HR Commissioner outlines changes to correction officer testing and continuous recruitment plan

Orange County’s commissioner of human resources presented a multi-part plan on March 17 to increase correction officer recruitment by changing civil service testing practices and expanding testing frequency.

Commissioner Langdon Chapman told the Personnel & Compensation Committee the county has shifted over the past decade from written exams to an abilities (physical) test and, more recently, to a training‑experience model that scores applicants on their work history and education. Chapman said the county plans to give the training‑experience test at least three times a year beginning in 2025 and to remove the county’s abilities (physical) component from the civil service exam so the sheriff can screen physical fitness at the sheriff’s academy instead.

Chapman said the training‑experience model increased the pool of certified candidates: for example, more candidates passed under the training‑experience approach than under older written only or agility models. He told the committee the change aims to get qualified applicants onto county lists faster while leaving the sheriff authority to exclude candidates who are not physically or otherwise fit during academy training.

Committee members asked about how often the county runs the corrections academy and whether testing frequency will align with academy schedules; Chapman said the academy runs as often as needed by the sheriff’s office and that closer coordination will be required. He also described qualifications for county versus state correction officer appointments and said Orange County does not accept lateral transfers from state civil service correction officer lists because the county’s minimum qualifications differ.

Chapman briefed the committee on a related personnel issue: a March 10 executive order from the governor and guidance from New York State Civil Service about a recent wildcat strike by some state correction staff. He relayed that the state has instructed counties to refer applicants who worked as state correction officers between Feb. 17 and March 10 for review to determine whether those applicants were separated as a result of participation in an illegal strike; the county is still awaiting clarity about the scope of the state’s review requirement and whether it applies only to correction officer hires.

Chapman and civil service staff said the goals are to widen the candidate pool, provide more frequent testing opportunities and speed referrals to departments while preserving the sheriff’s authority to screen for fitness during academy training.