Erie County is concerned about low application numbers for the police officer exam

ERIE COUNTY, NY — The Erie County Human Resources Department says the number of applicants for the police civil service exam has dropped dramatically.

According to the district, there are only 367 applications for the exam on September 28.

In 2016, there were 1,797 applicants – a decrease of 79% in 8 years.

In a press release, the county said there are growing concerns about the ability of local police departments to maintain their duties.

“Few jobs in this world offer the opportunity to positively impact someone’s life, but a career in law enforcement offers that opportunity every day,” Central Police Services Commissioner Brian Ross said in the release. “For those who have turned their backs on the law enforcement profession in recent years, I challenge and encourage you to join them and be an instrument of change from within.”

The Buffalo Police Department just swore in 23 new officers on July 26, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office is planning several recruitment events.

“It’s a difficult but very rewarding job,” said Chris Horvatits, press secretary for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. “All of Erie County’s sheriff’s officers, jail officers and correctional officers care about their community and they all want to make sure that community is doing as well as possible.”

Horvatits says the Erie County Sheriff’s Office is looking to fill a handful of positions as part of this latest civil service audit.

“Our community services teams are going out into the community, spreading the word, and we have a recruitment event coming up in a few weeks in the Seneca Nation,” Horvatits said. “So we’re doing what we can to spread the word that this testing is coming soon.”

The deadline for the civil service examination, which was set on September 28, ends on August 14.

To register for the exam or for more information, visit the Erie County Human Resources Department website at www3.erie.gov/employment or call (716)-858-8484.