Skip to page navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

OPM.gov / Policy / Classification & Qualifications / General Schedule Qualification Standards
Skip to main content

Police Series 0083

Police Series, 0083

Individual Occupational Requirements

Experience, Education, and Training

The following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.

GRADEEXPERIENCEEDUCATION/TRAINING
GeneralSpecialized
GS-2 3 months None High school graduation or equivalent
GS-3 6 months None 1 year above high school
GS-4 6 months 6 months 2 years above high school
GS-5 None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-4 4 years above high school
GS-6 and above None 1 year equivalent to at least next lower grade level None

Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying for grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Experience

General Experience (for positions at GS-4 and below): Qualifying general experience includes experience in administrative, clerical, technical, or military work that involved protecting property, equipment, data, or materials; or that involved making judgments based on the application of directions, rules, regulations, or laws.

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience 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.

OR

Education/Training
GradeEducation / Traning
For GS-2: Graduation from high school may be substituted for the required experience.
For GS-3: One year of successfully completed study at an accredited school above the high school level with at least 6 semester hours of study pertinent to police work.
For GS-4: Two years of successfully completed study at an accredited school above the high school level with at least 12 semester hours in police administration, police law and evidence, police investigation, criminology, law enforcement, general law, or similar subjects closely related to police work.
For GS-5: Successful completion of 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.

Successful completion of 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, may be substituted for a maximum of 3 months of specialized experience or 6 months of general experience.

No substitution of education or training may be made for the required specialized experience at GS-6 and above.

Test Requirements

Refer to Section V of this Manual for information about test requirements.

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.

Back to top

Control Panel