Police Chief (Type A)

Modified: January 14, 2022 11:56am

COUNTY OF ERIE - DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL
invites applications for the position of:

Police Chief (Type A)

#61-652 - Open Competitive (open to the public)

Salary: Salaries Vary
Opening Date: January 14, 2022
Closing Date: February 9, 2022
Application fee: $30.00

Erie County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to workplace diversity.

Residence Requirements:

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill future vacancies of Police Chief in Type-A Departments which may occur in municipalities or districts under the jurisdiction of Erie County Civil Service while this list is active currently including:

Towns of Brant, Eden and Grand Island

Villages of Akron; Blasdell, North Collins and Springville

The duration of this eligible list is four years from date of establishment unless otherwise indicated.

Examples of Duties:

Police Chief (Type-A Department) administers the work and activities of a town or village police department and is the commanding officer of the police force;

Issues working orders for the department;

Organizes the force into units to handle different kinds of work and assigns officers to posts;

Reviews reports and activities of officers;

Takes disciplinary action where necessary in accordance with the provisions of the civil service law;

Organizes and administers a training program in police methods and procedures for recruits and regular officers of the department;

Supervises the activities of the police force at all serious fires or disorders;

Prepares or directs the preparation of oral and written reports; cooperates with other law enforcement agencies and the public;

Directs the investigation of major criminal offenses;

Recommends the purchase of necessary supplies and equipment;

Delivers talks on safety and other law enforcement problems;

Keeps abreast of the latest developments in modern police methods;

may in small municipalities (Type A): patrol streets, investigates suspicious activities, apprehends and arrests criminals menacing general public, gathers evidence and assists in prosecution, arrests violators of traffic regulations, investigates automobile accidents, investigates missing persons, reports stolen cars and property, directs traffic, makes daily reports.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates must meet one of the following requirements on or before the date of the written test: 

Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma issued by the New York State Educational Department, and five years of experience as a Police Officer in a recognized police department, two years of which were in a supervisory* (see Note 1)  capacity.

Notes:

1. *SUPERVISION - Responsible direction and control of subordinate employees. This involves the assignment of work, approval of work, training, evaluation and discipline of employees. The supervisory aspects must be an integral part of the job, not incidental or occasional.

2. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements.

Examination date:

March 19, 2022

Applications Must Be Postmarked or Hand Delivered By:

February 9, 2022

A Guide for the Written Test for Police Chief/Assistant Chief 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.

Subjects of Examination:

Scopes / Subjects of examination: A test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas.

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.

Knowledge of New York State laws - Criminal

These questions test the candidates' knowledge of the laws in effect on January 1, 2022. 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 New York State.

Administration - Police

These questions test for knowledge of the managerial functions involved in directing an A level police department. 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.

Supervision

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.

Understanding and interpreting written material

These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will 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.

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.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:  Use of calculators is prohibited for this examination.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", "Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited.  Cell phones are prohibited.  You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $30.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.