Special Officer

Special Officers under supervision, perform Special Officer work of ordinary difficulty and responsibility relating to physical security, safety, loss prevention and maintenance of order. They patrol designated areas of public buildings, other facilities, and surrounding areas to maintain order, preserve the peace, and safeguard life and property against fire, vandalism, theft, etc.; give routine information to visitors and service recipients and direct them to the proper individuals and offices; discourage and eject loiterers and disorderly persons and when appropriate, arrest and issue summonses to law violators on premises; transport, escort and/or arrange for transport of persons in custody to police precincts and have arrests recorded on police blotter; prepare and transmit all necessary documents relating to arrests; testify in court on arrests; report security instances and unusual occurrences by telephone or radio and make subsequent written reports; as required, provide assistance to the sick, injured, mentally and physically disabled, and call for ambulances and/or medical attention when necessary and complete and forward forms; record daily actions in memo book; maintain records of persons entering or leaving building; keep bulletin board in their area current by adding and removing materials; may make clock rounds as required; may control vehicular traffic on grounds and/or premises; may operate a motor vehicle; monitor and report unusual events from security systems as required; distribute and maintain accountability for designated equipment or property; monitor and control access by the means of electronic security measures, such as closed circuit television; access control readers; may operate hydraulic access devices; attend, complete, and maintain training requirements as per State and Agency mandates; make written entries into location log book; and perform related work.
Special Working Conditions:
Special Officers may be required to work various shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays and to work rotating tours, change tours or work overtime when ordered, as permitted by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Some of the physical activities performed by Special Officers and environmental conditions experienced are: working outdoors in all kinds of weather; walking and/or standing in an assigned area during a tour; driving or sitting in a patrol car during a tour while remaining alert; running after a fleeing suspect; climbing upstairs; may assist in carrying an injured adult; gripping persons to prevent escape; restraining a suspect by use of handcuffs; may be required to detect odors such as those caused by smoke or gas leaks; engaging in hand to hand struggles to subdue a suspect resisting arrest; being physically active for prolonged periods of time; understanding verbal communication over a radio with background noise; reading and writing under low light conditions; carrying or wearing heavy equipment and wearing a bullet resistant vest. Special Officers may be required to wear and operate a body worn camera (BWC) and employ the computer software that goes along with it. (This is a brief description of what you might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this position.)

How To Qualify:
You may be given the test before we verify your qualifications. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the education and experience requirements for the examination before submitting your application. If you are deemed "Not Qualified," your application fee will not be refunded and you will not receive a score. (For more information see Exam Site Admission Section.)

Education And Experience Requirements:
By the date of appointment, you must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization. If you were educated outside the United States, you must have your foreign education evaluated to determine its equivalence to education obtained in the United States. The services that are approved to make this evaluation are listed on the Foreign Education Evaluation Guide located on the DCAS website at at https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/employment/nyc-dcas-foreign-education-evaluation- guide.pdf. When you contact the evaluation service, ask for a "document-by-document" (general) evaluation of your foreign education. You must have one of these services submit its evaluation of your foreign education directly to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services before the pre-employment investigation interview. The high school diploma or its educational equivalent must be approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization.
Age Requirement:
You must have reached your 20th birthday by the date of appointment.
Character and Background:
Pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law Section 2.10, the position of Special Officer is designated as a Peace Officer position. Accordingly, proof of good character is an absolute prerequisite to appointment. Therefore, you must reveal ALL arrests, convictions and pending charges that have occurred in your lifetime. This includes any material sealed, expunged, or set aside under Federal or State law, or youthful offender adjudications. The following are among the factors which may be cause for disqualification: (a) arrest record or conviction of an offense, the nature of which indicates lack of good moral character or disposition toward violence or disorder, (b) repeated arrests or convictions of an offense,where such arrests or convictions indicate disrespect for the law; (c) discharge from employment, where such discharge indicates poor behavior or inability to adjust to discipline; (d) dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces.
Peace Officer Training Certification Requirement:
You must satisfy the training requirements established by the State of New York for Peace Officers. Once obtained, this certification must be maintained for the duration of your employment. Attendance at annual recertification training is mandatory and a continuing condition of employment.
Medical and Psychological Requirement:
Medical and psychological guidelines have been established for the position of Special Officer. You will be examined to determine whether you can perform the essential functions of a Special Officer. Additionally, you will be expected to continue to perform the essential functions of a Special Officer throughout your career, and may, therefore, be medically and psychologically tested periodically throughout your career. Where appropriate, a reasonable accommodation will be provided for a person with a disability to enable him or her to take these medical and psychological examinations, and/or to perform the essential functions of the job. Firearms Qualifications: Certain assignments require the carrying of firearms. Appointees to those assignments must qualify and remain qualified for firearms usage and possession. Drug Screening Requirement: You may be required to pass a drug screening in order to be appointed. Drivers License Requirement: By the time of appointment, a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York i

The multiple-choice test for the Special Officer position will be given at a computer terminal. Your score on this test will be used to determine your place on an eligible list. You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass the test. The multiple-choice test is designed to assess the extent to which candidates have certain abilities determined to be important to the performance of the tasks of a Special Officer. The test may include questions requiring the use of any of the following abilities: Deductive Reasoning: applying general rules to specific problems and coming up with logical answers. It involves deciding if an answer makes sense. Example: A Special Officer might use this ability when deciding if an individual caught vandalizing property should be arrested. Information Ordering: correctly following a rule or set of rules or actions in a certain order. The rule or set of rules used must be given. The things or actions to be put in order can include numbers, letters, words, pictures, procedures, sentences, and mathematical or logical operations. Example: A Special Officer might use this ability when deciding the next appropriate action to take when providing medical assistance to an individual who is physically injured. Problem Sensitivity: being able to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It includes being able to identify the whole problem as well as elements of the problem. Example: A Special Officer may use this ability when preserving the peace, or assisting the sick, injured, or mentally and physically disabled. Time Sharing: shifting back and forth between two or more sources of information. Example: A Special Officer may use this ability when responding to emergencies. Written Comprehension: understanding written sentences and paragraphs. Example: A Special Officer might use this ability when reviewing a report. Written Expression: using English words or sentences in writing so that others will understand. Example: A Special Officer may use this ability when creating an incident report and recording daily logs. Certain questions may need to be answered on the basis of documents or other information supplied to the candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam.

Pursuant to New York State Public Officers Law, you must be a resident of the City of New York at the time of appointment, and you must thereafter maintain City residency as a continuing condition of employment. However, if you have two years of employment with the City of New York, you may be a resident of Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland or Putnam counties.