New York State of Opportunity

Park Police Officer Trainee

Written Test To Be Held
September 15, 2018
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
August 01, 2018

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-540 Park Police Officer Trainee $55,179 Equated to G-13 $35
26-541 Park Police Officer Trainee (Spanish Language) $55,179 Equated to G-13

*Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, September 15th or Sunday, September 16th to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $1,520 annual downstate adjustment. In addition, appointees who work in the following locations will receive an additional supplemental location pay in the following amounts: the Counties of Orange, Putnam, and Dutchess-$1,266; the five boroughs of New York City, Rockland, and Westchester Counties-$1,900; and Nassau and Suffolk Counties-$2,217.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before September 15, 2018, you must have:

Either 1: 60 college semester credit hours. You cannot be appointed until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation;

Or 2: 30 college semester credit hours AND two years of active military service with an honorable discharge. You cannot be appointed until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2019, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2019 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes

  1. New York State Residency and United States Citizenship: Although not required for taking the test, you must be a citizen of the United States at the time of appointment. If appointed, you must maintain New York State residency pursuant to the Public Officers Law.
  2. Park Police Officer Trainees and Park Police Officer Trainees (Spanish Language) are public officers under state law. At appointment, you must be a resident of New York State and at least 20 years old. You cannot have passed your 35th birthday on the date of the written test. However, time spent on military duty or on terminal leave, not exceeding a total of six years, shall be subtracted from your age if you have passed your 35th birthday.
  3. Physical/Medical Requirements: Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include but are not limited to: uncorrected distant visual acuity not less than 20/100 in each eye; corrected distant visual acuity better than or equal to 20/30 (Snellen) in each eye. Candidates must also have satisfactory color vision perception. You will be tested for satisfactory physical strength and coordination. You will be required to demonstrate the necessary physical fitness to perform the duties of the position of Park Police Officer. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination will be required prior to appointment. Appointees to this position may be required to undergo periodic medical examinations to reassess their ability to perform the essential duties of the position. Eligibles will be called to the physical/medical screening in score order as needed to fill existing and anticipated vacancies. Failure to meet the physical/medical standards will result in your disqualification.
  4. If you are considered for appointment, your skills and abilities will be evaluated through tests of strength, agility, flexibility, and endurance conducted by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. To obtain a statement of the requirements of these tests, visit the website at http://parks.ny.gov(External Link) to view the requirements.
  5. Background Investigation: Because of the nature of the position there is an investigative screening that will include a thorough character investigation, including a polygraph. All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony will bar appointment. Misdemeanors or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case is determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws.
  6. All candidates must comply with the New York State Park Police Tattoo Policy. Tattoos, brands, body piercings and other body art shall not be visible while a member is in uniform or other business attire. Candidates will be required to put on the proper sized short sleeve uniform shirt to check conformity. Tattoos MAY NOT BE COVERED WITH ANYTHING SUCH AS MAKEUP, TAPE OR LONG SLEEVES. Visit the website at http://parks.ny.gov(External Link) to view the complete Tattoo Policy.
  7. Drug Testing: Prior to appointment, you will be required to participate in a drug-screening test. Failure to meet the standards will result in your disqualification
  8. Psychological Evaluation: Prior to appointment, you will be required to participate in a psychological evaluation to determine your fitness to perform the essential duties of the position. Failure to meet standards will result in your disqualification.���
  9. Fingerprints and Fees: Fingerprinting is required at the time of appointment. You will be required to pay the processing fee.
  10. Your college credit must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S2KXM.
  11. As stated in Section 58 of the Civil Service Law, at the time of appointment, you must have a high school diploma, a high school equivalency diploma issued by a recognized educational authority, or a USAFI GED high school level diploma.
  12. If you pass the examination for No. 26-541 Park Police Officer Trainee (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
  13. If you submit an application for No. 26-541 Park Police Officer Trainee (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-540 Park Police Officer Trainee at no additional cost.
  14. You must possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter.

The Positions

These positions exist in the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Although positions exist throughout the state, it is expected that most appointees will be assigned to downstate areas (the five New York City boroughs or Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, or Westchester counties).

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Duties

If you are appointed from the Park Police Officer Trainee or Park Police Officer Trainee (Spanish Language) eligible list, you will participate in a one-year traineeship leading to a Grade 14 Park Police Officer position. This traineeship will provide you with formal training and coursework, extensive on-the-job training, and carefully designed and monitored work experience. As part of the traineeship, and regardless of previous training, you will first be required to satisfactorily complete the Academy (a formal residential training program of approximately 26 weeks). Assignments will be made upon graduation from the Academy and will be determined based on the operational needs of the Agency. Failure to maintain the required academic standing, to qualify with weapons, to qualify in meeting the physical standards of the Municipal Police Training Council, or to successfully complete the traineeship will result in termination of employment. If you successfully complete the traineeship, you will be advanced to the Park Police Officer level without further examination.

As a Park Police Officer Trainee or Park Police Officer Trainee (Spanish Language), you will serve as a police officer pursuant to section 1.20 of the Criminal Procedure Law. Your authority will extend throughout the state, although your primary responsibility will be to enforce laws and to provide information, assistance, and protection to visitors to New York State���s parks and historic sites. You will be responsible for the enforcement of all federal and state laws including, but not limited to, the penal, parks and recreation, vehicle and traffic, and environmental conservation laws. Your responsibilities might include assignment on foot, horseback, bicycle, all-terrain vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, snowmobile, or other patrol. You might also be assigned to patrol duty or other police responsibilities.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

  1. Applying written information (rules, regulations, policies, procedures, directives, etc.) in police situations - These questions test for the ability to apply written rules in given situations similar to those typically experienced by police officers.
  2. Memory for facts and information - These questions test for the ability to remember facts and information presented in written form. You will be given 5 minutes to read and study the information in the Memory Booklet. After the 5-minute period, the Memory Booklet will be taken away. You will then be required to answer questions about the material that was presented in the Memory Booklet.
  3. Reading, understanding, and interpreting written information - These questions test for the ability to read, understand, and interpret the kinds of written information that police officers are required to read during their formal training period and on the job.
  4. Preparing written material in a police setting - These questions test for the ability to prepare the types of reports that police officers write. You will be presented with a page of notes followed by several questions. Each question will consist of four restatements of the information given in the notes. From each set of four, you must choose the version that presents the information most clearly and accurately.

The rating key for this examination will be established by the New York State Civil Service Commission prior to the date of the test, upon recommendation of a committee of police experts who will review all the questions for appropriateness and the key answers for correctness. There will be no review of the questions by candidates. This committee was selected with the assistance and endorsement of the Police Conference of New York, Inc., the New York State Association of PBA's, Inc., and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

TEST GUIDE: A Guide to the Written Test for the Entry-Level Police Officer Series is available on the Department website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC1 KXM-dah
Issued: 06/29/2018

��� Revised Material:7/31/2018

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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