LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR II - 42002405

Requisition No: 887223

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR II - 42002405

Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42002405

Salary: $70,000.06

Posting Closing Date: 11/14/2026

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATOR II

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

The headquarters for this position negotiable between Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties.

The incumbent in this position is responsible for law enforcement investigations of criminal acts 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 investigator shall meet the qualifications of law enforcement officers established by Chapter 943, Florida Statutes. Each investigator is subject to and has the same arrest, jurisdiction and other authority provided for state law enforcement officers in Chapter 901, Florida Statutes. Each investigator also 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 forest, consumer protection, agriculture, citrus, livestock and other related matters is a unique and highly technical and specialized field of criminal investigation requiring independent professional judgment. When an investigation provides evidence of a violation under the criminal laws of Florida, it is the duty of the investigator to identify and cause the arrest of the criminal perpetrator(s), whenever possible.

Criminal investigations require the use of all modern criminal investigative techniques including but not limited to, 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. Interviewing witnesses and suspects, securing background information on suspects or others associated with the incident which may include financial, employment, courthouse records, neighbors, criminal and other related records is critical to the position.

Often the investigator is involved with the other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with the investigation of crime. It is incumbent that the investigator 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 investigator 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 criminal investigations and arrests, the investigator will be called upon to testify and present evidence in a court of law. The investigator will obey all court orders and subpoenas. The investigator will be thoroughly familiar with the case file, evidence and other relevant matters pertaining to the investigation. The investigator 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 investigative techniques is critical to this position.

Each investigator 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 criminal investigations being conducted or the status and disposition of their investigations or cases. Each investigator is responsible for submitting in a timely manner concise detailed reports on investigations for use by supervisors, state attorneys, courts and ultimate review by the public.

Each investigator 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 investigator will perform other related tasks.

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:

Three years of experience in sworn law enforcement, sworn investigations or fire and arson investigations work. 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. In addition to the above requirements, Florida Statute 943 must be met. Successful completion of a urine drug test is a condition of employment.

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.

- Ability to have an 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 St. Lucie County

Starting Salary - $70,000.06

Contact- Holly Chaires at (850) 228-8449 or [email protected] 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 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 (http://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.