Federal Security Officer

There are about 132,000 fulltime U.S. federal law enforcement officers employed by 83 federal government agencies. These federal security officer positions are located throughout the county at federal buildings and facilities. Officer duties are to guard federal property and control access to federal sites. Many of the functions are similar to those of private security guards, but instead, guards work for the federal government and are authorized to carry weapons and make arrests.

As a federal security officer, you may be assigned to locations that include national parks, museums, federal courts and government agency headquarters. The largest numbers are employed by Homeland Security and the Justice, Treasury, and Defense departments.

If you’ve dreamed of working as a federal security officer, responsible for protecting the country’s buildings and other public sites, there are specific requirements to becoming a licensed officer.

The federal government employs law enforcement personnel in more than 40 job sectors. It is important to realize that work in law enforcement is not limited to investigative, police, compliance and security positions. There are tens of thousands of federal employees in occupations that provide direct support to these groups.

Minimum Requirements

If you want to work in the field, you must first pass extensive background checks and a medical exam. Applicants must have an associate’s degree, U.S. Armed Services experience or at least three years’ experience as a security guard. U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency is required. Once hired, guards take mandatory training through a Federal Law Enforcement Center.

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and generally be under age of 37 when hired. Age requirements often vary within different federal agencies. If you desire to work in the federal law enforcement field but are over age 37, you still may be considered to work in support positions that do not have an age limit.

For more information, go to the https://www.usajobs.gov.