POLICE OFFICER FILING SET TO CLOSE JAN. 13

Starts at $25G, Top Pay $59G; February Test 60 College Credits Or Military Duty Is Required

Filing is open until Jan. 13 for an exam leading to Police Officer jobs, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services said.

The written exam is scheduled to be held Feb. 25. Alternate test dates are also planned for Feb. 24 and March 2 and 5.

Salary Structure

The starting annual salary is $28,900, based on a union arbitration award issued in June that reduced the pay scale for future cops. Police Academy recruits will make $25,100, which rises to $32,700 after six months. Officers reach $59,588 after 51/2 years.

The Police Department hires roughly 3,000 officers each year to fill vacancies due to attrition. There is no filing fee. Individuals can apply online at www.nyc.gov/nypd.

Candidates who place near the top of the eligible list can expect to be hired for the scheduled July Police Academy class, said Deputy Inspector Martin Morales, the commanding officer for recruitment.

By the last day of filing, applicants must be at least 17-1/2 years old, and they must not have reached their 35th birthday by the first day of filing. Applicants with military experience may be as old as 41.

On their date of appointment, candidates must have completed 60 college credits with at least a 2.0 grade point average. To be hired, they also need to be at least 21 years old. A high school diploma and two years of full-time military service may be substituted for the college requirements.

Appointees must have a driver's license and must be residents of New York City or Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam counties.

Police Officers are tested periodically for drug use during their careers. Eligibles will be required to pay a $75 fingerprint screening fee.

A five-point residency credit will be given to applicants who live in the city. In addition, those who have a parent who died in the line of duty as a uniformed officer can apply for a legacy credit.

Further information and copies of the exam notice can be obtained by calling 212-RECRUIT, or by visiting the DCAS Application Center, 18 Washington St., Manhattan.