Police Officer (Lateral Transfer)

United States Capitol Police; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Capitol Police in Washington, DC is seeking qualified applicants for sworn law enforcement positions. The agency protects Congress, Members, staff, and facilities while maintaining a secure, open environment.

Applicants must meet citizenship, age, education, and background standards and will undergo comprehensive examinations and background investigations as part of the hiring process.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required; proof may be requested early in the process.
• Age requirements: must be between 21 and 39 at appointment, with retirement rules.
• Education: High School diploma or GED is required.
• Valid REAL ID U.S. driver’s license currently valid.
• Criminal history check required for past 10 years.

Responsibilities

• Candidates will undergo multiple phases including psychological, medical and polygraph examinations.
• A comprehensive full-field background investigation is conducted on all qualified applicants.

Skills

Law enforcement experience

Background investigation

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) safeguards the Congress, Members of Congress, employees, visitors, and Congressional buildings and grounds from crime, disruption, and terrorism. The USCP protects and secures Congress so it can fulfill its constitutional and legislative responsibilities in a safe, secure, and open environment.

Must have completed any of the following: FLETC UPTP; FLETA accredited military or other equivalent police training program; or CBP training programs (USBPI or CBPOPT). Certificate must be included with application.

Must be current Law Enforcement and possess 9 months of law enforcement experience post training at time of application. Must possess 52 weeks of law enforcement experience at time of appointment.

Must be current law enforcement employed outside of USCP.

Examination Phase

The Examination Phase consists of psychological, medical and polygraph examinations. This will be a candidate’s first required visit to our office in Washington, D.C. during the hiring process. Efforts will be made to schedule these examinations consecutively to eliminate return visits to complete the examinations.

• Psychological – Candidates complete a battery of psychological assessments and a clinical interview. The psychological examination will last approximately four to six hours. Candidates are encouraged to be well-rested and eat prior to the examination. The psychological exam will occur online and require the use of a desktop or laptop computer, camera, and microphone.
• Medical - The medical examination will determine if a candidate is medically qualified to perform the functional requirements of the job. Candidates will be required to fast (abstain from food) prior to the medical examination.
• Polygraph – The polygraph examination is used to confirm information obtained through the selection process.

Background Investigation

The final phase of the selection process requires candidates to undergo a full background investigation that will include a thorough review and verification of the candidate's employment history, employer, residential, and personal references, in depth criminal and credit history, and academic records.

Must be a United States citizen. Must meet position age requirements. Must possess and maintain a valid REAL ID U.S. driver's license. Must show evidence of responsible driving in the last one year. Male applicants must be registered for Selective Service. Travel for hiring assessments and training is at applicant's expense. Must successfully complete a full field background investigation. Polygraph, medical assessment, criminal, credit, and tax check required. Must successfully complete all required training. Must successfully complete a probationary period. Must have completed any of the following: FLETC UPTP; FLETA accredited military or other equivalent police training program; or CBP training programs (USBPI or CBPOPT). Certificate must be attached to the application. Must be in a full and unrestricted duty status at the time of application and at the time of appointment.

Candidates must meet the following requirements to be minimally qualified for this position

U.S. Citizenship--Only United States Citizens will receive consideration. Qualified applicants will be required to provide proof of citizenship early in the selection process. Naturalized citizens must be able to participate and complete a holistic and verifiable background investigation of their personal and professional background.

AgeRequirements- Sworn officer positions with the USCP are subject to them and mandatory retirement provisions of the Capitol Police Retirement Act, which requires an officer to separate/retire from the USCP by age 57, but as the result of current critical mission requirement, the age has been increased to 59.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old at time of appointment and ordinarily not older than 37. However, the maximum entry age has been increased to 39 years of age at the time of appointment (or 40 years of age if the individual turns 40 in the same month of their initial appointment), with required mandatory retirement after 20 years of Federal law enforcement service (e.g., employed at 39 years of age and retire at 59 years of age).

As a lateral transfer, you may be older than age 39 only if you are currently serving in or you previously served in, a Federal civilian law enforcement position that is subject to the mandatory retirement rules AND the years of law enforcement you already served PLUS the expected years you will serve as a USCP law enforcement officer, will allow you to accumulate at least 20 years of combined total Federal law enforcement service by age 59. If age 39 or above, must provide an SF-50 with application that indicates retirement coverage by special law enforcement retirement provisions.

• Education-- High School diploma or GED certificate is required.
• Valid Driver's License-- Applicants must possess a valid REAL ID U.S. driver's license that has not been revoked or under suspension for the past one (1) year.
• Criminal History Check-- Must successfully pass a comprehensive criminal history check of the past 10 years.
• A criminal history check will be performed on all qualified applicants.
• USCP Police Officers are required to possess a firearm and ammunition. Applicants who have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition and are ineligible for the position.
• Credit Check-- Must successfully pass a credit check. Applicants must not be in default or delinquent on any Federal guaranteed student loans.
• Selective Service Registration-- Male applicants must provide verification of registration with the Selective Service System or must verify exemption from the Selective Service System registration because of age or military status. Female applicants are exempt from Selective Service System registration. https://www.sss.gov/verify
• Fingerprint Check-- Applicants' fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a check of the criminal history record.
• Background Investigation-- Must successfully complete all components of the USCP full field background investigation.

There are few automatic grounds for rejection in the USCP background investigation process. Issues of misconduct, such as illegal drug use, arrests, or convictions may not be automatically disqualifying. However, deliberated misstatements, omissions, or intentionally withholding required information at any phase of the hiring process will result in a candidate's disqualification regardless of the nature or reason for the misstatement or omission. The primary reason candidates fail a background investigation is due to deliberately withholding or omitting material facts. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process.