CITY/STATE CORRECTION OFFICER FILING IS OPEN

State COs Start At $34G; Many Jobs Available; College Required For City COs; Written Tests for Both

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services is accepting applications for an upcoming exam leading to Correction Officer jobs.

The city is looking to hire at least 800 officers next year, according to department spokesman Michael Saucier. Candidates who score near the top of the eligible list can expect to be hired within six months of the list being established.

In an attempt to attract more candidates, DCAS has begun to continuously accept applications for three scheduled tests next year.

State CO Deadline Aug. 7

Filing is also now open for state Correctional Officer Trainee jobs, the state Department of Civil Service said. Applications must be submitted by Aug. 7.

Candidates for city Correction Officer must apply by Aug. 15 for the scheduled Oct. 21 written exam. The starting salary is $26,667, which rises to $34,742 after six months.

The top salary is $63,309 after 5-1/2 years on the job.

Candidates must have completed 39 college credits or two years of full-time U.S. military service, and must have a high school diploma or GED by the time they enter the training academy. Individuals with a high school diploma who have two years of experience as a city, state, or Federal law-enforcement officer may also qualify.

To be appointed, candidates must be at least 21 years old. Applicants must be 171/2 by the end of the filing period to take the exam. Appointees need to have a state driver's license and must be residents of New York City or Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam counties.

The multiple-choice exam will test candidates' abilities in written comprehension and expression, problem identification, basic arithmetic, and deductive and inductive reasoning. It will also gauge candidates' abilities to order information, determine where they are in relation to an object, and visualize how something will look after it is moved or changed.

Other Screening

In addition, candidates must pass a background check, a psychological evaluation, physical exam, and a drug-and-alcohol screening. A $75 fee for fingerprint screening is required for the background investigation.

Appointees will have probationary status for 24 months and must complete a training course. Correction Officers have to pass an annual firearms test. They are required to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Further information can be obtained by calling 1-877-NY1-BOLD, online at www.nyc.gov/dcas , or by writing the DCAS Application Center, 18 Washington St., New York, N.Y., 10004.

For the state Correctional Officer Trainee jobs, the starting salary is $34,329, which rises to $41,348 upon completion of the eight-week training program and one-year probationary period. Officers assigned to work in the metropolitan area will receive an annual $3,025 location pay differential.

Hudson Valley Openings

Based on staffing needs, new officers are typically assigned to facilities in the lower and mid-Hudson Valley area. Officers can request to be reassigned, on the basis of seniority, to other prisons.

Appointees must be at least 21 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. The written test is scheduled for Sept. 9. The exam will test candidates' abilities to observe and recall information, apply written information in a correctional services setting, and prepare and understand written material. The passing score is 70 percent.

Candidates who took the April 8, 2006 test are not eligible for the upcoming exam. Separate filing is currently open for persons who speak Spanish. There is only one $30 filing fee for both exams.

Individuals can apply online at www.cs.state.ny.us . Further information and copies of the exam notice can also be obtained online.