Senate Bill S9470

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9470

SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to allowing Ivan Cruz to be eligible to take the
civil service exam for the position of police officer for the Ithaca
police department

 
PURPOSE:

Authorizes Ivan Cruz to take the civil service exam for the position of
City of Ithaca Police Officer

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill authorizes Ivan Cruz to apply and sit for the
competitive civil service examination for the position of Police Officer
and be placed on the eligible list for appointment as a full-time Police
Officer contingent upon his score.

Section 2 of the bill requires that Ivan Cruz meet the merit and fitness
              

provisions for full-time police officers required under Civil Service
Law.

Section 3 of the bill establishes the effective date.

 
EXISTING LAW:

PPGG Part C of the SFY26 Enacted Budget raised the maximum age for
taking the entry-level law enforcement examination from 35 to 43.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ivan Cruz is well qualified to take the City of Ithaca's civil service
exam based on his extensive and progressively responsible experience in
law enforcement, public safety, and correctional services.  However, he
exceeds the maximum age threshold for the basic exam.

Mr. Cruz currently serves as a Special Deputy Sheriff with the Ithaca
College Office of Public Safety as well as working as part-time Police
Officer with the Village of Owego Police Department, where he performs
full law enforcement duties including patrol, criminal investigations,
arrests, emergency response, and traffic enforcement.  He is a graduate
of the Syracuse University Campus Peace Officer Academy and the Broome
County Law Enforcement Academy and holds multiple advanced certif-
ications in crisis negotiation, instructor development, field training,
and crime prevention.

In addition, Mr. Cruz previously served more than eighteen years with
the NYS Office of Children and Family Services at the MacCormick Secure
Center, where he held leadership roles including Youth Division Aide,
Facility Training Coordinator, and Training Specialist, overseeing
secure facility operations, crisis intervention, mandated training
compliance, and curriculum development.

His career reflects substantial supervisory responsibility, instruc-
tional leadership, frontline public safety service, and a demonstrated
commitment to community safety, clearly establishing that he possesses
the experience, training, and professional competence consistent with
the intent and standards of the public service examination requirements.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined:

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.