THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICER JOBS OFFERED

Starting Pay Expected To Rise to $40,360, Top Pay to $73,546; Ongoing Exams Given; Need 60 College Credits Or Military Service

The NYPD is looking to hire thousands of Police Officers at a starting salary that would become $40,360 later this week if a tentative Patrolmen's Benevolent Association contract is ratified. If that deal is approved, maximum pay would become $73,546 after 5-1/2 years. Applications are accepted continuously, and there is no filing fee.

For those who file on or before Jan. 15, 2009, exams will be held Feb. 20, 21, and 26 and March 1 at various locations.

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services has also launched a pilot walk-in testing program to allow individuals to take the Police Officer exam at their leisure. The tests are being administered at 2 Lafayette St., a couple of blocks north of City Hall, every weekday morning.

Age Requirements

Applicants must be at least 17-1/2 years old by the last day of the filing period, but under 35 by the first day of filing, and must be at least 21 years old to be hired. Applicants who have served in the military may deduct the length of service time from their actual age, up to six years.

By their date of appointment, candidates must have completed 60 college credits with at least a 2.0 grade-point-average. A high-school diploma and two years of full-time military service may be substituted for the college requirement.

In addition, they must be U.S. citizens, have a state driver's license, and be residents of New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam counties. They must pass character and background checks, medical, psychological and physical evaluations, and a drug-and-alcohol screening. There is a $75 fee for fingerprint screening and the background investigation.

What Test Covers

Candidates must score at least 70 percent on a written multiple-choice exam. Scores determine the applicants' positions on the eligible list. Questions measure the following skills: written comprehension, written expression, memorization, problem-sensitivity, problem-solving, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, spatial orientation, and visualization.

After passing the exam, cadets enter the six-month Police Academy, which develops a solid foundation of public safety, and provides recruits with the training and resources necessary to meet the challenges of police work. Training includes Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence programs as well as community outreach with a focus on quality of life issues.

Appointees will have probationary status for 24 months. Officers must pass an annual firearms test and must remain authorized to carry firearms under Federal and state laws.

Officers are required to work weekends and holidays, change tours and work overtime.

For more information, visit www.nypdrecruit.com, or call (212) 732-7848 or 1-800-550-3836.