GOSHEN – Orange County will hold an exam for individuals interested in becoming either police officers in Orange County’s towns or villages, or deputies in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The deadline to apply for the exam is August 7. The exams will take place on September 9 and 10. Official information is available on the examination announcement which can be found here (scroll down to “Scheduled Open Competitive Examinations”).
“Orange County residents have a long history of supporting law enforcement. It is an important career widely respected by county residents,” said County Executive Steven Neuhaus said. “If you are a young person of good character trying to find a way to make our community safer all while earning a good salary, becoming a police officer is a great opportunity for you.”
To date, 500 candidates have signed up to take the test. The initial application deadline was June 30, however the county decided to re-open the application window to attract more candidates.
“Working closely with my law enforcement colleagues in our towns and villages, we are doing everything we can to encourage people to apply for careers in the sheriff’s office and our local police departments,” Sheriff Paul Arteta said. “Recruitment has been a challenge for some police departments. If you want to start your career as a police officer, this is your opportunity.”
Legislator Robert Sassi, chairman of the County Legislature’s Personnel and Compensation Committee, said taking the police exam “is the first step to a career in law enforcement. Orange County deputy sheriffs are well regarded members of the community. Our town and village police departments likewise have tremendous career opportunities to serve the public while being paid fairly. Law enforcement is an important profession which I encourage people to become a part of.”
While applicants should rely on the official exam announcement, in order to qualify for the exam, you generally must be:
- Between the ages of 19 and 35 at the time of the exam (persons who served in active-duty military service may add onto the maximum age their years in active military duty, up to seven years pursuant to State Law);
- Meet certain residency requirements (generally a resident of Orange or an adjoining county, see official exam announcement for details as different jurisdictions have different requirements);
- Meet certain education and/or experience requirements such as (generally): (a) three years active-duty military experience; or (b) an Associate’s degree or higher or completion of 60 college credits; or (c) completion of 30-45 college credits and work experience as detailed in the exam announcement.
Please note that the official exam announcement (#65032 titled “Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff”) is the only official source of information on how to apply for the test.
