Suffolk will offer police officer test every 2 years, citing drop in number of applicants

The Suffolk County Civil Service exam for police officers will be offered every two years instead of four as the number of applicants has steadily declined since the mid-1990s, officials announced Wednesday.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine and Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina announced the new testing schedule to aid in recruitment and retention and provide more opportunities for prospective officers.

The exam is next scheduled for mid-2027, after which it will be offered every two years. The last exam was in 2023.

"This change provides more opportunities for qualified candidates to pursue a job in law enforcement while strengthening our ability to recruit and retain the best talent," Catalina said in a news release. "This change will help reduce delays in the recruitment process and ensure we remain prepared to meet the public safety needs of our residents."

Suffolk police officers are among the highest paid in the nation with a base pay of $189,801 after eight years, based on the contract agreement signed last year between the county and the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association, the department’s largest labor union. The contract raises base pay by 18% over five years and reduces the number of steps to top pay, which officials said was to help recruitment and retention. Police officers are also among the highest-paid county employees in Suffolk. 

The number of prospective officers who took the exam dropped by about 44% between 2007 and 2023. The number of those who passed the test dropped by about 57% during the same time period, according to the department's figures.

In 2007, a total of 23,858 people took the exam and 21,229 passed. In the most recent exam, there were 13,286 people who took the exam and 8,972 passed.

The department currently employs more than 1,800 officers who are PBA members.  

PBA president Lou Civello said in an interview there's been a "staggering" drop in applicants going back to the mid-1990s. The number of exam applications dropped by two-thirds from 1996 to 2023, he said.

He said the job has become "exponentially more complex" and requires a "unique individual" to be qualified. Recruitment of minority officers has been difficult for departments across Long Island, including Suffolk, a recent Newsday investigation found.   

Civello said while the department hasn't run out of applicants yet, it's important to be proactive.

"You don't want to wait until you're in a position where you do run out of applicants in order to do something," he said.

He said a smaller pool of candidates also leads to concerns about the quality of candidates.

Recruitment and retention among law enforcement has become a concern nationally, according to a federal report this year by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, as law enforcement staffing levels decreased between 2020 and 2024.

Village and town police departments also rely on the exam to add new officers. Other agencies like the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and Probation Department have separate exams. 

Romaine boosted the police department’s staffing with an additional 200 officers in the county’s 2025 budget.

"Suffolk County is one of the safest places in the country as we are committed to providing our law enforcement with the best resources available," Romaine said in a statement. "By making the police test more accessible and providing applicants additional opportunities, we are casting a wider net to recruit the best and brightest to protect our communities."

The civil service exam, which has a fee of $125, is the first step toward becoming a police officer. Applicants must be 19 years old on the date of the exam to be eligible and no older than 42. Candidates with passing grades must also pass additional tests and evaluations. 

Recruits undergo seven months of training at the police academy. Those seven months are included in their 18-month probationary period. 

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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