Job Description

Requisition No: 872919

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER - 42005859

Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42005859

Salary: $60,000.20

Posting Closing Date: 04/13/2026

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LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

The headquarters for this position is located in Escambia County.

Agricultural Law Enforcement Officer Duties:

The incumbent in this position is responsible for law enforcement activities as specified in Section 570.65, Florida Statutes. These acts include, but are not limited to, 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 officer shall meet the qualifications of law enforcement officers established by Chapter 943, Florida Statutes. Each officer is subject to and has the same arrest, jurisdiction and other authority provided for state law enforcement officers in Chapter 901, Florida Statutes. Each officer also has the same right and authority to carry arms as do the sheriffs of this state.

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.

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 officer 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 officer 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 and incoming shipments of milk and cream are rerouted to testing labs. 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 officer 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 officer gives pursuit and may make an arrest. When an inspector on the officer's shift encounters a violation which appears to require further investigation or arrest, the officer may take over and conclude the case. At times the officer may patrol lesser traveled roads. The officer testifies in court in support of cases which were developed from his/her arrests.

In the routine operation of the agricultural inspection station, the officer 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. Officers will participate in programs as required.

The Law Enforcement Officer 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 officer is involved with the other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with the investigation of crime. It is incumbent that the officer 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 officer 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 officer will be called upon to testify and present evidence in a court of law. The officer will obey all court orders and subpoenas. The officer will be thoroughly familiar with the case file, evidence and other relevant matters pertaining to the incident. The officer will represent the department and present such testimony and evidence in a professional manner.

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 officer 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 officer will perform other related tasks.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of law enforcement and investigative principles and techniques.
• Knowledge of security and safety principles.
• Skills in writing reports, preparing and presenting training materials, coordinating activities with other law enforcement agencies.
• Skills in planning, organizing, and directing the local law enforcement program.
• Skills in the operation of assigned equipment such as: firearms, surveillance equipment, radios, and handcuffs.
• Ability to interview suspects and witnesses and to gather and submit physical evidence.

Additional Requirements:

Occasional travel required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• United States Citizen.
• High School graduate or GED.
• Must be 18 years of age to apply and 19 years of age by date of hire.
• Valid driver license with no more than four moving traffic violations within the past three years.
• Have not been convicted of driving a vehicle or operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance within the past five years.
• Have not refused to submit to a breath/blood/urine test within the last five years.
• Have not used cannabis illegally within the last two years.
• Have not used any illegal controlled substance, other than cannabis, within the last five years.
• Have not been convicted of any felony or any misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement.
• Have not been dishonorably discharged from any of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
• Good moral character.
• Must possess active Florida law enforcement certificate in compliance with Florida Statute 943 or have passed the State Officer Certification Exam (SOCE) prior to date of hire.

One of the following is required:

• One (1) year of law enforcement experience (sworn or non-sworn)
• Two (2) years of work experience
• Two (2) years of active and continuous military service can substitute for the required work experience but will not substitute for the law enforcement certification; College education can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours for the required sworn law enforcement experience but will not substitute for the law enforcement certification

Selection Process - The OALE selection process takes approximately three to four months to complete. Steps to complete the selection process include, but are not limited to:

• A completed State of Florida Employment Application.
• A completed Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement Sworn Supplemental Application.
• Oral Review Board.
• Background Investigation.
• Fingerprint Processing.
• Psychological Evaluation.
• Medical Evaluation.
• Drug Screening.

Salary - $60,000.20

Duty Stations and Assignments - Duty stations are assigned based upon position availability, agency needs and candidate location. These areas include, but are not limited to, Interstate 10 in Escambia County.

Contact - Carol Richards at (850) 274-7068 or (850) 245-1324 or AgLaw.Recruitment@FDACS.govwith 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.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include

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.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

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:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

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.”

Special Notes:

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.