By Rick Pfeiffer
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — Niagara County Sheriff Michael J. Filicetti is taking to steps to increase recruitment in the run-up to a scheduled civil service exam for candidates to become correction officers at the county jail.
The sheriff said a low number of candidates taking the last exam prompted him to shake up the process.
“We did it to open up the pool of candidates,” he said recently. “The number of people taking the last exam was low so we felt we needed to make changes.”
Chief among those changes was a grace period to become a county resident and a raise in the starting pay.
Starting pay for a correction officer will now increase to $23.83 per hour, on a scale that goes up to $33.85 per hour. The county will also waive its requirement that only Niagara County residents can take the civil service exam for corrections officer.
"(A candidate) will have six months to move into the county as opposed to the previous requirement,” Filicetti said. “They will ultimately have to live in the county because I believe if you work here you should live here. You have a stake when you live in the county you serve.”
The deadline to register for the correction officer civil service test has been extended to June 3. The test will be administered on June 25.
“Like many employers across our region, we are doing our best to cast a wide net and attract a larger pool of qualified applicants,” Niagara County Human Resources Director Peter Lopes said. “We are quickly exhausting our civil service lists for correction officers and have positions available. For those interested in a career in law enforcement, this is a tremendous opportunity.”
Filicetti said correction officers play an important role in keeping communities safe.
“The work of correction officers can be challenging,” he said. “They play a critical role in keeping our community safe by maintaining order inside the walls of our correctional facility. If you are an individual with strong integrity and character, have empathy and an interest in law enforcement, come join our dedicated team at the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.”
For more information go to: https://niagara-portal.mycivilservice.com/exams.
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