Requirements
Qualifying Age: The minimum age of appointment is 21 years old. However, candidates are eligible to take the Police Officer’s Entrance Exam at seventeen and one half (17½) years old. Candidates may take the Entrance Exam up until their 35th birthday.
Education: You must have earned 60 college credits with a minimum 2.0 GPA from an accredited institution or 2 years of active military service in the U.S. Armed Forces in order to be appointed to the title of Police Officer.
Residency: You must also be a United States citizen, have a valid New York driver license and live in one of the city's five boroughs or Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam or Orange counties within 30 days of being hired.
Disqualifiers: Candidates will be disqualified if they have been convicted of a felony, domestic violence misdemeanor, or have been dishonorably discharged from the military. Candidates may also be disqualified if they demonstrate a history of disrespect for the law, a tendency toward violence, termination from a job for poor behavior, or not adjusting to discipline.
The Hiring Process
- The hiring process requires that the following steps must be successfully completed:
- Written Entrance Exam: Candidates must pass a written examination offered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services in order to move forward in the hiring process
- Medical Exam
- Written and Oral Psychological Exams
- Background Character Investigation
- Job Standards Test (JST): Candidates must finish this continuous physical test in 4 minutes and 28 seconds to pass. The JST includes: sprinting 50 feet and surmounting a barrier; climbing stairs; demonstrating the ability to physically restrain someone; running in pursuit; dragging a 175-pound mannequin 35 feet to simulate a rescue; and pulling the trigger of an unloaded firearm multiple times
- In addition, candidates are required to pass a drug and alcohol screening