Suffolk’s civil service applications are back online

Suffolk County has brought back its online civil service applications onto the county’s landing page. The effort is what officials are calling a “major milestone” in the county’s goal of restoring services after last year’s cyberattack, according to the county.

With this restored service, people can apply for more than a dozen upcoming exams, including the upcoming police exam, online. The deadline to register for the exam is April 19^, and the exam will take place on June 17.

“Every day, we continue to make significant progress in our recovery efforts and the return of online applications for upcoming civil service exams is a major milestone in our rolling restoration of services,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement.

“We know that our residents rely on the convenience and ease of being able to do things from the comfort of their home, and with the return of this online service we believe we will be able to boost the number of applications for some of our larger upcoming exams, including the police test,” Bellone added.

The ability to apply online would allow more people to register for the police exam, officials said.

“To ensure the department reaches the best candidates for future police officers, we need to ensure we reach a wide range of people which includes local individuals and those out of state and I am grateful the online application is up and running,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said in a statement.

“Providing interested people the ability to sign up for the police test online makes the process quick and nearly effortless,” he added. “The police list is utilized for four years, so I encourage anyone with an interest in law enforcement to take advantage of this life-changing opportunity.”

Additional upcoming exams include consumer affairs technician, public safety dispatcher, water treatment plant operator trainee, environmental educator, among others.

After the cyberattack, online applications became unavailable. Still, people instead could apply in person at the Civil Service Office in Hauppauge or mail applications and any related fee to the Civil Service Office.  Despite the halt of the online applications, more than 120 exams have been held with nearly 7,700 individuals taking those exams since September, officials said.

Now, people can apply directly online and pay at the same time, eliminating the need to come in person to fill out an applications and pay. The return of online applications will benefit all municipalities and school districts the Department of Civil Service serves.

While online applications were unavailable, the Suffolk County Police Department has continued with its grassroots outreach efforts, including attending more than 300 events. The department has visited colleges, fitness centers and career fairs, and has offered recruitment presentations at houses of worship, military installations, and for various community organizations throughout the tri-state area. The department is also utilizing advertisements, including moving billboards, signs on buses, radio and television spots.

There are currently more than 1,700 individuals registered for the police exam.