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Requisition No: 881703 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR I - 42005907

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42005907 

Salary:  $63,000.08 

Posting Closing Date: 08/20/2026 

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LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR I

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

 ***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***
 

The headquarters for this position is located in Polk County.

Agricultural Law Enforcement Investigator I Duties:

The incumbent in this position is responsible for the enforcement of criminal laws 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, state forests, theft of forest products, consumer protection, 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.

The incumbent shall meet the qualifications of a law enforcement officer as established by Chapter 943, Florida Statutes. Each law enforcement investigator is subject to and has the same arrest, jurisdiction, and other authority provided for state law enforcement investigators in Chapter 901, Florida Statutes, as restricted and specified in Section 570.65, Florida Statutes. Each investigator may be required to engage in investigations off state property including assisting the Florida Forest Service in other areas with fires. Each law enforcement investigator has the same right and authority to carry arms as do the sheriffs of this state. The criminal investigation, prevention, and suppression of crimes relating to state forests and lands owned, occupied or managed by the Department, and other related matters, is a unique and highly specialized field of law enforcement requiring the exercise of an independent professional judgment. When an investigator is aware of evidence of a violation under either the criminal laws or the administrative rules and regulations, it is the duty of the investigator to identify and cause the arrest, issuance of a notice of violation or other appropriate action of the perpetrator(s), whenever possible.

The investigator is required to use of all modern criminal investigative techniques including but not limited to, patrolling assigned areas, crime prevention and apprehension of violators, crime scene details, photography, processing of latent fingerprints, use of various technical aids, and the collection and preservation of evidence. The investigator is expected to use legal and accepted police methods.

The nature of crime detection and prevention upon state forest and lands owned, occupied or managed by the Department will necessarily require the investigator to be involved with other law enforcement agencies and other governmental entities.

The investigator will develop and maintain a close and harmonious relationship with all the other law enforcement agencies and related entities having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement matters, state forest and other lands owned, occupied or managed by the department. The law enforcement investigator will perform vehicular and foot patrols of state forests and lands owned, occupied or managed by the Department. The investigator will enforce civil traffic laws on lands owned, occupied or managed by the Department, secure accident and crime scenes, and assist in conducting crime scene searches. Through patrolling assigned areas, the investigator will provide security and safety for the public and protect state lands and property. The investigator will check buildings for suspicious incidents. The investigator will enforce laws related to the use and/or cultivation of marijuana on state lands.

The investigator will interview complainants, suspects and witnesses. Upon appropriate circumstances, the investigator will arrest suspected criminals, issue administrative violations, issue traffic citations or warnings against violations, as appropriate. The investigator will respond to and investigate the cause and origin of wildfires or other fires on lands owned, occupied or managed by the Department. The investigator will investigate missing, lost, stolen or damaged property from either the state or citizens. As required, the investigator will assist in the operation and management of agricultural inspection stations and inspect vehicles, cargoes, and manifest documents for compliance with agricultural, horticultural and livestock laws. As a result of patrol activities, the investigator will be called upon to testify and present evidence in either criminal or administrative forums. The investigator will obey all lawful orders of a judge or hearing investigator. The investigator will be thoroughly familiar with the case file, evidence and other related matters. The investigator will represent the Department and present all testimony and evidence in a professional manner.

The investigator will attend scheduled meetings, seminars, and schools as requested or required. The investigator will keep informed of recent court decisions, legislation or new law enforcement techniques and practices critical to this position. The investigator is responsible for ensuring that their immediate supervisor, or in the event their immediate supervisor is not available, or as circumstances dictate, the next available supervisor in the chain of command is informed of the status and disposition of all matters relevant to this position.

The investigator is responsible for submitting required, special and periodic reports of activities, expense vouchers, vehicle maintenance, time and leave requests, payroll, travel, professional education requirements, and other related documents and reports on or before the due date requested or assigned.

The investigator will perform other related tasks as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• United States Citizen.
• High School graduate or GED.
• 19 years of age or older.
• 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 law enforcement certificate in compliance with Florida Statute 943.
   

The following is required:

Two (2) years of sworn law enforcement , sworn investigations or fire investigations work or college education from an accredited institution can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours per year for a maximum of one year of the required experience.

Incumbent must demonstrate proficiency with Walther 9 mm weapon. 

This is a rural law enforcement position with unique challenges requiring the need for high physical fitness standards. The incumbent will perform significant periods of isolated work, often with limited or no immediate back up while patrolling Florida State Forests, rural lands, and private wetlands. The work will require lifting heavy objects and moving various obstacles while traversing rural lands with varied terrain including forests, hills, swamps, and lake areas. The position may encounter aggressive wildlife and harsh weather conditions including extreme heat and cold which pose additional physical challenges. An initial, and thereafter annual, CJSTC Physical Abilities Test (PAT) along with a swim test will be required with various categories to include:

• Complete an untimed 150-yard continuous swim
• Exiting a vehicle/opening a trunk
• Simulated gun belt reach exercise
• Running 300 yards with 15-pound go-bag
• Serpentine through cones
• Wall climb
• Dragging a 150-pound dummy 100 feet
• Hurdle stepover
• Low crawl
• Sled push with 180 pounds
• Battle rope lift
• Dry firing a weapon six times with each hand.

Candidates must complete the PAT course [not including the swim portion] in 7 minutes and 30 seconds in order to pass.

Additional Requirements: 

 The incumbent will be expected to have phone service for contact during non-duty hours. Investigative personnel are subject to being re-called to duty at any time and are required to work rotating, compensated on-call assignments. The incumbent will be expected to keep the agency informed of contact information in the event a call out is necessary.

The incumbent will be expected to work flexible hours and flexible schedules as the needs arise. This includes weekends and holidays. Investigators are assigned to a 160-hour, 28-day cycle. Investigators are expected to keep their supervisor aware of their time accumulation within a cycle.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of law enforcement and investigative principles and techniques, forest fire prevention and suppression techniques. 
• Knowledge of security and safety principles. 
• Writing reports and other correspondence, preparing and presenting training materials, coordinating activities with other law enforcement agencies. 
• Planning, organizing, and directing the local law enforcement program. 
• Have effective working relationships with others. 
• 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.

Selection Process:

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

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

Duty Stations and Assignments - Duty station for this is Polk County

Starting Salary - $63,000.08

Contact- Holly Chaires at (850) 228-8449 or Holly.Chaires@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.

***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...