Dear Director Ahuja:
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to urgently request that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) update its Grade Evaluation Guide for Police and Security Guard Positions in Series, GS-0083, GS0085. The current Guide was last updated in 1988—35 years ago.
The Occupational Information and Nature of Police Work sections are shockingly outdated and do not reflect the current scope of responsibilities that a Federal law enforcement officer has on the job today. There is no mention of the homeland security component that law enforcement has assumed since the attacks of September 11th , no mention or assessment of their duty to respond to active attacks on personnel, property, and national assets, and no acknowledgment of modern tactics to enforce the law.
In addition, commingling Federal security guards (GS-0085s) into the Police Series has created s lot of confusion and should be addressed in its own separate Guide. The statutory authorities for both series have changed significantly over the past 35 years and the current Grade Evaluation Guides do not reflect any of the profound changes in the scope of responsibilities of these employees. The Factor Level Descriptions are woefully out of date and simply do not reflect modern law enforcement duties and responsibilities.
On behalf of the more than 364,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I urge the OPM to undertake and thoroughly review, update, and revise the Grade Evaluation Guide for law enforcement officers, GS-0083s, to reflect the reality of modern police work. If I can provide any additional information about this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President