That is still shy of the makeup of the city population, but higher than any other county police force.
Hurdles to becoming an officer
Personnel Commissioner Brian Bray acknowledged that of the several hundred civil service positions for which the county administers tests, the police exam is the most difficult because the monthslong process features so many steps, including physical and psychological testing and background checks, aside from the written test itself.
“Through the entire hiring process, this one is the hardest to get through,” he said.
Local officials point to what they call an antiquated and cumbersome set of rules from a state civil service bureaucracy they say unnecessarily delays hiring and chases away applicants who can’t wait months before finding out if they’re hired.
To be exam eligible, candidates must be U.S. citizens; apply by their 43rd birthday; have a valid New York driver’s license; have 60 college credit hours – roughly equivalent to an associate’s degree; or have fewer credit hours with military service.
Candidates must pass the written exam, then take and pass a physical agility test, adjusted for gender and age, which requires a minimum number of situps, pushups and a 1.5-mile run.
The last time the exam was given, Bray said, more than half of those invited to return for the physical agility test failed to show up. Of those who came, 22% failed it.
Of 1,711 people who initially registered for the written exam, Bray said, only 401 made it as far as passing the physical agility test. That is followed by an intensive background check, medical and psychological evaluation and completion of the police academy before additional on-the-job training begins.
To improve the odds of getting more officer candidates to complete the process, the Personnel Department created an eight-page booklet this year giving prospective candidates a more complete guide at what the application and evaluation process entails and how long it takes.