Criminal Investigator

Summary This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Police Service (PS) with the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Canter. The mission of the PS is to serve and protect Veterans - patients - employees - contractors - volunteers - affiliates - visitors - and others who frequent VA facilities. Safety and security are paramount to ensuring that the VA successfully serve and honor the men and women who are America's Veterans. Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - Preferred experience: Applicant must have a working knowledge of criminal law - HIPAA laws - hospital policies and procedures. Applicant must posses exceptional communication skills and must be able to construct a well documents investigative report. Must have a working knowledge of doing graphing - charting - and documentation presentations to report cases. must be able to present and articulate to the court regarding cases. Must be able to interpret both state and federal laws as it pertains to a situation. Must receive National Crime Information Center (NCIC) training within the first year of employment. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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.) Basic Requirements This position authorizes the incumbent to carry a firearm Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18 - U.S.C. - Section 922 (g)(91)) The incumbent is required to carry Law Enforcement Credentials in the performance of official duties An individual who is convicted of a domestic violence charge cannot be authorized to own - be issued - purchase - or otherwise have possession of a handgun under the Lautenberg Amendment (PL 104-208) to the Gun Control Act of 1968 (18 USC 922) A background security investigation will be required for all new hires Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination Applicants must possess a valid State license - have a safe driving record and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely This is a testing designated position 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 the VA The incumbent is required to be certified in CPR-Basic Life Support (BLS) and will be trained in the use of the automatic emergency defibrillator (AED) In addition to the basic requirements - to qualify at the GS-9 grade level - you must have the following specialized experience or education Specialized Experience: You must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in Federal service Specialized experience is defined as experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge - skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position - and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled Examples of specialized experience include: practical knowledge of law enforcement procedures and techniques of criminal investigations - including the investigation of crimes - police conduct - courtroom etiquette - rules of evidence - and rules of testimony execution of search and arrest warrants recognizing - collecting - and preserving physical evidence and maintaining a chain of custody and presenting pertinent facts both orally and in writing Education: To qualify based on education at the GS-9 level you must have completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree - or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree - or successfully completed a LL.M - if related to the Criminal Investigator position This education must have been obtained in an accredited college - or university NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) with your application Education cannot be credited without documentation -OR- Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: An equivalent combination of graduate education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours - which is the amount required at the next lower grade level - GS-7) and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirement This education must have been obtained in an accredited college - or university NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) with your application Education cannot be credited without documentation You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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 Physical Demands: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion - such as long periods of standing - walking - bending - stooping - reaching - crawling - and similar activities Performance of work may take place in attics - crawlspaces - walls - ceilings - and other limited access spaces - or in rough terrain The work may require some common characteristics and abilities of physical agility and dexterity to work in confined spaces and to move or lift moderately heavy objects Work Environment: The work environment involves frequent exposure to moderate risk situations - some discomforts - unpleasant working conditions - and adverse weather conditions e.g hot - cold - dry and wet Safety or security precautions sometimes are necessary - and the position may have to use appropriate clothing or gear May be required to work long and irregular hours - on weekends - holidays - or at night - and change shifts and duty hours to conduct extensive criminal investigations. Duties The Criminal Investigator reports to the Chief of Police. Major duties and responsibilities include: Investigates crimes that cannot be resolved through the initial efforts of the reporting officer’s preliminary investigation or are beyond the scope of a Detective’s responsibility. Researches, interviews, observes, conducts stakeout operations, and executes investigative techniques. Coordinates and conducts joint investigations relating to alleged or suspected violations of criminal laws with other federal and state agencies such as the FBI, US Marshalls, etc. Participates in surveillance activities that are coordinated by an OIG and/or other federal agencies. Collects sufficient evidence to support a court case against a criminal and explains to the jury the significance of evidence as it relates to proof that a crime was committed. Confers with the U.S. Attorney’s office, VA Regional Counsel Office, or other outside law enforcement agencies as appropriate, to dispose of or to proceed with a case. Leads or assists in the conduct of administrative investigations of alleged administrative misconduct, patient abuse, and other improprieties. Coordinates and/or participates in a taskforce or other team to conduct highly complex, difficult and sensitive criminal, civil and administrative investigations. Collects/compiles data that includes criminal trends, performance metrics, and quality assurance for all functions of Police Service. Creates graphs, charts, and descriptions of the data collected to include analyzing the information and providing ways to reduce crime, improve performance, and meet customer needs while maintaining an acceptable performance service level. Conducts and oversees Internal Affairs Investigations (IA) – under the direction of the Chief of Police or as assigned by VHA Leadership. Perform other related duties as assigned. 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 the VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. 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. Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (must be willing to be on-call and flexible; this position may require applicant to work late hours or come in early). Position Description/PD#: Criminal Investigator/PD004190 – Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized – Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized – 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. 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)). #J-18808-Ljbffr