JOINING THE FORCE
Want a meaningful job? Consider a career in policing
FIDELIS ad Mortem: Faithful unto Death. Such is the motto the brave men and women of the New York Police Department live by as they protect our city every day. Do you, too, have what it takes to join New York’s Finest?
Some of the most coveted qualities about joining a law enforcement agency may surprise you — and align with you seeking an exciting new career path within the police force.
“You have to be adaptable. Patient. Conscientiousness is a good trait,” said John Benoit, chief of personnel at NYPD. Nimble thinking counts for a lot, too — for a lot of the things that police officers confront, there’s no written procedure, said Benoit. “You have to make judgment calls.”
Opportunities for advancement, career development and even career pivots abound, and you “can have multiple careers within a career.”
Take Benoit, for example, who, prior to joining NYPD’s human resources, served as commanding officer of the crime scene unit. Love dogs or horses? Work in the canine or mounted units. Have a passion for helping survivors? Join the special victims unit.
Additionally, if you don’t have an appetite for policing, the NYPD also has more than 250 non-public safety civilian titles including case management nurses, electricians, plumbers, social workers, psychologists and other roles.
With a policing career, you also don’t need to worry about stagnating. (Or boredom: “I assisted in delivering a baby,” recalled Benoit. “If I was not in this line of work, I would never have experienced it.”) So long as you have a strong positive attitude, a good work ethic, look sharp and you’re somebody that people enjoy being around, you’ll be on the brass’ radar for advancement.
“If you’re one of those people who go above and beyond, you will be noticed, and those opportunities will actually come to you,” he said.
Note that on the uniform side and in some cases on the civilian side, you have to pass written and civil service examinations to serve in a supervisory capacity.
In terms of benefits, Benoit said one of the NYPD’s most noteworthy offerings is the opportunity to earn a lifetime pension at halfsalary after 22 years of service.
Also offered are minimal cost health insurance plans, up to 27 vacation days per year after six years of service, an unlimited sick leave policy and scholarship opportunities.
There’s also the opportunity to earn a variable supplement fund, which is an annuity-like lifetime payment that you would earn in addition to your pension.
(Learn more about qualifications, the hiring process, and salaries and benefits for various roles at NYPDRecruit.com.)
For someone who is on the fence about applying to any police force, Benoit likes to tell them that this career offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact. “This is a profession where you can engage with somebody, even for 10 minutes, and in that 10 minutes, you have an opportunity to actually change the path of somebody’s life,” he said. “Even if it’s providing directions or just helping somebody in a time of need, you may forget about it five minutes after . . . but that person will speak about it forever.”