Police Officer (Private - Experienced Officer - Up to 55K Recruitment and Retention Bonus)
What you'd do
The United States Park Police is the law enforcement arm of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service tasked with investigating and apprehending criminal actors. The agency is committed to deploying precision-based enforcement, intelligence-led operations, and rapid response capabilities to address emerging threats to the homeland.
Major duties
The major duties of the Police Officer include, but are not limited to, the following: Safeguarding the National Park Service icons and symbols of democracy as well as other parks and jurisdictional areas around the Washington Metropolitan Area. Prevent, detect, and investigate criminal activity. Pursue and ensure criminal actors are apprehended. Cooperate with and assist members of the Force, as well as other law enforcement agencies. United States Park Police officers are expected to regularly work with state, local and federal partners to enhance safety and reduce crime. Specialty Units are available to officers depending on competitive selection process and completion of training. The United States Park Police offers the following full-time specialized units with enhanced technician pay. Motorcycle Unit Aviation Unit Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) K-9 Unit Marine Patrol Unit Major Crimes Unit Crime Scene Identification Unit- Narcotics and Vice Unit Traffic Safety Unit Horse Mounted Patrol Intelligence and Counterterrorism Branch Physical Security/ Icon Protection Unit Multi-Agency Task Force positions Dignitary Protection
What you need to qualify
Requirements Continued... As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probation during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probation period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probation your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/28/2026-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. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Applicants must have reached their 21st birthday, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the date of application 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; or2. An applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the minimum eligibility age 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. Applicants must have successfully completed a local, state, or federal Police Training Program from a certified Police Training Academy. Transcripts will be evaluated by USPP to determine if your training program meets requirements for accelerated FLETC program. Note: Suitability determinations for entry or lateral/experience will be determined by the hiring agency. 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 one year 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. -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.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
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