Jun 3, 2002 By Christine Haines 2 min read

BROWNSVILLE – The Brownsville Civil Service Commission wants to make sure the best possible candidates are considered for the next round of hiring for Brownsville police officers. The retirement of Capt. Tom Wardman has created an opening for a full-time officer on the force and there is an on-going need for part-time officers on the force. Under new guidelines adopted by the borough council, all new officers, both full- and part-time, must go through the Civil Service process.

The commission met Friday to discuss the application process.

“People who wish to be employed in Brownsville must be tested in Brownsville. We are not part of the regional testing commission,” said Albert Dascenzo, secretary of the Brownsville Civil Service Commission.

An 11-page application form is now available at the borough secretary’s office. The completed applications must be returned to the borough by June 21 along with a non-refundable certified check or money order for $50 to cover the cost of the testing. The date for administering the Civil Service test in Brownsville has not yet been set, though Dascenzo said it would be as soon after June 21 as possible.

The test will be administered by state officials, then tabulated anonymously by an independent agency. Applicants who pass the test will then be interviewed by a panel of three borough residents. Those who pass the interview phase will then undergo psychological, medical, drug and alcohol and agility testing to make sure they are fit to be police officers. A second round of more extensive psychological testing will be done on all candidates hired, Dascenzo said.

In addition to being 21 years old at the time of the application and holding a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, applicants must also have completed their Act 120 police training prior to applying.

“The borough is in need of police officers now. We need to be able to hire now, not wait for them to complete their training,” Dascenzo said.

This is the first time that part-time officers have been required to take the Civil Service examination prior to being hired by the Brownsville police force. Council adopted that change in February.