Police Officer Exam - Type C Exam No. 60023130

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED:  A City of Ithaca application, copy of high school transcript or General Equivalency Diploma (GED), copy of driver license, proof of age, proof of United States citizenship, and application fee or waiver.
 
VACANCIES:  Currently, there are seven (7) vacancies in the City of Ithaca Police Department.  The eligible list established as a result of this examination may be used to fill these vacancies and any future vacancies that may occur during the life of the eligible list.
 
RESIDENCY:  There are no residency requirements for this exam.  Preference in certification may be given to candidates who are residents of the municipality in which appointment is to be made, provided that the candidate is a resident of such municipality at the time of examination and remains a resident of such municipality continuously thereafter, up to and including the dates of certification and appointment.
 
SALARY:  $76,220
 
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:  The incumbent has personal responsibility in an assigned district during a specific period for the enforcement of all laws and ordinances and the protection of lives and property.  The work consists primarily of routine patrol tasks.  Assists in the investigation of criminal offenses and the apprehension of criminals.  There is considerable independent responsibility for the exercise of sound judgment in emergency situations.  However, ordinary procedures and special assignments are usually carried out under immediate supervision. Does related work as required.
 
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma.
 
If you expect to complete the educational requirement within six (6) months of the date of examination, you can be admitted to this examination.  If successful on the examination, you will not be certified for appointment until you have submitted proof of completion of the requirements to the Civil Service Commission.  Proof must be submitted within eight months of the date of examination.  Failure to do so will result in removal of your name from the eligible list.
 
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:  Possession of a valid New York State Class D driver license or a valid driver license equivalent to a New York State Class D driver license at the time of appointment and maintenance of said license for the duration of employment.
 
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
 

1. Candidates must meet all requirements for the appointment of Police Officers which are prescribed in Section 58 of the NYS Civil Service Law, including the following:

 
AGE:  Candidates must not yet have reached age thirty-five (35) as of the date of the written examination.  There is no minimum age requirement for participation in the exam, but eligibility for appointment as a Police Officer does not begin until a candidate reaches age twenty (20).  Candidates who reach their thirty-fifth (35^th) birthday on or before the date of the written examination are not qualified.*  Time spent on military duty or terminal leave, not exceeding a total of seven (7) years, may be subtracted from the age of any applicant who has passed his or her thirty-fifth birthday, as provided for in Section 243.10(a) of New York State Military Law. 
 
* Please note that the age requirements pertain to the candidate’s age on the date on which the candidate takes the written examination.  Candidates who may be impacted by the maximum age requirement and who are requesting an alternate test date (for active military duty, Sabbath observance or for an alternate test date situation which meets the conditions of this agency's alternate test date policy) are advised to contact the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department at hrdept@cityofithaca.org or (607) 274-6539 to discuss their request.
           
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:  Candidates must meet the medical standards prescribed by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council.  Employment offers will be conditional upon the successful completion of the medical examination.
 
A description of the medical standards may be obtained by contacting the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department at hrdept@cityofithaca.org or (607) 274-6539.
 
PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST:  All prospective police officers are required to pass the physical fitness test prescribed by the New York State Municipal Police Training Council.  Candidates who fail the initial physical fitness test may be offered one opportunity for a retest, which will be scheduled at the discretion of the City of Ithaca.  Candidates who fail both the initial physical fitness test and the retest will be removed from the eligible list.  Candidates who fail to participate in the physical fitness test will be removed from the eligible list as well. 
 
Before a candidate participates in the physical fitness test, the candidate may be required to provide a physician’s certification authorizing the candidate to participate in the physical fitness test.  A full description of the physical fitness test may be obtained by contacting the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department at hrdept@cityofithaca.org or (607) 274-6539.
 
INVESTIGATIVE SCREENING:   As stated in Section 58 of the Civil Service Law, there will be a background investigation conducted in accordance with the standards of the Municipal Police Training Council (MPTC). Derogatory information will be evaluated and may result in disqualification. All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment, depending upon the relationship of the violation or omission to the duties of the position.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION:  As stated in Section 58 of the Civil Service Law, you will be required to participate in a psychological evaluation to determine your fitness to perform the essential duties of the position prior to appointment. Failure to meet the standards may result in your offer of employment being rescinded or in your disqualification. An eligible will be called for a psychological assessment as needed to fill existing and anticipated vacancies.
 

1. Candidates must meet all requirements for the appointment of Public Officers which are prescribed in Sections 3 and Section 30 of the NYS Public Officer Law, including the following:

 
CRIMINAL RECORD:  Conviction of a felony will bar candidates from appointment, and conviction of a misdemeanor may bar candidates from appointment.
 
            CITIZENSHIP:  Candidates must be a United States citizen at the time of appointment.
 
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  Applicants may be required to undergo a State and national criminal history background investigation, which will include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment.  Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in disqualification.
 
SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION:  The written examination will cover knowledges, skills and/or abilities in such areas as:
 

1. Situational Judgment

 
These questions test for the ability to identify appropriate and effective responses to work-related challenges. You will be presented with scenarios that reflect the types of challenges one could encounter in a work environment.  Each scenario will be followed by several responses to the scenario.  You must rate the effectiveness of each response.
 

1. Language Fluency

 
These questions test for the ability to read, understand, and present a clear and accurate summary of information.  For some questions, you will be given a brief reading passage followed by four statements, each summarizing the information.  You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given several sentences, one of which contains a spelling, grammatical, or punctuation error.  You must then select the line that contains the error.
 

1. Information Ordering and Language Sequencing

 
These questions test for the ability to properly identify the sequence or order of events, or to organize information to fit a timeline.  You will be given a brief reading passage followed by one or more questions.  You must identify the proper sequence of events in order to answer one or more questions. 
 

1. Problem Sensitivity and Reasoning

 
These questions test for the ability to apply information and to identify a problem or potential problem.  For some questions, you will be given information in the form of policies, rules, regulations, or laws, which will be followed by a situation.  You must then identify the problem and apply the information to select the best course of action to take.  For other questions, you will be given a scenario and mock witness statements.  You must use this information to answer one or more questions about the scenario.  
 

1. Selective Attention

 
These questions test for the ability to focus on completing a task and to pay attention to important details while performing repetitive and monotonous tasks. You will be presented with a series of letters, symbols, and/or numbers.  You must select the choice that contains the series of letters, symbols, and/or number that matches exactly.
 

1. Visualization

 
These questions test for the ability to imagine how something will look when it is moved around or when its parts are changed, moved, or rearranged.  You will be presented with an image of a face followed by four images of faces.  Each face is disguised or altered in some way.  Three of the images have a difference in facial structure or facial features.  You must select the choice that contains the image with the identical facial structure and facial features. 
 

1. Spatial Orientation

 
These questions test for the ability to understand how to navigate within spaces or how to get from one point to another. You will be provided with a map followed by one or more questions.  You must imagine yourself at a certain location and orient yourself to the direction in which you would move to get to another location by the shortest (least distance) route.
 
A Guide for the Written Test for Entry-Level Law Enforcement is available at the New York State website: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm. Candidates not having access to a computer or the internet may request copy of the test guide from the municipal civil service office conducting this examination using the contact information found elsewhere on this announcement.
 
NOTE:  Most Civil Service examinations do not require the use of a quiet, hand-held calculator or slide rule; however, candidates have the option of bringing a battery-operated or solar-powered calculator to the test room unless specifically notified that their use is prohibited.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, spell checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries, or any similar devices are prohibited. Use of Calculators is prohibited for this Exam.
 
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION - CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES - MILITARY MEMBERS:
 
Applicants whose religious beliefs or military service prevent their taking examinations on the scheduled date and candidates with disabilities who require special accommodations to take the test should indicate the need for special arrangements on their application.  Candidates who are called to military service after filing an application should send requests for an alternate test date to the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department before the test date.
 
Military Service Members:  If you apply for an examination during the filing period but are on active military duty on the date the examination is scheduled, you may request a military makeup examination.  Contact the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department for more information.  If you are on active duty or discharged after the filing period has begun, you may apply for the examination up to ten days before the test date.
 
SECTION 23.2 STATEMENT:  This examination will be prepared and rated in accordance with Section 23(2) of the Civil Service Law.  The provisions of New York State Civil Service Law, Rules and Regulations dealing with the preparation and rating of examinations will apply to this examination.
 
TIME AND PLACE OF THE EXAMINATION:  Approved candidates will be notified by mail regarding the time and place of the examination.  If notice of approval or disapproval is not received three (3) days prior to the exam date, please call the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department at (607) 274-6539.
 
MULTIPLE EXAMINATIONS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY:  If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site.  All examinations for positions in State government will be held at a State examination center.
 
VETERANS CREDIT: Veterans or disabled veterans who are eligible for additional credit must submit an application for veterans credit with their application for examination or at any time between the dates of their application for examination and the date of the establishment of the resulting eligible list.  Applications for veterans credit are available from this office.  Veterans credits can only be added to a passing score on the examination.
 
Effective January 1, 1998, the State Constitution was amended to permit a candidate currently in the armed forces to apply for and be conditionally granted veterans credit in examinations.  Any candidate who applies for such credit must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credit.  No credit may be granted after the establishment of the list.  It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide appropriate documentary proof of military service, and verification that the candidate received an honorable discharge or was released under honorable conditions in order to be certified at a score including veterans credits.
 
ADDITIONAL CREDIT FOR CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY:  In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served.  If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination.  A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility.  However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.
 
 
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
 
 

1. Falsification of any part of your employment application will result in disqualification.

 

1. Applicants must answer every question on the application and make sure that the application is complete in all respects.  Incomplete applications will be disapproved.

 

1. Candidates who wish to take more than one examination must submit an application for each examination.  If you are cross-filing for another examination to be held on the same date, please indicate this on the application and specify the examination title and number, and the jurisdiction offering the other examination.

 

1. Appointments from an eligible list must be made from the top three candidates willing to accept appointment.  The duration of an eligible list may be fixed for a minimum period of one (1) year and a maximum period of four (4) years.

 

1. It is the responsibility of the candidate to notify the City of Ithaca Human Resources/Civil Service Department of any change in address.  No attempt will be made to locate candidates who have moved.

 
Issued by:      City of Ithaca Civil Service Commission
                        February 5, 2025
 
The City of Ithaca is committed to Equity and Inclusion.  We encourage those with similar values to apply.