Downstate parks, SUNY police get $15K raises amid staffing shortage; How to apply for jobs

Prior to 2019, before COVID-19 turned the world upside-down and sparked a fundamental shift in workplaces and employment, the state parks department employed 293 officers and investigators, 147 of whom in its Mid-Hudson and Downstate regions.

As of Monday there were 187 total officers and investigators working for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, 67 in those two areas, according to a department representative.

Across the state, the department has an annual attrition rate of 11%. Downstate, it’s “much greater,” according to the department. There’s “a disparity in compensation between the state and competing employers,” at a time when industries of all types are struggling to fill positions.

The State University of New York system is having similar problems attracting and retaining officers, a SUNY spokesperson said, with 15 vacancies in the Mid-Hudson and Downstate regions and 41 "separations" in the past year.

That’s why last week the state announced it was giving all of its officers and investigators working for the parks or SUNY divisions in the Mid-Hudson and Downstate areas a uniform $15,000 raise, and increasing the base compensation for such officers by that same amount.

For the 67 existing parks and 158 SUNY officers and investigators, the raises exceed $3.37 million.

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Both organizations, as well as the Department of Civil Service, expressed hope the increased compensation can attract more candidates to apply for its next civil service exam, with a deadline to apply of Aug. 3.

“New York State’s law enforcement personnel help keep us safe, and that includes our park police who patrol our beautiful waterways and parks and our SUNY police who protect our college campuses,” Timothy Hogues, state civil service commissioner, said in a release. “This pay increase for our police officers in the downstate regions will help our partner agencies retain these talented and dedicated employees, and is one of the many efforts the Department of Civil Service is undertaking to ensure our compensation is competitive to attract the next generation of talent to public service careers.”

The raise, which did not include officers in areas outside of Mid-Hudson and Downstate, went into effect Thursday, with the starting salary for all officers increased from $63,034 to $78,034.

It is being referred to as a “geographic pay differential.” U.S. Census numbers show that disparity between upstate and downstate areas; while the per capita income in Westchester in 2020 was $57,953 and in Dutchess was $42,309, the same total was $35,339 for Monroe and $29,721 for Broome counties.

A SUNY spokesperson said the Mid-Hudson region has 20 employed and the Downstate region has 138. It is looking to hire four more officers in the Mid-Hudson, which includes SUNY Purchase, and 11 more Downstate, covering the SUNY Long Island and New York City schools.

The parks department spokesperson did not specify how many employees the department is looking to hire to bolster that 67 number employed. “We are currently screening recruits for a new six-month police training academy scheduled to begin Oct. 30, but the number to be hired hasn’t been finalized.”

Earlier this month, a release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office said the state was hoping to fill around 400 total entry-level law enforcement jobs between the state parks, SUNY and Department of Environmental Conservation units.

Directions for applying and what qualifications are needed to take the civil service exam are available at www.cs.ny.gov/police. The test is expected to be administered in the fall.

“Our Park Police are crucial to ensuring the health, welfare and public safety at New York's State parks, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails that welcomed a record-setting 78.4 million visits last year,” Erik Kulleseid, state parks commissioner, said in a release, noting the pay adjustments “will help us to retain our well-trained personnel and will encourage more people to consider a career with the New York State Park Police.”

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: NY downstate parks, SUNY police receive pay increase