POLICE OFFICER EXAM OPEN IN WESTCHESTER

Starting Salary $44G; Reach $80G Maximum After 5 Years on Job; Hiring in 39 Departments Based on Nov. 15 test; Need H.S. Diploma

Westchester County is holding a Police Officer exam on Nov. 15, its first in four years. The starting pay is $43,975 and salary reaches $80,365 after five years.

Candidates must apply by Sept. 22. The exam fee is $50. The next exam will not be held until 2012. Applicants must be legal residents of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster or Sullivan counties, and must not be older than 35 by the date of the written exam, unless they are veterans of the armed forces. (Veterans may receive extra points on their score, but must apply for them at the time of filing.) Police Officer candidates cannot be appointed until they turn 20, but may take the test before reaching that age.

Need H.S. Diploma, License

Candidates must be high school graduates or possess a general equivalency diploma. They need a valid driver's license. They must also pass medical, physical and psychological screenings. Westchester County will perform a pre-employment background check and criminal history search. U.S. citizenship is required at the time of appointment.

County Executive Andrew J. Spano said Westchester is making a special effort to recruit African-Americans and Hispanics to take the test. "They are under-represented in many departments," he said. "Our county is diverse, and our police forces should reflect this same diversity."

The Westchester County Department of Public Safety and all local police departments — with the exception of Yonkers, White Plains, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon — hire from this list. There is a separate test for Spanish-speaking officer candidates.

What Written Covers

The written test will gauge knowledge in four areas: applying rules, regulations, policies, procedures and directives in police situations; memory; reading, understanding and interpreting information; and preparing written material in a police setting.

Applications for the Police Officer and Spanish-speaking Police Officer exams are available at the county's Department of Human Resources at 148 Martine Avenue, Suite 100 in White Plains or on the county's Web site at www.westchestergov.com/hr. The exams will be held at various locations within the county.

Applicants who possess bilingual ability in English and Spanish are encouraged to file for both exams, requiring two separate applications and fees. This language proficiency exam is described in detail on the official announcement for the test.

For more information, call the Westchester Department of Human Resources at 914-995-2123.