Our city continues to get safer each and every day—over the past 10 months we’ve seen crime steadily decrease —and when I walk our streets, I can feel it. I know it’s a feeling attributable to the countless men and women who show up everyday to keep us safe.
Certainly, the dedicated members of the New York City Police Department who work their beats to patrol streets and neighborhoods around the city play an integral role in combating crime. Their clear presence in our communities, on our trains, and in every corner of every borough are beyond physical embodiments of safety—they are an anecdotal reminder, a manifestation and clear indication that this administration cares for New Yorkers. That we’re here to serve, here to make our city safe, and here for you.
Scratching further beneath the surface, however, you realize that our police officers are not alone—in fact, our NYPD officers are a segment of a larger army of New Yorkers, in a variety of roles, that do their part to keep the city safe.
I know this first-hand; over the past 25 years I’ve worked across agencies and in varying levels of leadership in city government—from a patrol officer in Manhattan, to New York City detective, to the commissioner of the Department of Correction, to assistant deputy mayor of public safety, and now serving as the commissioner for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services—I have dedicated my career to serving the people of our great city. Beyond that, I have worked tirelessly to help develop the next generation of public servants—with an emphasis on public safety. Across all of these positions, the thing that has been abundantly clear is that to engage New Yorkers, we must be creative, innovative, and to the point.
As we work to onboard our next generation of protectors, let me be crystal clear: now is the time to join the city workforce in a public safety capacity. You can be a change agent and impact how we build and improve communities, as we work to protect some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.
Just last month, we launched a creative new civil service exam series that allows candidates to qualify for multiple critical public safety positions with a single exam and only one exam fee. Now offered through December 30, after completing this multiple-choice test, applicants will be eligible for a wide array of public service career opportunities.
Through this new exam type, you can qualify for several meaningful jobs in one fell swoop; from critical roles like school safety agents to protect our children, to traffic enforcement agents that patrol our streets, and special officers who are placed in government agencies with unique and interesting assignments, all are meaningful and contribute to the safety of our city.
With this new test, you have an opportunity to build character, wear a badge, and start a meaningful career in public safety. It’s also an opportunity to serve your community with the stability lifelong benefits, a pension, and career advancement only available through government employment. More than that, you’ll join the ranks of tens of thousands of dedicated public safety professionals who make the greatest big city in the world, among the safest big cities in America. For those interested, visit DCAS’ OASYS platform online and sign up for the exam today.
Opportunity is calling. I encourage all New Yorkers who hear the call—answer it. Your city will thank you, and it’s never been easier.
Louis A. Molina is the Commissioner for the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).