Requisition No: 884109
Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services
Working Title: LAW ENFORCEMENT CORPORAL - 42000178 (FOR INTERNAL AGENCY EMPLOYEES ONLY)
Pay Plan: Career Service
Position Number: 42000178
Salary: $63,000.08 - $80,000.18
Posting Closing Date: 09/26/2026
The headquarters for this position is located in Hamilton County.
The incumbent in this position is responsible for law enforcement activities as specified in Section 570.65, Florida Statutes. These activities include, but are not limited to, enforcement of criminal violations involving: domesticated animals, livestock, poultry, aquaculture products, farms and farm equipment, livery tack, citrus and citrus products, trespass, littering, forests, theft of forest products, protection of consumers, all criminal laws and civil traffic laws committed on property owned, managed, or occupied by the department, any emergency situation in which the life, limb, or property of any person is placed in danger and any crime incidental to or related thereof. Each law enforcement corporal shall meet the qualifications of law enforcement officers established by Chapter 943, Florida Statutes. Each corporal is subject to and has the same arrest, jurisdiction and other authority provided for state law enforcement officers in Chapter 901, Florida Statutes. Each corporal also has the same right and authority to carry arms as do the sheriffs of this state. The corporal is responsible for assisting the Law Enforcement Sergeant in the day-to-day operations of the agricultural inspection station and assumes oversight responsibilities in the sergeant's absence.
The criminal law enforcement, prevention and suppression of crimes relating to agriculture, citrus, livestock and other related matters is a unique and highly technical and specialized field of criminal law enforcement requiring independent professional judgment.
One of the primary missions of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to prevent the introduction into the state of plant and animal pests and diseases which may have a devastating affect on Florida agriculture.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement manages and operates the Agricultural Inspection Stations, 24 hours a day, year round, as well as utilizing roving patrols.
Assists the sergeant with supervisory responsibilities and maintaining the shift's day to day operations. These duties include, but are not limited to, reviewing forms and reports for accuracy and completeness, preparing shift schedules, ensuring vehicles and stations are properly maintained, ensuring evidence and property are properly collected and documented, providing guidance and direction to law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties, and any other task deemed necessary by the shift supervisor. When the shift supervisor is off duty the corporal will have full shift supervisory duties until the supervisor returns to duty.
Specified vehicles are required to stop for agricultural inspection at inspection stations and roving inspection points with those failing to stop being pursued and apprehended. Roving patrol vehicles cover lesser used roads. Agricultural and horticultural products are inspected to determine compliance with various laws and regulations. Data is recorded and reported to supervisors and various divisions and agencies both within and outside the department.
Each corporal is responsible for ensuring that their immediate supervisor, and in the event their immediate supervisor is unavailable, or circumstances dictate, the next available supervisor in the Chain of Command, is informed of all matters relevant to law enforcement activities being conducted and the status and disposition of their activities. Each corporal is responsible for submitting in a timely manner concise detailed reports on activities for use by supervisors, state attorneys, courts and ultimate review by the public.
Citrus, avocado, lime and tomato shipments and accompanying documents are inspected to verify conformance with applicable Federal-State Marketing Orders. Vegetable shipments are verified against manifests and vehicles contents are recorded and reported. Outgoing watermelon and flower shipments are recorded and reported. Data are recorded and checked for compliance with registration requirements. Meat products are recorded and reported. Dairy products are recorded. Intra and interstate shipments of livestock and accompanying documents are inspected and verified to enforce compliance with applicable health requirements and quarantines; data are collected and reported on all livestock shipments. Feed, seed, fertilizer and treated fence post shipments are checked for compliance with state law and recorded and reported. Hay and harvesting equipment from quarantined areas are checked for fumigation certification. Nursery shipments, Christmas trees, sod, etc. are checked for required inspection certificates and recorded and reported.
In the performance of duties, the corporal frequently contacts and consults with supervisors in determining the disposition of a given violation. Such disposition may involve further investigation, arrests, or turning over to another law enforcement agency. When a vehicle subject to inspection passes an inspection station, the corporal gives pursuit and may make an arrest. When an inspector on the corporal's shift encounters a violation which appears to require further investigation or arrest, the corporal may take over and conclude the case. At times the corporal may patrol lesser traveled roads. The corporal testifies in court in support of cases which were developed from his/her arrests.
In the routine operation of the agricultural inspection station, the corporal prepares, maintains and submits daily correspondence, records, etc., and is responsible for daily cleanliness of buildings, grounds, and equipment.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement also participates with various federal, state and local governmental agencies on numerous projects which either increases the efficiency of the agricultural programs or generates additional revenues of the state without increasing costs to the citizens of Florida. Corporals will participate in programs as required.
The Law Enforcement Corporal is authorized to use all modern law enforcement techniques including, but not limited to: arrests, search and seizure, planned and organized crime scene searches, sketching of diagrams, photography, processing of latent fingerprints, use of laboratory aids, and the collection and preservation of evidence.
Often the corporal is involved with the other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with the investigation of crime. It is incumbent that the corporal develop and maintain a close and harmonious relationship with all law enforcement and related agencies having jurisdiction over the suspected criminal activity or geographical area wherein the suspected criminal activity occurred. The corporal should be well informed regarding the names and positions of all key members of local law enforcement agencies, as well as other persons with similar responsibilities.
As a result of arrests, the corporal will be called upon to testify and present evidence in a court of law. The corporal will obey all court orders and subpoenas. The corporal will be thoroughly familiar with the case file, evidence and other relevant matters pertaining to the incident. The corporal will represent the department and present such testimony and evidence in a professional manner
Corporals support the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) by assisting shift Field Training Officers by completing Daily Activity Reports (DORs) on Officers in Training (OIT). While the bulk of the Daily Activity Reports are completed by the shift Field Training Officer, Corporals are responsible for completing Daily Activity Reports on Officers in Training when the Field Training Officer is on leave. It is also recommended Corporals complete Daily Activity Reports on Officers in Training at least once while the OIT is navigating the FTEP Program.
Attending meetings, seminars and schools conducted by law enforcement agencies and to otherwise further professional training, keeping informed of recent court decisions, legislation and new law enforcement techniques is critical to this position.
Each corporal is responsible for submitting in a timely manner periodic reports of activities, expense vouchers, vehicle costs and maintenance reports, time and leave requests, authorizations to travel, professional educational credits and other related documents and reports as required.
Each corporal will perform other related tasks.
One (1) year of sworn law enforcement experience with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement; Applicants must successfully complete an oral review board and an evaluation to determine suitability and compatibility to perform the basic job function for consideration of employment; Incumbent must demonstrate proficiency with Walther 9 mm weapon.
The OALE selection process takes approximately two to three months to complete. Steps to complete the selection process include, but are not limited to:
Duty Stations and Assignments – Duty station for this is Hamilton County
Starting Salary - $63,000.08 - $80,000.18
Contact- Carrie Jenkins at (850) 879-3335 or Carrie.Jenkins2@FDACS.gov with any questions or concerns.
Notes - If possible, please submit your application from a desktop or laptop computer. Devices such as cellular phones and tablets have been known to cause errors when submitting an application. Please be sure to review each answer as they cannot be changed once your application is submitted.
To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.
Information regarding the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) may be found on the following website: https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Agricultural-Law-Enforcement
Persons selected are generally hired at the minimum starting salary identified in the advertisement and salary increases are granted based upon appropriations as determined by the Florida Legislature.
To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Uniforms and Dry-cleaning Allowance - All required uniforms, equipment and weapons are provided at no cost; Uniform maintenance allowance is $500 annually.
Education and Training Incentive Payments - Sworn employees are eligible to receive up to $130 monthly for the completion of career development courses and/or an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:
For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com
For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”
Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.
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