Police Exams

[hiss srq]

So the curent squeeze's family is mostly cops and recently I have been talking to her about my plans and the fact that aviation industry is just depressing and frustrating to no end in this country. Than, a lightbulb! Police academy and exams! I am seriously thinking about taking the exams for NYPD and NYSP. Knowing me I will never leave the airlines but this is somthing that also intrests me just a tad. Has anyone ever taken the exams?

[Joe C]

FYI,
Free Walk-In NYPD Police Exam at Hofstra University on Nov 4.

http://www.nypd2.org/html/recruit/hofstra.html

[cancidas]

yes. good luck...

[NYARTCCFAN]

I took a Housing Police Exam for a city in NJ. Study and study more Ryan. I would shy away from NYC I have been hearing that starting salary is dirt cheap and it takes quite a while to get good pay. There has been a mass exodus frojm my sources in the police business(I dispatched for the Paterson NJPD and heard stories about becoming a NYCPD Officer. I would go with State Trooper if I were you. Only downside is that they will investigate even if you peed outside the toilet when you were little and you have to account for it even if you dont remember or else you wont get further than filling out the application paperwork.

[PhilDernerJr]

I took the NYPD exam a few years ago. I walked out very slowly....very depressed. Not to insult anyone, but it was the easiest test I took since elementary school....and I'm not kidding.

Barring perhaps one silly error, is I got more than one wrong on that, I'd forfeit my life to science.

Unfortunately, NYPD recruiting is even more desperate than it was when I took it. With a starting salary of $27,100, start saving now. Although, coming from the airline industry, it's probably a lateral move financially.

[Joe C]

Retire after 20 yrs , get your pension and then maybe go back to an aviation job if it's something you want to do.

[USAF Pilot 07]

Well, there is a T-Shirt that says "Crime Doesn't Pay.... Neither does the NYPD"...

Take that as you will, but the starting salary for cops is simply atrocious...

[pgengler]

I took the NJ state exam a couple of years back (for state positions, and the list is also used for local PDs), and my reaction was a lot like other Phil -- it was so easy that it was almost funny. I ended up scoring in something like the 98th percentile, with the caveat that people with previous military experience got put to the head of the list. I ended up getting letters from the DOC and my local PD about interviewing, but I wasn't really looking to actually do it so I declined.

A few years later (this is all in the last year or so), my brother, who graduated with a criminal justice degree, was looking for a job. He took the NYPD test, and a couple of others (the NJ state one, Nassau County and maybe Suffolk). I spoke with my dad (a recently-retired NJ corrections officer) and he said that with NJ, at least, it's tough getting hired, as the state's done a lot of budget cutbacks. In the end, my brother settled for a Communications Officer position with the DOC, since there are lots of other positions that are only offered internally as transfers, not as something a new person could get hired into from outside. [I think he's making somewhere in the $30s as his base, with some overtime. He has weird days off, though: Tuesday and Thursday.]

Regarding the NYPD salary, I've heard that while it sucks, building some time with the NYPD makes officers more attractive to Nassau and Suffolk for positions out further east, which also pay a lot better. With just about any law enforcement position, though, there's a lot of potential for putting in a bunch of overtime and earning more that way.

[moose135]

Ryan with a gun? God help us all :shock:

[PHL Approach]

Ryan - I know NY is for you and all. But if you are looking to more somewhere new to live. Try Sin City: Clark County is looking for several hundred if not thousands of officers. Although it sounds like the test and all are very stringent and not many people pass... Then again maybe most people out there that applied are absolute morons.

[Matt Molnar]

I took the NYPD and NYSP tests a few years ago not because I want to be a cop, but just so I'd have an extra job option if I really needed it. The NYPD test was very easy, the state test was quite a bit more difficult, and I think the physical requirements are more stringent as well. I got invited to both academies and turned down both...the troopers never contacted me again, but the NYPD sends me a letter every couple of months pretty much begging me to sign on.

There are pros and cons to each depending on what you're looking for. NYPD pays garbage, but at least you get to work in NYC. NYSP pays much better, but they can station you in Watertown or some other godforsaken place up north wherever they feel like. Nassau and Suffolk PDs, MTA Police and PAPD are probably the best deals.

You also may have seen recruitment ads for the Dallas PD above the urinals at Shea Stadium. :borat:

[hiss srq]

If I was to even consider it I would likely go NYPD and use it as a stepping stone to get in with NCPD, SCPD or Long Beach Police Department. LBPD would give a prefrental treatment because I am a local from what I understand as well. Most of my early education was in Long Beach etc etc.... Most of the officers on the force are Long Beachers. I think there is two officers on the whole force in Long Beach that were not from Long Beach or current residents upon being hired. Long Beach actually has a pretty large department considering the size of our island too. They pratically step on each others toes so to speak there are soo many. Even at like 11 PM sometimes you will see like 4 cruisers roaming around and than some. That is if I can ever bring myself to seperate from the aviation world. I would love to be a cop on Long Island though.

[T-Bird76]

Ryan with a gun? God help us all :shock:

My thoughts exactly!!!!

[bonanzabucks]

I actually registered to take the exam last week, but I didn't show up because I just got an offer for a much better job. My job now sucks ass (yes, I know I recently started, but it's turned out to be a disaster) and I wanted to expand all my options.

I used to work for the NYC Office of Management and Budget in the Law Enforcement unit, which overlooked the police budget. Back then, which was like 6-7 years ago, entry-level police salaries were about $35K. They had no trouble attracting new recruits, even after 9/11. They lowered the salary by $8K because the police union got greedy and sacrificed new recruit salaries for sargent salaries, who got a really good raise. Now they can't get anyone to join if their life depended on it. Everyone I know who works for the NYPD or back at OMB says they totally regret that new labor deal.

However, you can make good money with OT and they give you the opportunity to work as much as you want. Not to mention, you can retire after 20 years. They're trying to sell that part to potential recruits. Not only that, they're letting you use food stamps and you can get a really good deal on credit cards from some banks. Why can't they just raise the salaries?

I might take the exam sometime in the future. You can easily transfer to another police department. The best one is Suffolk County. The starting salary there is sick -- I don't remember exactly, but I know it was over $65K. They actually had a recruitment exam in the spring and had way more people than they anticipated. I was registered to take that exam too because my ex-girlfriend signed me up for it, and then she found out it was to be a cop and she wouldn't let me go because she thought I'd get killed in the line of duty. Stupid. I wish I took that exam and totally regret not being there...

About the NYPD exam. I know two people who took it: a friend and my ex. My friend did really well and thought it was easy. My ex failed. Judging by some of the comments here saying how easy the exam was, I guess it shows how dumb she was...

[Joe C]

They lowered the salary by $8K because the police union got greedy and sacrificed new recruit salaries for sargent salaries


Actually it's two different unions. PBA and SBA. Usually it's called sacrificing "the unborn",
since you are giving up bennies for people who are not on the job anyway and taking care of the ones that are there.
So the PBA is only dealing with Police officers and not Sgts.
OT and shift differential helps . Plus remember time counts toward other Depts.

[bonanzabucks]

They lowered the salary by $8K because the police union got greedy and sacrificed new recruit salaries for sargent salaries

Plus remember time counts toward other Depts.


But SCPD was offering 65K+ with no experience. You didn't even need a degree. All you needed to do was take the exam.

[flyguy1]

I have taken the NYPD, PAPD, and TBTA exams. All of these exams are relatively easy, they act more as an elimination tool for the truly clueless. As of now, I am still under consideration for the next PAPD class. I'm really hoping I get it, as the pay is great, and I might get paid to patrol JFK/LGA/EWR:)

[mirrodie]

You know, what kinds of questions are on these tests? Are that that difficult?

[PhilDernerJr]

"If two corners on one side of a city block are 300 feet apart, how many feet would you have traveled if you ran around the block?"

[pgengler]

One (short) section of the NJ exam I took showed you a map of a fictional small town, with a couple of places marked and some one-way streets. Questions asked about the shortest way to get from one place to another, or what directions you should follow. It felt like something I'd done in first grade.

[hiss srq]

I am now also looking at the PAPD. Family I did not know about. ;) Anyway the NYPD exam is in a few weeks. We shall see where it goes. My girlfriend does not appear to be too thrilled about it though which leaves me to question at this time if it is the best idea.

[NIKV69]

Unfortunately, NYPD recruiting is even more desperate than it was when I took it. With a starting salary of $27,100, start saving now. Although, coming from the airline industry, it's probably a lateral move financially.



Good point, unless you get on with SCPD your basically going to be risking your life for the same money if you go with NYPD.

Law enoforcement is a great career choice but you have to weigh many things. Salary, pension, where you would be working. Won't hurt to take the tests. You always have the option later.

[hiss srq]

The next Nassau and Suffolk exams are not untill 2011 or 2012 so for now I have to settle for what I can get and than move laterally.

[Nick]

Got an 85 on suffolk, not quite good enough. Just took NYSP, need to brush up on my math. I'm looking into Police Jobs outside of NY also, I'll have my A&P and acft maintenance experience.

[emshighway]

Take the tests. You can always decide later if you want it or not.