POLICE RECRUIT REQUIREMENTS
So you want to be a Police Officer.
All Police Officers in Erie County and most in New York State are Civil Service
employees that need to have passed and ranked high on a competitive civil
service examination for Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff- Criminal. Once you
pass this test and are ranked there are a number of further tests that you must
pass. Also in order to take this examination you need some minimum age and
education requirements. The criteria and requirements to be a West Seneca
Police Officer are listed below. Our standards meet and in most cases
exceed the requirements established by the New York State Municipal Police
Training Council for entry level police officers. Some of the requirements
may differ with each municipality. Please check with
Erie County Department of
Personnel for the exact requirements
of the municipality in which you are interested.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must be residents of the Town of West Seneca at the time of the
written test and at the date of appointment. You must be at least 19 years
old at the time of the test and at least 20 years old at the time of your
appointment. All applicants must also have completed at least 60 credit hours of
college with a minimum GPA of 2.0. The maximum age for taking the test is 35
years old unless you request an extension for military service. To see if
you are eligible for this extension contact the
Erie County
Department of Personnel
FOLLOW UP TESTING:
Upon successful completion of the written test applicants are ranked
according to score. When openings become available, applicants are canvassed for
the position and if they are interested sent for a physical agility test.
The physical agility requirements for successfully passing this portion of the
test are based on standards by the New York State Municipal Police Training
Council. These requirements are vigorous and the standards are supplied to
those applicants that are being sent for the test ahead of time so that they may
prepare for the test. It is safe to say that you should be in good physical
shape if you intend on becoming a police officer as the testing at this point is
strenuous.
BASIC TRAINING:
Those persons that are hired by the Town of West Seneca Police Department must
go through a probationary period of one year. During that time the new
officers receive basic police training through the Erie County Central Police
Services Training Academy. Those officers that fail any portion of this
course are dismissed from the department. Once this schooling is
completed, the new officer works in a field training capacity in our department
with a certified New York State Field Training Officer for a minimum of 10 weeks. Upon successful
completion of this training the officer will be assigned normal patrol duties
and responsibilities. At any time during the first year, the new officer may be dismissed
from the department for failure to carry out their responsibilities.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The position of Police Officer is open to both males and females. The Town
of West Seneca follows all the appropriate laws and standards established by the
State of New York and the United States to guard against discrimination for any
reason. Applicants are not discriminated against for any reason including race,
gender or religion.
Generally the Town of West Seneca Police Department
does not accept transfers from other departments both inside and outside of New
York State. For more information in this area applicants should contact
Chief of Police Edward F. Gehen
TEST DATES:
At the present time it is anticipated that the next written test for Police
Officer/Deputy Sheriff-Criminal will held in December of 2007. Applications are
accepted up to one month prior to the examination date. For more precise
information on the date of this test please contact the
Erie County Department of Personnel.
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