Employment

Law Enforcement Officer Positions

Starting Salary $58,000 effective Oct 1st, 2023

Minimum Requirements

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    Must meet the requirement of Chapter 943, Florida Statutes. Applicants must have successfully completed Florida law enforcement training and have received a passing score on the Florida State Law Enforcement Exam.
  • Must be at least 19 years of age
  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Must not have been convicted of any felony
  • Must not have been convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral character, perjury, false statements or domestic violence
  • No pending criminal charges
  • Must not have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States
  • Must have a Florida driver’s license prior to employment
  • Must pass a vigorous background investigation, to include psychological and drug testing
  • Must have at least two years of full-time work experience with substantial exposure to the public (e.g., law enforcement, military, customer service, sales, etc.)

Law Enforcement Officer Benefits

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    Criminal Justice Incentive Pay (CJIP): Upon being certified by the Florida Criminal Justice Standards Commission, officers become eligible for additional monthly compensation up to $130 per month based upon completed higher education and/or career development courses.
  • Uniform Maintenance Allowance: Provides an additional annual stipend for shoes and uniform cleaning.
  • Issued Equipment:  All duty uniforms and equipment will be supplied, with the exception of footwear.
  • Educational Assistance Programs for Employees and their Families: USF employees may be awarded a waiver of up to six credit hours of tuition-free courses per term or transfer this tuition waiver to a spouse, partner or dependent child for the purpose of enrolling in eligible undergraduate courses. Program details are described here.
  • Other Benefits: Public Safety Officers Benefits Act provides a $150,000 life insurance policy. Special Risk Retirement allows officers to retire after 30 years of continuous creditable service regardless of age. The State of Florida provides a $50,000 Death/Disability policy. Workers' Compensation Program available for work-related injury.

Aside from the benefits specific to working at the USF St. Petersburg Police Department, you will be eligible for the benefits enjoyed by all USF employees. To view a full list of benefits, please visit USF Human Resource Benefits. Here are a sample of some of the benefits you may be eligible for:

How to Apply

Applicants should be prepared to work weekends, holidays, and overnight shifts.

Submit a full and complete online employment application on the USF Careers Website.

The application will be screened for minimum requirements and disqualifiers. Steps in the hiring process include:

  1. Initial interview and written exercise
  2. Conditional offer of employment
  3. Extensive background investigation conducted though the Police Applicant Screening Service (PASS) to include a polygraph examination
  4. Medical examination
  5. Drug Screening
  6. Psychological evaluation
  7. Final interview
  8. Formal offer of employment

Please note that the hiring process is extensive and can take several months.

If you have any questions regarding University Police employment, please email
STP-police@usf.edu.