Employment

To be eligible for a position as a sheriff’s officer, or County Correctional Police Officer, applicants must first take the Law Enforcement Examination (LEE) administered by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The purpose of this written test is to generate a pool of eligible candidates who are then placed on a list which is used to fill law enforcement positions throughout the state. For more information about the exam as well as other pertinent information, visit the Civil Service Commission website.

When a vacancy occurs within the sheriff’s office, the Civil Service Commission is asked to provide the Morris County Sheriff’s Office with a list of the highest ranked eligible candidates. This sets in motion our selection and hiring process.

Additionally, as an alternate course of hiring of Sheriff’s Officer, or County Correctional Police Officer candidates, and effective June 18, 2022,  the Civil Service Commission shall exempt from the requirement to take an examination for any entry-level Sheriff’s Officer position or entry-level County Correctional Police Officer position for a person who successfully completes a full Basic Course for Police Officers training course or a full Basic Course for Corrections Officers training course at a school approved and authorized by the New Jersey Police Training Commission within nine months from the date of hire as a temporary entry-level officer. 

Qualified applicants invited to apply for a position with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office will undergo a rigorous selection process as summarized below. This process is designed to assess the knowledge, skills, abilities, character and physical and psychological fitness of candidates. Generally speaking, this process will take eight weeks to complete.

1. Interview
   Your initial interview will be conducted by a background investigator who will provide you with a formal application and information packet containing a job description, salary guide, list of benefits and career paths available within the bureau for which you have applied for a position. The background investigator will review this information with you, answer any questions you may have and set a time and date for your return with the completed formal application. At this juncture, the investigator will also verify your identification and possession of a valid driver’s license and arrange for the submission of fingerprints and photo for a criminal records check. A physical fitness assessment will be conducted by a Certified Physical Fitness Instructor who utilizes Police Training Commission (PTC) standards to evaluate a candidate’s ability to successfully complete the mandatory Basic Police Academy physical training. You will be required to provide medical clearance from your physician prior to participation in this assessment.
2. Return of Completed Formal Application
   On the appointed day and time, you will return your completed formal application to the assigned background investigator who will review it with you to ensure that it is complete and accurate. Following this, the investigator will advise you of the next phase of the selection process.
3. Background Investigation
   This begins after your initial interview and includes verification of employment, education, credit history, results of a criminal history check, and law enforcement contacts, reference checks and interviews with friends, family and neighbors. The background investigator will document his/her findings in a written report to the chief of the bureau you are applying for a position with.
4. Formal Board Review/Interview
   You will be required to appear before a panel comprised of superior officers and background investigators for a formal interview at which time your responses to a series of subjective questions relating to the position you are applying for will be gauged and scored.
5. Medical Examination
   Job candidates who have successfully completed the preceding steps will next undergo a thorough medical exam conducted by a county-appointed physician and drug screening through an approved laboratory. The physician will prepare a detailed report and make a recommendation as to your physical fitness and suitability for employment with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
6. Psychological Evaluation
   The final step for job candidates who have successfully completed all of the above will be a psychological evaluation performed and certified by a licensed psychologist. The psychologist will then prepare a detailed report and make a recommendation as to your fitness for employment with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.

If you successfully complete all portions of this hiring process and are selected for employment as a Sheriff’s Officer or County Correctional Police Officer, you will be required to complete a 21-week Basic Police Academy or a 19-week Basic County Correctional Police Academy.

If you successfully complete all portions of this process but are NOT selected for employment, you will remain eligible for reapplication and your name will be retained by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office for future vacancies.

If you fail to successfully complete any portion of this process, falsify any information, or are disqualified for cause, you will be removed from consideration and will be ineligible for reapplication.

Goal and Objective

The goal of this Recruitment Program is to attract qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue a law enforcement career with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office. The primary objective of the program is to achieve an overall gender, racial, and ethnic composition at the office that reasonably parallels the population of Morris County, through the implementation of effective recruiting strategies. The effectiveness of this program shall be gauged through analysis to determine the existence of any under-represented demographic groups within the office as compared to that of Morris County, coupled with subsequent punctual implementation of remedial strategies to correct any substantial disparities identified. The recruitment process is fluid and serves as a vital role in attracting qualified diverse candidates to appoint to law enforcement positions, who can contribute towards accomplishing the mission of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement and Policy

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the policy of the office to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to age; gender; race; color; national origin; ethnicity; creed or religion/religious beliefs; marital status; parental status; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender expression; LGBTQ+ status; liability for service in the armed forces; disability; partisan political, familial or social affiliation; other non-merit based factors; or any protected class listed in the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. This policy extends to all employment activities including, but not limited to selection; assignments; training; transfer; promotion; and salary.

Recruitment Strategies

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach and Planning Section shall develop, coordinate and implement recruitment strategies, partially in response to the results of annual demographic analysis that is provided by office administration, which may include any of the following tasks, and/or others as necessary.

❖ Attend Career Days; Government/Public Service Fairs; Diversity Fairs/Events; and any other activities or functions that are beneficial to the recruitment process. A diverse team of personnel are responsible for setting up an appropriate display and providing career opportunity information through personal interaction and current advertisement materials.

❖ Administer career opportunity public presentations at regional colleges, universities and civic organizations.

❖ Serve as a liaison to college and university counselors regarding career opportunities.

❖ Post current career opportunity advertisement materials on the Morris County Sheriff’s Office website.

❖ Correspond with organizations that represent any demographic groups determined to be under-represented at the office.

❖ Any other tasks tailored based on specific circumstances.

Demographic Analysis

The Chief shall complete an annual demographic analysis report at the conclusion of each calendar year, and submit same to the Morris County Sheriff and Undersheriff by January 31st of the following year.

❖ The analysis shall compare current demographics of law enforcement personnel to that of the population of Morris County posted by the United States Census Bureau, citing any disparities in percentages, between the groups.

❖ Demographic categories shall be separated in the follow groups.

Race

• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• White
• Two or more races
• Other

  Ethnicity

• Hispanic or Latino
• Not Hispanic or Latino

  Gender

• Female
• Male 

❖ Any substantial disparity identified, which is defined as any group under-represented at the Morris County Sheriff’s Office by greater than 20%, shall be cause for the implementation of revised and/or additional recruiting strategies by the Community Outreach and Planning Section within a (3) month period, towards remediation of the difference.

 Program Review and Revision

Upon completion of each annual Demographic Analysis, this Recruitment Program shall be examined for effectiveness towards accomplishing the cited goal and primary objective, and revised accordingly to incorporate different and/or new strategies, as warranted.

The following table reflects demographic data for the Morris County Sheriff’s Office (December 2024) as well as the latest available data for the County of Morris. The end column on the right indicates representation differences in percentages at the office, as compared to the population of the county.

* According to the U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates for this classification are not comparable to other geographic levels due to methodology differences that may exist between different data sources.