As Niagara County prepares to recruit its next round of correction officers, it is continuing to take part in a state pilot program, begun last year, which scores candidates on baseline criteria like training and experience, and eliminates the need to take a civil service exam. Niagara County is one of 40 counties participating in this effort.
Interested candidates have until May 19 to complete the application and then have until June 30 to fill out an extensive online questionnaire that covers their training, experience, any special skills and so on. All applications will be graded by New York state to create the hiring list. Candidates must still pass a physical agility test, but will be allowed a second attempt to pass if needed.
“We took part in this pilot program last year and were very pleased with the results,” said Mal Needler, Niagara County personnel officer. “It’s clear to us the state made the right decision to focus more on individual qualifications and experience, which we believe led to a much wider and diverse pool of applicants.”
Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said correction officers are an important component of keeping communities safe.
“We will celebrate National Correctional Officer’s Week beginning May 7 because those in law enforcement know how important correction officers are to the criminal justice system,” said Filicetti. “It’s a very challenging job, but as I always say, if you are an individual with strong integrity and character, have empathy and an interest in law enforcement, consider joining our team as a correction officer.”
Those who want more information or wish to apply should go to https://niagara-portal.mycivilservice.com/exams. The starting salary range for this position is $24.90 per hour. Note that candidates on the list established from this recruitment will not be eligible to be hired until there are fewer than three active candidates on the current list or until Jan. 25, 2024, whichever comes first.