The Process in becoming one of New York's Finest

Being part of New York's Finest is an honor and a special recognition. The job of a police officer involves risking their lives everyday in order to try and make New York a better place for us to live. Not many people are willing to take this risk for fear of losing their lives. Being a police officer in New York City is a one in a lifetime experience that doesn't require you to be tied to a desk all day. Its an interesting career and you won't find yourself counting the hours to go home on a regular work day.

The first step in the hiring process of becoming one of New York's finest is a written Civil Service examination. Once you pass that test, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services select you as an eligible to passed on to the NYPD. Then, the Applicant Processing Division begins the selection process.

After this, you go to get a medical examination at their location where you do the fingerprinting and an initial character analyzation. You must bring a document proving you have 60 college credits (2 years) and a 2.0 GPA or 2 years of military service. You will then be sent to another location (on another day) to do a character investigation. There, you will meet up with an investigator who will review your application booklet and all of your documents. After you have done these activities, you will have to take a standardized written psychological test. If you meet all the standards, you will move on to the next step which is the oral interview. After this, you will be given a date to take the job standard test. This is a physical test which has to be completed in 4 minutes and 28 seconds. If you fail any area of this test, you will not be permitted to go on with the hiring process. However, if you pass the test you will be appointed to the pre hire interview. Here, they do a brief medical examination and character investigation update. After all of this is done, and you have passed all the activities. You will go on to the Police Academy. Here, they physically train you to be a police officer. The Police Academy is 6 months long. After those 6 months you graduate and become a certified police officer and officially join New York's Finest.

Other requirements before heading to the Police Academy are:

- You must have an unrestricted driver's license.

- Live in any of the 5 boroughs of New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam or Orange Counties.

- Are between the ages of 21 to 35.

- Be a citizen of the United States.

While in the Police Academy, the future rookies get $25,100 a year. After the completion of 6 months, the pay goes up to $32,700. And every year after that the pay goes up. When you reach 5 1/2 years, the pay will be $59,588 a year. This doesn't include overtime, holiday pay, and uniform allowance. Not to mention all the benefits that a police officer gets including health benefits, paid vacation, and unlimited sick leave with full pay. Many people complain that the ones that are risking their lives to make this a better place are getting too little a year. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already suggested raising the cadet salary to about $38,000, as the city prepares to arbitrate with the Police Benevolent Association over salaries.
It's bound to go up, because if it stays this low, there's not going to be any recruits in a few years.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/