Praising the work of New York's correction officers as one of the greatest examples of public service, Assemblyman Tom Alfano, ranking member of the Assembly Labor Committee, announced that the New York State Department of Civil Service will be holding a correction officer exam April 8.

"This is a great opportunity to start a career in law enforcement," Assemblyman Alfano said. "My office will send applications to any interested person who wants to be considered for this job opportunity."

Individuals interested in taking April's competitive exam must complete an application and forward it along with a non-refundable $30 application fee to the New York State Department of Civil Service at Building One, State Office Campus, Albany, NY 12239.

Applications can be obtained by contacting Assemblyman Alfano's office at 437-5577.

Completed applications to take the exam must be postmarked no later than Feb. 20. A $30 filing fee must also accompany the application.

To take this competitive, written exam, individuals must be at least 18 years of age and in good physical and mental health. Conviction for a felony automatically disqualifies anyone from becoming an officer. Misdemeanor convictions are reviewed on a case by case basis to determine eligibility.

At the time of employment, candidates must be at least 21 years old, be a New York State resident and possess at least a high school diploma or GED.

To qualify for consideration to become an officer, applicants must score at least 70 on the written exam, results of which are ranked according to score. Applicants then undergo a background check and must qualify medically, physically and psychologically before being appointed to the DOC's training academy in Albany for a comprehensive eight-week training program followed by three weeks of on-the-job training.