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Police Officer

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System

Summary

This position will serve as a Police Officer assigned to the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System in the Los Angeles, CA area. The Police Officer will perform a full range of community police duties as an armed officer to protect and serve the onsite Veteran community by enforcing laws, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, directing traffic, and engaging with citizens to foster trust and ensure public safety.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
10/23/2025 to 12/31/2025
Salary
$75,688 to - $84,377 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 6
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Los Angeles, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
6
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSX-12796990-25-NK
Control number
848754200

This job is open to

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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. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for $10,000 up front lump sum (sign on bonus)! For highly qualified applicants may be authorized for $15,000 up front lump sum (sign on bonus)! 90 days after appointment, may be eligible for a 15% retention incentive increased to annual salary paid out bi-weekly basis!

Duties

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Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for $10,000 up front lump sum (sign on bonus)!

For highly qualified applicants may be authorized for $15,000 up front lump sum (sign on bonus)!

90 days after appointment, may be eligible for a 15% retention incentive increased to annual salary paid out bi-weekly basis!


This hiring event is in support of Executive Order Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence

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.
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.

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.

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 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968.

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/PD99925A and PD99925
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

In order to attend the VA Police Academy (Law Enforcement Training Center LETC), you must be able to pass a physical fitness test of a 1.5 mile run, pushups, and sit-ups based off VA physical standards.

Failure to complete the Police Academy as scheduled by the agency may result in a removal as a VA Police Officer.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • All 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.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
  • Applicants must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others.
  • Applicants must possess and maintain 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.
  • LAUTENBERG AMENDMENT. Applicants who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime of domestic violence are ineligible for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Officer positions. Cases pending adjudication may not be eligible for selection.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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.
Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

This is an open continuous announcement. The announcement will remain open for the time period advertised. Certificates will be issued on the following dates:
November 7, 2025
November 14, 2025
November 21, 2025
December 5, 2025
December 12, 2025
December 19, 2025
January 2, 2026 (last certificate once announcement closes)


All applicants are highly encouraged to apply to both GS-05 & GS-06 grade level positions to increase the likelihood of appearing on a certificate.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04 and for the GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

For the Police Officer, GS-5 position: Applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level in the federal service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Police Officer. Specialized experience is work 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. At this level, police work must have included 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: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week; ~OR~ Please see requirements for substitution of education below.

For the Police Officer, GS-6 position: Applicants 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. 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 on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Arrest
  • Criminal Investigation
  • First Response
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Security


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.

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/.

Physical Requirements:
To do this job safely and effectively, police officers must meet certain physical standards. These include:
  • Strength and Endurance: You must be able to run moderate distances for various distances, climb, lift, and carry heavy objects or people in emergency situations. Must be able to use and manipulate all police gear.
  • Mobility: You need to move quickly and easily, including walking, running, bending, kneeling, and standing for long periods.
  • Vision and Hearing: Good eyesight (with or without glasses or contacts) and hearing are important for safety and communication.
  • Hand-Eye Coordination: You must be able to use your hands and eyes together to handle equipment and respond appropriately.
  • Balance and Agility: You should be able to maintain balance and move smoothly in different environments, including during foot pursuits or while navigating obstacles.
  • Stamina: You may work long shifts, sometimes in stressful or physically demanding situations, including extreme weather and environments

Education

Transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for the GS-5 grade level you must:* have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in Police Science or a comparable degree program related to the work of the position. (This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts {unofficial or official} must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation).
~OR~
* have successfully completed a Federal, State, county, or municipal police academy or comparable training course that included at least 40 classroom hours of instruction in police department procedures and methods, and local law and regulations, to substitute a maximum of 3 months of specialized experience AND possess at least 9 months of specialized experience as identified above.
(NOTE: Appropriate documentation of completion must be submitted with your application materials.)

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

No substitution of education or training may be made for the required specialized experience at the GS-06 grade level.

Investigation of Fitness
A character investigation may be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government. Such investigations will be conducted under the security requirements of the hiring agency.

Medical Requirements
The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature. The following medical requirements apply to all applicants: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Agencies may establish additional, job-related physical or medical requirements provided that the specific position(s) involves the arduous or hazardous duties to which the physical requirements relate.

Applicants and employees must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants and employees must possess emotional and mental stability. In most instances, a specific medical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant or employee. A medical condition or impairment is disqualifying only if the condition, for good medical reason, precludes assignment to or warrants restriction from the duties of the specific position. For some positions, the loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation shall also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.

All positions involving Federal motor vehicle operation carry the additional medical requirements specified in 5 CFR 930 and the "General Policies and Instructions" section of this Manual.

Additional information

This hiring event is in support of Executive Order Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence

The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Applicants will be assessed through a structured, multi-phase evaluation process designed to determine their qualifications and suitability for the position of Police Officer. The evaluation process includes the following phases:
Phase 1: Timed Virtual Written Examination
Eligible applicants will be invited to complete a timed, virtual, written examination. This assessment is designed to evaluate critical thinking, reading comprehension, and job-relevant knowledge. The exam must be completed as assigned and proctored by an agency representative. Instructions and login details will be provided via email.
Phase 2: Oral Panel Interview
Eligible applicants will be interviewed by 2-4 senior VA Police leaders with a determination of eligible/not eligible for further consideration.
Phase 3: Work Scenario-Based Interview
Applicants who pass the written examination will be scheduled for a work scenario-based interview. This structured interview will assess decision-making, judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills in situations commonly encountered by law enforcement personnel. This evaluation may include a sample written investigative report as provided by scenario materials provided to the applicant.

Post-Selection Requirement: Physical Fitness Test
Applicants who receive a tentative job offer will be required to successfully complete a timed Physical Fitness Test (PFT) prior to final appointment. The PFT consists of the following components that are standardized based on applicant specific factors:

  • 1.5-mile run
  • Push-ups
  • Sit-ups
The physical fitness standards are based on job-related requirements and must be met to ensure readiness for the physical demands of the position.

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