Ulster
County Personnel Department
Civil Service Examination
Announcement
FILING
FEE $40.00
POLICE DEPARTMENTS
IN THE TOWNS OF
#70352 POLICE CHIEF – TYPE A
PROMOTION EXAMINATION
LAST DATE FOR FILING
APPLICATIONS: January 18, 2012
EXAMINATION DATE: March 3, 2012
SALARY:
The starting salary varies by location.
QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING THE
TEST: At the time of
examination, candidates must be employed by one of the Police Departments
appearing above with at least sixty (60) months permanent, competitive class
status in the position of Police Officer.
As a result of this examination,
separate eligible lists will be established for each of the Police Departments
listed above.
Special Note: Pursuant to New York State Civil
Service law Section 58, no person shall be eligible for appointment to any rank
above the rank of police officer unless that person has been appointed a police
officer from an eligible list established according to merit and fitness or has
previously served as a member of the New York State Police.
Any person otherwise meeting the
requirement(s) for the examination who was laid‑off from an agency for
which the examination is being held, and whose name is presently on a preferred
list, is eligible to compete in the examination. When completing their
applications, such persons should be sure to indicate their present employment
and/or the title and location of their last permanent employment in the
municipality.
APPLICATION REVIEW
TOLERANCE POLICY
For
the purposes of this policy, "tolerance" shall mean the leeway given
regarding work experience when reviewing an application. Applicants lacking a
small amount of work experience when applying for promotional or open-competitive
examinations may qualify under the following conditions:
1) Candidates
will be given a maximum tolerance of one (1) month.
2) Tolerance will be given only when the
minimum qualification requires one or more years of work experience.
3) Tolerance Policy does not apply
to education or licensure/certification requirements. (See particular
examination announcement for "Anticipated Eligibility" information).
4) Tolerance Policy does not apply
where required work experience is set forth by law or rules.
5) Tolerance Policy does not apply
to enable applicants to meet residence requirements.
For
more information regarding Tolerance Policy, please contact our office at (845)
340-3550.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:
The work involves responsibility for all police functions and requires
ability to plan, administer and direct the law enforcement activities of a
small town or village police force consisting of ten (10) or fewer full-time
police officers and usually consisting of no more than two (2) supervisory
levels between the Chief and the police officer level. The work is performed in accordance with the
state and local laws according to established policies and objectives with
considerable leeway allowed for the exercise of discretion and judgment in
department organizations and maintenance of high performance standards. The work is reviewed through conferences and
reports. Direct supervision is exercised
overall subordinate members of the police force. Does related work as required.
SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION:
Written test will cover knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such
areas as:
1. Knowledge of law enforcement
methods, practices and procedures
These questions test for knowledge of
accepted police methods and practices and/or their application to situations in
the police field. The questions are a sampling of the various knowledge that
police personnel may be required to possess in the course of their day-to-day,
work-related activities. Areas covered include investigation procedures, patrol
techniques, police-community relations, courtroom procedures, personnel
practices, policy making and budgeting procedures.
2. Knowledge of
These questions test the candidates'
knowledge of the laws in effect on January 1, 2012. This portion of the test is
a sampling of the various sections of the law that police personnel may
encounter in the course of their day-to-day work-related activities. Laws
covered may include the Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law,
Family Court Act, and other laws relevant to law enforcement in
3. Administration - Police
These questions test for knowledge of
the managerial functions involved in directing an organization or an
organizational segment. These questions cover such areas as: developing
objectives and formulating policies; making decisions based on the context of
the administrator's position and authority; forecasting and planning;
organizing; developing personnel; coordinating and informing; guiding and
leading; testing and evaluating; and budgeting.
4. Supervision - Police
These questions test for knowledge of
the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling
the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts
covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as
assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work
standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural
change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism,
morale, and discipline.
5. Understanding and interpreting
written material
These questions test how well you
comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections
and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required
to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be
required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the
selections.
6. Preparing written material in a
police setting
These questions test for the ability
to prepare the types of reports that police personnel write. Some questions
test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately. They
consist of restatements of information given in note form. You must choose the
best version from each set of four choices. Other questions test for the
ability to organize paragraphs. They consist of paragraphs with their sentences
out of order. For each of the paragraphs you must choose, from four
suggestions, the best order of the sentences.
P. E. R. C. Statement
The final rating key for this
examination will be established by the State Civil Service Commission prior to
the testing date, upon recommendation of a committee of police experts who will
review all the questions for appropriateness and accuracy. There will be no
review of the questions by candidates. The committee was selected with the
assistance and endorsement of the Police Conference of New York, Inc., the New
York State Association of PBAs, Inc., and the New York State Association of
Chiefs of Police, Inc.
A Guide for the Written Test for
Police Chief/Assistant Chief is available at the
NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:
THE USE OF CALCULATORS/SLIDE RULES IS PROHIBITED IN THIS EXAMINATION.
POINTS WILL BE ADDED TO AN ELIGIBLE
SCORE AS FOLLOWS:
*Seniority . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For each year 0.2
*Seniority is based on the length of
continuous competitive (permanent) class service in the jurisdiction up to a
maximum of twenty (20) years.
*FEES*:
Send your check or money order for forty dollars ($40.00) (made payable
to
EXCEPTION TO FEE REQUIREMENT: An exception to the processing fee will be
made for persons receiving Supplemental Social Security payments or public
assistance (Safety Net Assistance or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families),
provided Foster Care or certified Workforce Investment Act of 1998 eligible
through a state or local social service agency, and for those who are currently
unemployed. Individuals wishing to claim
this waiver of fee on the basis of Supplemental Social Security, Safety Net
Assistance or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, must certify on their
application, under number 20 Remarks, that they are receiving public assistance
and must indicate the type of assistance they are receiving, the agency
providing the assistance and their case numbers. Persons claiming this waiver
through Foster Care or Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Certification must
specify the program and name of their contact agency. Persons claiming this
waiver, who are currently unemployed must certify on their application, under
number 20 Remarks, that they are currently unemployed and must provide
documentation that they are receiving unemployment benefits or other
unemployment documentation deemed appropriate by the Ulster County Personnel
Officer. Such claims are subject to
later verification and, if not supported by appropriate documentation, are
grounds for barring appointment.
Applications may be obtained at the
For those applications submitted in
person on the last file date, please submit no later than 4:30 PM. All
applications must be in our office no later than 5:00 PM on the last file date.
Applications postmarked by the last file date will also be accepted.
This
examination is being prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil
Service in accordance with Section 23‑2 of the Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil
Service Rules and Regulations dealing with the rating of examinations will
apply to this test.
CRIMINAL
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION POLICY: In accordance with Ulster County Local Law
Number 14 of 2007, a criminal background check (including fingerprinting) will
be initiated by the Ulster County Personnel Department upon initial employment
or re-hire to Ulster County positions, and conducted by the New York State
Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the New York State Office of
Court Administration, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Verification Information System (IMAGE Program), or any law enforcement agency.
SPECIAL NOTE: All public agencies are required by law to
provide full and equal opportunities for minorities, women and to people with
disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to compete without regard
to race, creed or national origin. Applicants requesting special testing
arrangements as a Saturday Sabbath Observer, alternate test date candidate (in
accordance with Alternate Test Date Policy), or an active member of the
military away from the area on the scheduled test date must clearly indicate this
fact on the application. All such requests must be supported by appropriate
documentation.
VETERANS: Non-disabled and disabled veterans
who wish to claim additional credits must request a Veterans Credits
application from our office. This form must be completed and submitted along
with a war service (DD214) form prior to the establishment of the
resulting eligible list. Veterans credits may only be added to a passing score
and may only be used for appointment once. Candidates currently in the
armed forces may apply for and be conditionally granted veteran’s credits. Any candidate who applies for such credits
must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credits. You
may not claim additional Veterans Credits after the eligible list has been
established. It is the candidate’s responsibility to request the Veterans
Credits application forms and submit these forms and any required supporting
paperwork before the eligible list is established.
ADDITIONAL CREDITS 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.
APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE
EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN
EXAMINATIONS ARE SCHEDULED ON SAME DATE: If you have applied for any other Civil
Service examinations for employment with New York State or any other local
government jurisdiction, you must make arrangements to take all the
examinations at one test site.
If you have applied for both State
and Local government examinations, you must make arrangements to take
all your examinations at the State examination center by calling (518)
457‑7022 no later than two weeks before the test date.
If you have applied for other local
government examinations, call or write to each Civil Service Agency to make
arrangements. You must make your request
for these arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the
examinations. You must notify all local
government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of
the test site at which you wish to take your examination(s). For this examination call (845) 340‑
3531 OR write to Ulster County Personnel Department,
*If candidates have not received
notification of this examination within four (4) days of the examination, they
should contact this office immediately.
#70352
ORIGINAL COPY: BLUE
ISSUED: December 21, 2011