Police applications nearly double
Officials tout diversity of candidates
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. >> The number of Dutchess County residents applying to take the upcoming police officer/ deputy sheriff exam has nearly doubled since the last time the exam was offered, with applications from people of color in some cases up more than four times what they were in 2017.
Dutchess County officials attribute the dramatic increase in the number of applicants as well as the diversity of those applying to an extensive outreach effort by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Dutchess County Department of Human Resources and local police agencies.
“Over the last several months, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Human Resources and many local police agencies have been working tirelessly to share information, answer questions, and encourage people to consider taking the exam, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said in a press release Friday. “That work has paid off with an impressive applicant pool that is reflective of our county population.”
According to the press release, the last time the exam was given in 2017, the county received 881 applications from individuals looking to take the exam. For the exam given this year, the county received 1,380 applications, a 57% jump in applicants.
The number of Black people applying to take the exam more than doubled, jumping by 108% to 119 from the 58 who applied to take the exam in 2017.
The number of Hispanic applicants soared a whopping 203% to 249 applicants from 82.
The number of Asian applicants for the exam increased by 89% to 17 from the nine that applied for the exam in 2017.
The number of women applying to take the exam also skyrocketed, with 218 applying for the exam, a 98% increase over the 110 women who applied in 2017.
“The large number of diverse applicants will help expand the diversity of law enforcement workforces, making them more representative of the community it serves,” said Josayne Anderson-Tejera, Dutchess County’s Equal Employment Opportunity & Inclusion Officer.
As part of the Dutchess County Police Reform and Modernization Plan, the county took a number of steps to eliminate barriers and improve recruitment efforts.
Among the steps the county took was waiving the $25 exam fee for applications, expanding recruitment efforts at a variety of events, including at Hudson Valley Renegades baseball games at Dutchess Stadium and local outreach at local apartment and housing complexes, and public outreach on social media, flyers and in the media.
The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office provided free preparation courses at various locations throughout the county to help interested candidates prepare for both the written exam and the physical-agilities test components to increase the number of candidates who successfully completed the recruitment process. And the county restructured the 60-college credit requirement to be eligible to take the civil service exam to require new officers to acquire 60 college credits within five years of hiring and receive crisis intervention training within two years of appointment.
Eligible applicants will take the exam on Sept. 18.