NYS Court Officers

[Officer100]

Guys, you need to stop trying to figure out how many push ups or sit ups you need to do. All you need to do is get in the best (strength/cardio) shape possible. You do that and you won't have to worry about physical standards of the PAT. If you over think this then you create more stress for yourself. When you get to the PAT the instructors will NOT tell you any numbers you need to pass on any of the tests. If this is stressing you out wait until you get into the academy and the real fun begins. Lol! Just concentrate of what you can control and not what is out of your control. Getting into shape for this job is not hard to do if you really want it.

I think it's more about setting a realistic goal. For example someone in my category needs to do 18 push-ups to get into the state trooper Academy so I can use 18 as my goal and know that I should be fine when I go to take the physical ability test. I wouldn't want to do 5 and think that it was okay to only be turned away after the test. We all know it's not a definite measure of what we need to do, but it helps to have some sort of guideline. It's especially important because if you fail, you have to mandatorily wait 3 months before you can retest, and who's to say there will even be an exam three months from when you do yours.

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[oscar_rodrigez]

I think it's more about setting a realistic goal. For example someone in my category needs to do 18 push-ups to get into the state trooper Academy so I can use 18 as my goal and know that I should be fine when I go to take the physical ability test. I wouldn't want to do 5 and think that it was okay to only be turned away after the test. We all know it's not a definite measure of what we need to do, but it helps to have some sort of guideline. It's especially important because if you fail, you have to mandatorily wait 3 months before you can retest, and who's to say there will even be an exam three months from when you do yours.

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exactly. set a goal. and try and surpass it.

[Slats3671]

You all need to stop counting your chickens before they hatch. Take one step of the proccess at a time and do the best you can and be honest with everything u say and do. Otj 2 years, trust me.

[TDD57]

Officer100- I understand what you are saying. My point is for you guys to try not put any more additional stress on yourselfs mentally. The process is starting for you guys and this should be an exciting time for you. Yes you are going to worry about some stuff, but just concentrate on the things that are in your control. Getting into the best shape physically and getting information that is asked for you is what you can control. I remember when I started the process a few years ago. I just concentrated on what I could control and everything else fell into place. Don't worry about time frames and fixed numbers. You'll be given instructions through out the process. Do what is asked and you'll be fine. Good luck to you all. It is by far the best job I have ever had.

[Law-And-Order1]

For those who are interested the following link may be helpful. It is about the Cooper fitness test standards which are used by Law Enforcement Agencies.

http://www.whyiexercise.com/cooper-test.html

[dnldk12]

When first apply for the exam the application asked for prior work history. I see that the background investigation questionnaire asks for a report which includes every job after high school.

My question is if a job was mistakenly left off the original application and included on the background questionnaire will this create a problem or be grounds for disqualification?

Any insight much appreciated.

[james_g30]

Sorry if this was posted already but i couldn't find it. What is the current salary from Academy to after 2 years probation till top pay. Thanks, I'm just trying to see if its even possible to survive with the pay cut i will be taking.

[Ji33]

Sorry if this was posted already but i couldn't find it. What is the current salary from Academy to after 2 years probation till top pay. Thanks, I'm just trying to see if its even possible to survive with the pay cut i will be taking.

I don't want to sound like a jerk and I'm not singling you out but "the pay cut I will be taking" should be more like "pay cut you might take". Everyone is getting way ahead of themselves in this forum. There's many steps in the hiring process. Passing the test and getting canvassed does not mean much. The odds of getting into the academy are very slim. All you can do is stay out of trouble, be patient, and get into great shape because the academy is no joke if you make it that far.

[Marvin911]

i don't want to sound like a jerk and i'm not singling you out but "the pay cut i will be taking" should be more like "pay cut you might take". Everyone is getting way ahead of themselves in this forum. There's many steps in the hiring process. Passing the test and getting canvassed does not mean much. The odds of getting into the academy are very slim. All you can do is stay out of trouble, be patient, and get into great shape because the academy is no joke if you make it that far.

lol

[james_g30]

I don't want to sound like a jerk and I'm not singling you out but "the pay cut I will be taking" should be more like "pay cut you might take". Everyone is getting way ahead of themselves in this forum. There's many steps in the hiring process. Passing the test and getting canvassed does not mean much. The odds of getting into the academy are very slim. All you can do is stay out of trouble, be patient, and get into great shape because the academy is no joke if you make it that far.

You know what I meant, I'm not getting ahead of myself,I'm sorry I worded it wrong. I'm trying to see if it's even worth it to go ahead because I can't take a 50K pay cut. I know it's slim to none but it's something people should know.

[Ji33]

You know what I meant, I'm not getting ahead of myself,I'm sorry I worded it wrong. I'm trying to see if it's even worth it to go ahead because I can't take a 50K pay cut. I know it's slim to none but it's something people should know.

For the upstate officers, with the contract you start around 50k with pay and uniform allowance, after 2 years it's around 57 and max pay around 76. Eventually you receive longevity bonuses which puts you in the low 80s. For downstate it's a little less because they are still out of contract, however, they get 3600 location differential and more opportunity for overtime but still not a lot.

[james_g30]

For the upstate officers, with the contract you start around 50k with pay and uniform allowance, after 2 years it's around 57 and max pay around 76. Eventually you receive longevity bonuses which puts you in the low 80s. For downstate it's a little less because they are still out of contract, however, they get 3600 location differential and more opportunity for overtime but still not a lot.

Thanks for the answer, and thanks for beating me up for asking. Lol. 👍

[Tactical1]

Guys, is the past employment history form on the website due by the 26th aswell? Ive been pretty busy and havent got around to completing it...whats the time frame for it if anyone could so kindly inform me

[Dawson1632]

Guys, is the past employment history form on the website due by the 26th aswell? Ive been pretty busy and havent got around to completing it...whats the time frame for it if anyone could so kindly inform me

https://www.nycourts.gov/careers/cot/screening4.shtml

I believe it's the 4th step so you have some time. Do it beforehand and play safe never know when you'll get the call.

[unblindeacon]

http://nypost.com/2016/04/24/severe-...rts-to-a-halt/

Severe Staffing Shortages grind courts to a halt

Despite historic case backlogs, dozens of city judges are pushing pencils instead of banging gavels because there is not enough staff to conduct courtroom trials, judges and court officers told The Post.

The state court system in New York City is operating at only “70 percent” of capacity and is down 250 officers and 250 clerks, charges Dennis Quirk, president of the New York State Court Officers Association.

“There are judges who could be working who aren’t working, and it’s the public that’s getting [cheated],” Quirk said.

“The judges can’t talk about it on the record, but I can tell you that they complain about it every day to the powers that be,” he said. “It’s been going on for the last two years and it’s getting worse. Every day there are judges sitting in chambers not able to conduct trials because there is not enough manpower.”

A criminal trial requires two court officers per defendant, one clerk and one court reporter.

Quirk said staff shortages cause further delays as officers are diverted from courtrooms to lobbies every morning to oversee the metal detectors. In most cases, courtrooms open late.

“It’s true,” said one judge who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “You get to work to start court and then you just have to wait . . . It’s like when you board a plane but then you can’t take off. You’re stuck on the tarmac.”

He said most judges — who got raises April 1 to $193,000 annually — do busywork in chambers when not administering a trial. “You work on decisions,” he said.

Others “pace the halls,” said an ex-prosecutor. “There is nothing else for them to do.”

A Brooklyn court clerk says idle jurists often disappear for the day. “You don’t know where they actually are,” he said. “They are not in the courtroom. Saying ‘in chambers’ doesn’t necessarily mean they are there.”

Defense attorneys griped of growing backlogs and the court administration’s silence on the issue. “They can’t admit to it. It’s a big f–king secret. The system is broken,” groaned one attorney.

Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks confirmed courts are experiencing felony backlogs throughout the city. As of the end of 2015, there were 540 felony cases pending that were at least a year old in Brooklyn, 1,244 in The Bronx, 314 in Queens, 664 in Manhattan, and 51 on Staten Island.

On Staten Island, a state-of-the-art $230 million courthouse that was supposed to be the answer to decades of delays often has just one working trial judge and one judge presiding over the daily calendar.

The other two judges who are supposed to handle criminal cases are usually idle.

Closed courtrooms are “counterproductive” to Mayor de Blasio’s mandate to decrease the population at Rikers Island, one lawyer said.

Quirk estimates $100 million more is needed to fully staff city courts. State court funding rose 2.4 percent to $1.89 billion in the recently passed state budget.

“We think with this budget we have sufficient resources,” Marks told The Post.

Those who work in the court system disagree.

At Queens Criminal Court, if “one or two people call in sick it throws us into a tailspin,” said a court officer. “We are missing sergeants, missing supervisors. We had a problem today and had to pull people from other parts to cover this trial.”

The officer believes his courthouse is understaffed by 20 to 30 people, delaying 30 to 40 percent of cases.

“The ones that suffer the most are the hearings, and they eventually [push back] the trial dates four to five weeks,” he said. “People are sitting at Rikers. Justice delayed.”

Quirk, who called it a “vicious cycle,” said there are 145 court officers coming out of the academy in June, “but we need another 150.”

He warned that understaffing is dangerous.

“We are quick doing the scanning [for weapons],” he said. “That’s where mistakes are made. We’ve been lucky . . . When some judge or some attorney gets their throat slit, maybe they’ll focus on the security.”

Marks said sidelined judges, mothballed courtrooms and staffing shortages are not “a chronic problem.”

He said the city currently is down 195 court officers and 140 court clerks from the “high-water mark” of 2,457 and 1,577, respectively, in 2009.

“We could use more court officers and court clerks, but we’re managing reasonably well with fewer resources,” he said.