at age 50 after 20 years of service or at any age with 25 years of service.

If you are a current Federal employee, your benefits will not change if selected for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

PLEASE NOTE: All Processing, to include the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB), Written Examination, the Forms Review, and the Panel Interview will be held in Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, AND/OR, the New York area. Applicants are responsible for their own travel to and from any processing events. Be sure to read this announcement in its entirety.

It is the applicant's responsibility to report to the test location on time and at his/her expense. Applicants must notify the United States Park Police point of contact if they require reasonable accommodation in the test room, and specify the nature of the accommodation at the time of application.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Interpersonal Skills
• Oral Communication
• Writing

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a writing sample . These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness , Credentialing

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/24/2021:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

Complete All Required Assessments.

Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

• Veterans Preference Documentation :
  • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15 . If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives .
  • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran , you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15 , and if applicable, a completed SF15 . You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.

Documentation that you meet selective factors.

College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.

Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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.