Law Enforcement Officer

St. Petersburg, FL
University of South Florida

Salary: $58,000.00 – $63,000.00

Position Summary:

Law Enforcement officers provide preventive patrol of the campus and nearby areas enforcing laws, ordinances, and University rules; regularly investigate accidents/disturbances, make arrests, prepare necessary documentation, and testify in court; and interact with diverse groups of people within the community to render service and collect information. As a requirement for employment at the Police Department (PD) on the USF St. Petersburg campus, officers must meet the highest standards of their profession.

Essential Functions:

  • Patrols assigned area(s) to insure the personal safety of the university populace and to provide protection and security to facilities. Directs traffic. Investigates accidents, complaints, disturbances, and law violations by interviewing complainants, suspects, and witnesses; secures incident area; and collects and preserves evidence. Pursues, apprehends, and arrests law violators and suspected law violators. Issues traffic warnings and citations. Controls crowds during special events, catastrophes, riots, and demonstrations and demonstrations.
  • Conducts investigations into complaints and violations of Federal, State and Local Laws, and University policies. Interviews witnesses and victims, interrogates suspects, apprehends, arrests and processes criminal violators, searches for, locates, and preserves evidence; appears as affiant in legal and/or administrative processes. Identifies and analyzes problems and develops responses and solutions to resolve such problems. Expresses ideas and communicates information to citizens and colleagues. Takes formal statements and confessions. Demonstrates proper officer safety techniques. Successfully works with others. Uses equipment appropriately. Operates weapons and equipment properly. Responsible for actively participating in all phases of Community Oriented Policing, including individual or team projects. Follows departmental policy, mission, values, and goals.
  • Monitors problem traffic areas and initiates corrective action. Maximizes crime deterrence through conspicuous aggressive and focused patrol of grounds and facilities. Patrol will be conducted on foot, in a mobile capacity, or through the use of special purpose vehicles as assigned. Composes reports, using appropriate forms, when documenting crimes, incidents, and activity. Operates weapons properly and qualifies at the range. Properly uses less than lethal weapons. Utilizes the radio and (MCT) Mobile Computer Terminal in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
    Reduce theft or damage of state and university property by providing continuing security and safety analysis of facilities and making written recommendations for improvement. Report observations with regard to environmental health, safety, security, and fire code hazards and/or violations.
  • Achieves agency and university goals. Maintain police community relations by focusing on information and education, which culminates in community action and crime reduction. Organized in daily work activity. Accepts additional responsibility and meets set deadlines. Properly uses policy and procedure manuals. Attends training and duty activities.
  • Uses available agencies, departments, and support groups to assist citizens. Interacts in a service-oriented manner with courtesy and integrity. Respectful of others. Develops contact with others that instills confidence in the police department. Provides non-law enforcement public service as authorized by law and consistent with good police practices.
  • Testifies in a concise and accurate manner. Files cases in the proper manner. Conveys verbal information / instructions / directives / commands. Demonstrates appropriate officer safety techniques. Aware of, alert, and remains calm in stressful situations. Takes appropriate action to protect officer, co-workers, and others from harm. Successfully defends oneself using the defined use of force policies and protocols.

Requirements:

  • Must currently possess a valid law enforcement certificate from the State of Florida.
  • This position must meet the requirements of Chapter 943.13, Florida Statutes.
  • Must be at least 19 years of age.
  • Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Must have graduated from an accredited law enforcement academy, or currently accepted to a commissioned Florida Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Training Program (attendance must be within 4 months of applying).
  • Graduates from law enforcement academies outside the state of Florida will be required to attend a program for Equivalency of Training (EOT: transitional academy).

Preferred Requirements:

  • Have one year of prior law enforcement, military, or security experience.
  • Appropriate college coursework may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.
  • Prior Law Enforcement experience at an Institution of Higher Education.