Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff Patrol [Exam Required]

Employees in this class are responsible for the enforcement of laws and ordinances and protection of lives and property. The work primarily consists of routine patrol operations in an assigned area, preliminary investigations, apprehension of criminals, and related police duties which are in accordance with rules and regulations of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. A Deputy Sheriff Patrol must be always armed while on duty. A senior officer regularly checks the work and gives specific instructions and assistance when special problems arise. Work is performed under general supervision of a Deputy Sheriff Patrol - Corporal, Deputy Sheriff Patrol - Sergeant or a higher-ranking officer. The incumbent performs related work as required.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Working knowledge of the use of weapons and their capabilities; working knowledge of the geography, buildings, and the community in the patrol area; working knowledge of the Penal Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law, Criminal Procedures Law, Alcohol Beverage Control Law, Civil Law, Mental Hygiene law, other laws and local rules, regulations, and ordinances; ability to administer first aid; ability to properly operate a patrol vehicle and radio equipment; ability to interact with the public in a manner that is humanitarian and professional; ability to deal with people under stress; ability to exercise sound judgment in emergencies and unusual situations; ability to keep accounts and records; physical strength and agility.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT: Must be a legal resident of Oneida County, Herkimer County, Lewis County, Madison County, Oswego County or Otsego County for at least one (1) month immediately preceding the date of appointment and must maintain residency throughout appointment.

When preference in certification is given to residents of a municipality pursuant to subdivision 4-a of Section 23 of the Civil Service Law, an eligible must have been a resident of such municipality for at least one month prior to the date of certification to be included in a certification as a resident of such municipality and must be a resident of such municipality at the time of appointment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: (Candidates must meet minimum qualifications at time of application.)

Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma or comparable diploma as described in Section 58 of the Civil Service Law; AND Effective September 1, 2025, per Section 58.1(A) of Civil Service Law, applicants must be at least 19 years old on or before the date of the examination to take the written test. Eligibility for appointment as a Deputy Sheriff Patrol or Police Officer begins when the eligible reaches age 20. Applicants who reach their 43rd birthday on or before the date of written examination are not qualified except as follows: Applicants may have a period of military duty or terminal leave, up to seven (7) years as defined in Section 243 (10-a) of the Military Law, deducted from their age for purposes of determining whether they meet the age requirement.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. DRIVER LICENSE: Possession of a valid New York State Driver License is required at the time of appointment and must remain valid throughout the appointment.
2. CITIZENSHIP: Must be a United States citizen at time of appointment.
3. MEDICAL EVALUATION: You must pass a pre-employment medical evaluation. Oneida County Department of Personnel will establish the date, time, and location for this evaluation.
4. 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. Fingerprinting is required. You will be responsible for paying all background investigation fees.
5. 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. Further information may be requested from candidates to verify academic qualifications.
2. Conviction of a felony will be bar appointment. Conviction of misdemeanors or violations of law may be a bar appointment. A person adjudicated as a youthful offender may be disqualified from appointment.
3. Applicants may be approved conditionally to take civil services examinations if the minimum educational requirement is met within twelve (12) months of the examination date.
4. As proof of satisfactory completion of the minimum educational requirement, conditionally approved candidates are responsible for submitting appropriate documentation within twelve (12) months of taking the exam.
5. Names of conditionally approved candidates will be restricted on the eligible list and will not be certified for appointment, until appropriate documentation is received.

This position requires a Civil Service Exam. Please read through the entire exam announcement when applying to ensure you know what is expected of you.

To Apply: You will need to apply to the next Deputy Sheriff Patrol/Police Officer Civil Service Exam. To do this:

1. Go to https://oneida-portal.mycivilservice.com/post/exams 

2. Create an account and apply to take the next Deputy Sheriff Patrol/Police Officer Exam

3. Once approved, you will go through the prescreening process in preparation for the exam. 

4. Read all of the instructions given to you for the exam, if you have any questions please call 315-798-5726

SUBJECTS OF EXAMINATION: This examination will consist of two parts. There will be a written test which you must pass to be considered for appointment. Your score on the written test will determine your rank on the eligible list. In addition, you must meet the physical fitness standards prescribed by the Oneida County Department of Personnel, measured by the physical fitness screening test. You must pass the physical fitness screening test to be eligible for certification from the eligible list.

(A) WRITTEN TEST: The written test will be designed to evaluate knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. SITUATIONAL JUDGMENT: These questions test 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.
2. 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.
3. INFORMATION ORDERING AND LANGUAGE SEQUENCING: These questions test 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 to answer one or more questions.
4. PROBLEM SENSITIVITY AND REASONING: These questions test 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.
5. SELECTIVE ATTENTION: These questions test 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.
6. VISUALIZATION: These questions test 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.
7. 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.

CALCULATORS ARE PROHIBITED

TEST GUIDE: 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 who do not have access to a computer, or the internet may request a copy of the test guide from the municipal civil service office conducting this examination using the contact information found elsewhere on this announcement.

(B) PHYSICAL FITNESS SCREENING TEST: Candidates will be scheduled and must meet the physical fitness and medical standards prescribed by the Oneida County Department of Personnel. The test will consist of three elements: Sit-ups, Push-Ups, and a 1.5 Mile Run, which are essential for the satisfactory performance of the duties of a law enforcement officer. All elements are scored on a pass/fail basis, and candidates must satisfactorily complete each element of the test to successfully complete the test. Unsuccessful candidates will be considered for re-testing at a future date. Candidates who fail the re-test will not be appointed to the position. Candidates who pass the qualifying physical fitness test and who are given a conditional offer of employment will be scheduled to take the required medical examination.

1. Sit-Ups: This test measures the muscular endurance of the core body. The score indicated below is the number of bent-leg sit-ups to be performed in one minute.
2. Push-Ups: This test measures the muscular endurance of the upper body. The score below is the number of full body repetitions that must becompleted without breaks.
3. 1.5 Mile Run: This test measures cardiovascular capacity. The (time) score below is calculated in minutes and seconds.