Once the test is administered, law enforcement agencies throughout NJ with the exception of the NJ State Police (they have their own testing process currently underway) that are designated “Civil Service” agencies, hire new police officers from the list of passing scores that the Civil Service Commission submits to the agency after an exam is given. Usually, agencies request lists by zip code or municipality (Town/City) or sometimes by (County), and if the agency is statewide like the Human Services Police, then the list is sorted by highest to lowest scores within all of NJ.

In these cases the Civil Service Commission will then go into their data base of passing grades and submit the appropriate list to the requesting agency. In the case of a State Agency, the list would then be the highest scores in the state. With roughly 25,000 people taking the test, you can just imagine how high you need to score to be considered!

The names of candidates are always given by highest ranking scores to lowest. So for example, if Freehold Borough Police Department was hiring 1 police officer, they would request a list of roughly the top 20 candidates by score that reside in Freehold Borough. They would start at #1 on the list and as long as the candidate was still interested in the position and there wasn’t anything negative in his or her background check, that candidate would be hired and the other 19 would have to wait and hope another job became available during the life of the list which is around two years.

That being said, it is HIGHLY important you do two things in preparation for the test.

Register for every category of Law Enforcement positions on the Civil Service Exam

1. Score very high on the test by taking a test preparation class.

The first time I took the Civil Service Test, I scored somewhere between 58 and 72, I can’t quite remember, and with a score that low, it doesn’t really matter. This was around 1992 and for the next two years, I didn’t hear from a single agency! Needless to say, I was very disappointed and couldn’t understand how I could fail especially since I had good grades in English and Math in College.

Several years later, in 2002, I learned about the Bernstein and Associates test preparation course http://www.bernsteintestprep.com/ that is offered just before each new Civil Service Exam which again, is every two years. I enrolled early and was able to attend the free introductory seminar followed by the full class. I attended the seminar in Carteret NJ and listened very carefully to the instruction from the two NJ police lieutenants that instruct the program along with Dr. Bernstein. The instruction they gave over a two day period was invaluable.

Note*

This year’s Entry Level Law Enforcement Exam will be a new 3-part test developed by a psychologist, and Dr. Bernstein is a psychologist who has developed these types of tests. Common sense says better to go to a psychologist for a “personality and bio-data test,” since they are the profession that actually create these types of test!   

After taking the class, I continued to study the text book materials that I had received.  Approximately another month or two later, I took the test again for the second time in my life, at the same location as the first time. It was like the movie “Ground Hog Day”! Back to the Middletown South High School with knots in my stomach, there was no way I was going to perform poorly again!

I remember receiving my test booklet and being told not to touch it until the proctor finished giving the instructions for the exam. A minute or two later which seemed like an eternity, I was allowed to start the test and eagerly flipped it over. I remember beginning the test because I was extremely excited and had studied the Bernsteintestprep.com course for many, many hours. I have to mention I was slightly doubtful as well.

However, much to my surprise and enjoyment, the test followed the exact same program that I was taught at Dr. Bernstein’s school. I nervously took the test section by section but I was actually nervous with excitement. Because this time, I was going to master the test and not be crushed by it! So, to make a long story short, I completed the test in the allotted time, section by section and left the school feeling very confident and relieved!    

There were a few questions I could have done a little better on if I had studied more, but overall I was very happy! So after waiting for what seemed like another eternity, the day arrived once again where a sealed notice arrived at my mailbox from the Civil Service. With my poor stomach in knots again, I tore it open. I can’t describe the feeling I had when I saw the score of 93.5, but I can tell you I felt VICTORIUS!

What a sigh of relief! Remember when you were in school and you took an important test? If you scored in the 90’s, you knew you had accomplished a great score and you could be happy; anything else was like a bonus! After a score like that, you wouldn’t be upset with yourself because knew you did very well! However, in my case, there was a tiny part of me that wished that I studied even more and had done a little better just because in the end, it’s a competitive exam. In the end though, I was proud of myself and at the same time, became a solid believer of the Dr. Bernstein program and was very happy that my cousin had told me about it!

Several months later I started receiving notices from law enforcement agencies that were hiring. My name was at the top of their lists and I started getting calls for interviews.

You can read more about me and my experiences through this website and blog. I also have written another 186 pages on this topic in the book (manual) “How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer or State Trooper”

There is so much more to this process other than just taking the test and scoring well. However, that is one of the first steps you must take to get into this career field. Keep reading this blog, register for instant alerts at Twitter.com/njpolicerecruit , register for the www.NJ-Police-Recruit.com email list, and feel free to email Info@NJ-Police-Recruit.com with any questions.

In the meantime, don’t wait any longer to register for Dr. Bernstein’s class. It is filling up quickly and YOU WILL get locked out! I have seen it happen before. Again, the consequences are having to wait two more years to take the exam again, and when you are waiting to start a career, that feels like an eternity!

And as always, Good Luck, Be Well, and most importantly, Be Safe!

Michael DiLieto

Every police academy in New Jersey has a website. I recommend that job seekers monitor these websites. Some of them conduct county-wide testing for police officer positions in departments throughout the municipalities that they represent. These tests are administered at the police academy and are a requirement by many police agencies around the state. These exams also serve as the entrance exam for candidates wishing to sponsor their own training to become NJ Police Officer Certified in a program called “Alternate Route Program”.

It is very important to monitor each academy’s website in order to not miss any testing opportunities. With over 25,000 NJ residents looking to become police officers at any given time, it is imperative to take tests at any academy that is conducting one. Depending on your financial status and where you are in life, if you can get into an Alternate Route program at any academy in NJ, it’s worth the traveling expense. Alternate Route candidates have a better chance of being hired over a candidate with no prior training due to extreme budget cuts in just about every department around the state. This isn’t to say that you must be certified already, but it will definitely give you an edge.  

You can find a complete listing of NJ police academies on this website on the “Agency Profiles” page under the heading Police Academy. 

Much more information on this topic can also be found in the book sold on this website titled, “How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer or State Trooper”.

As of this first publishing, there is already major news worth reporting and sad news at that.

The Burlington County Police Academy is closing. The County Freeholders have announced that funding will no longer be made available leaving the academy with an expense that it will not be able to handle. It has not closed yet, and I am hoping that they find the financing to continue to stay open. You can read more on this story in the April edition of Cops magazine on page 32.

The Trenton Police Academy is in the same boat. However they will stay open for in-service training which is annual training for active working police officers. You can read further about this academy closing in the March edition of Cops magazine on page 18.

NJ police agencies located within municipalities, counties, and state organizations that are designated as Civil Service, hire new employees through the State of NJ Civil Service Commission.  The Civil Service Commission is a State of NJ agency created and governed by Title 4A of the NJ Administrative Code. Meaning the basic day-to-day operations are over seen by the Director and major policy decisions and changes are determined by the NJ legislature, meaning the Governor, State Assembly and Senate when they create and vote into policy new or amended laws.    

The way it works is fairly basic. The Civil Service Commission posts job vacancies on their website as well as other media outlets. Interested candidates complete applications for open positions to the Civil Service, take any tests that may be required, and upon passing and completing whatever steps are necessary for the particular position, have their names submitted on a list to the hiring authority usually in a ranking order based on test results.

Most state government positions in New Jersey are Civil Service designated, as well as county, and some municipalities. So visiting the Civil Service website is a place to find jobs throughout many different occupations, not only law enforcement.

This is the short explanation. There are many exceptions.

The NJ State Police is NOT Civil Service designated for the position of State Trooper. The State Police hire through their own Human Resources department using their own Recruiting Unit and set their own guidelines and hire completely independent of the Civil Service Commission.   

Somerset County is not Civil Service designated for ANY of their positions including law enforcement.

For all of those interested in municipal and other policing positions, please understand the following:

Out of roughly 479 municipal police departments roughly, 182 are Civil Service. Some college police departments are also Civil Service along with most county sheriffs’ departments, most prisons and jails, county police departments, park police, etc.  You need to know if the agency you are looking at is Civil Service or NOT!

If an agency is Civil Service designated, the only way they can hire you for a Full Time Regular Police Officer position, is if you go through the Civil Service Commission process. However, these law enforcement agencies will hire for other police positions such as Special Officer Class I and II, Police Dispatcher, Records Clerk, etc. outside of the Civil Service.

So, if you send your resume to these agencies you need to know which designations they are so that you follow the proper channels.

The Civil Service Commission tests every TWO years for the position of Police Officer. They announce and test using the title: Entry Level Law Enforcement Examination. All of the information you need to know is on their website.   For most law enforcement police officer positions, you must be under 35 years of age at the close of the announcement. Read the “Maximum Age Requirements” brochure for better clarification along with the exceptions for the rule.

Fore much more information on this topic, you can purchase the book, “How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer or State Trooper”.  Additionally, you should read all available information at the Civil Service Commission website and especially, the Frequently Asked Questions (faq) section.

The Civil Service Commission is announcing the next law enforcement exam on June 1, 2010 with an approximate test date of Fall 2010.

DO NOT miss this date or test!

For a complete listing of New Jersey police agencies and their hiring designation, visit http://NJ-Police-Recruit.com/nj-agency-profiles.html

NJ police officers pay into a pension system during their careers. A portion of their earnings each pay period are deposited into the state pension fund.  The municipality they work for also contributes a matching portion. Currently, it is 8.5% for a total of 16% each week. If the police officer works for a state law enforcement agency, then the state of NJ pays the matching 8.5% along with the officer’s contribution each week. If the officer works for a county law enforcement agency, then the county would contribute the matching funds.
The agency responsible for the management of this pension system is the State of NJ / Department of the Treasury / and subdivided to the “Division of Pensions and Benefits” which can be found on the internet at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/

This agency has several different pension systems that it manages. Here are a few:

Police Fire Retirement System (P.F.R.S.) – All police officers and firefighters appointed after June, 1944, in municipalities where local police and fire pension funds existed, or where this system was adopted by referendum or resolution, are required to become members of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. Certain State and County law enforcement job titles are also covered.

• State Police Retirement System (S.P.R.S.) – All full-time troopers or commissioned or noncommissioned officers of the New Jersey Division of State Police appointed after July 1, 1965, are members of the State Police Retirement System.

• Public Employees Retirement System (P.E.R.S.) – The Public Employees’ Retirement System is open to state, county, municipal, authority, and school board employees who are precluded from any other NJ state pension system (e.g., Teachers’.
  Police and Fire, State Police, Judicial).

• Judicial Retirement System (J.R.S.) – open to members of the State judiciary. The system covers the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the State Supreme Court, as well as all judges of the Superior Court and Tax Court of the State of New Jersey. Enrollment in the JRS is required as a condition of employment.

• Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (T.P.A.F.) – NJ Teachers’ pensions.

• Alternate Benefit Program (A.B.P.) – For State and County College Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Part-time Instructors, and Administrators.

The NJ Pension System is governed by NJ state statute law, Title 43.  So, in other words, most major decisions made for this agency come from laws that NJ legislatures enact while in state congress sessions.

Each pension system has its own set of rules and regulations and has a specific list of employment titles within each category that are allowed to join the system. Just because someone works in law enforcement, doesn’t necessarily mean they are in the Police Fire Retirement System (P.F.R.S.). There are some exceptions, however the majority of NJ police officers excluding State Troopers, are in this system.

Several rules and regulations within the P.F.R.S. will affect how you plan to enter your career field. For instance, you cannot be over the age of 35 to begin a pension plan. So, if you are 34 years old, you will only have one year to become a municipal police officer. However, there are specific exceptions to this rule and it can get complicated. For more information on this topic, you should refer to the P.F.R.S. handbook described later in this post. Also be sure to read the ”Maximum Age Requirements” for hire at the Civil Service Department Website.  In the meantime, here is another quick link to the basic chart for the retirement benefit structure.  

Additionally, when police officers retire, the pension rules and regulations mandate that after 20 years of service, a police officer can retire at 50% of their salary for life. After 25 years of service, they can retire at 65% of their salary for life. After 30 years of service, they can retire at 70% of their salary for life. There are also provisions for early retirement for a variety of reason such as injuries. There are also provisions for early retirement for a variety of reason such as injuries. You can read further for additional detailed information in the P.F.R.S. handbook described below.

The topic of the NJ Pension System is a huge one! The laws that surround the pension fund are long and complicated and are constantly changing even if only in small amounts.  Currently, in 2010, the pension is underfunded and in dire financial condition due to many years of neglect and mismanagement. Of course, this would turn into a political debate if we analyzed all of the reasons why and picked people to blame, so for this post, just accept that many mistakes were made for several years by a lot of people and now the current Governor Christopher Christie is proposing legislative changes to reform the  system. For this reason, I have created this category to provide crucial updates.   

You can read more about the pension as it relates to becoming a police officer in my book titled, “How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer or State Trooper”.

I also recommend reading news releases on the Pensions and Benefits website on somewhat of a regular basis.  Additionally, you should download the pension system handbooks, and other publications available on the website as well. Try to gain a basic understanding of the system; after all, if you are trying to become a police officer or are already a police officer; laws, rules, and regulations that change within the pension system will have a direct result in your financial life upon retirement.

Links in this post which link to State of NJ websites, change regularly, so be aware if any links are broken. The pages are most likely moved, not deleted. So perform a Google.com search if this happens.

Until this prgram came into existance, the only way to attend a NJ police academy was to be sponsored (hired) by a NJ police agency. There are more requirments to enter this program at a participating academy than to become hired as a police officer by a police agency and then sent (sponsored) to the same academy.  However, a graduate of the academy has advantages over non-certified candidates when a law enforcement agency hires.

When an agency hires a new officer, they have to pay the candidate to attend the police academy. During this time, the agency has to pay the candidates tuition, weekly salary and benefits, insurance coverages, uniform and equipment expenses, and in some cases, they provide transportation.

This is an expense to the agency and if they can hire someone who has already undergone this expensive training, they will save money.  For the last several years as municipalities cutt their police department  budgets, a lot of agencies have hired mostly Alternate Route Candidates although they have the ability to hire whomever they want. 

Traditionally, each academy sets their own admission guidelines and in some cases, a written test and physical test is adminsitered before the academy chooses a small amount of Alternate Route candidates to  integrate into the next academy class along with the already hired (sponsored) police officer recruits.

Upon graduation and even before, the Alternate Route candidate should send their resumes to every law enforcement agency in NJ and attempt to secure interviews, except Civil Service agencies. Hopefully, this kind of pro active job searching will lead to a full-time police offcer position.

Alternate Route candidates have three years after graduation to find a position before their certification expires. So chosing this career path comes with an element of risk. This certification doe not apply to the NJ State Police. They have their own academy and the only way to attend and become certified as a State Trooper is to be first hired by them, then sent (sponsored) to their academy in Sea Girt, NJ.   

Much more information on this topic can be found in the book, “How to Become a New Jersey Police Officer or State Trooper” on sale now at the following link.     www.NJ-Police-Recruit.com/book.html

Here you will find news and information as it relates to the field of NJ law enforcement recruiting. The news is broken down into roughly 14 categories. Everyday, news throughout NJ is reviewed and any news that relates to law enforcement recruiting will be added to the category that it relates to within this blog.  Besides news, any other important information that arises relating to any category within this blog will also be posted.

You can  follow this blog by subscribing to the RSS feed using the buttons on the top right corner of this blog. You should also follow this blog and website on Twitter and Facebook where the most important updates and information will also be posted. Lastly, you can enter your email address on this form to receve email updates as well.

So, if you are trying to become a NJ police officer and are planning a career path, stuyding the field, or watching for open positions, connect with this site in as many ways as you can in order to “be informed”!

Thanks for visitng NJ-Police-Recruit.com!