BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Two of Broome County's largest police agencies are looking to add to their patrols.

Both the Sheriff's Office and the Binghamton Police Department are hosting special exams to attract new recruits. Members of those agencies say they're ready to hire.

"We anticipate this coming year that we will be hiring off of this list. There should be a significant number of officers hired off of this list," said Larry Hendrickson, Binghamton Police Administrative Captain.

But with the deadline for both of these exams approaching, only a handful of recruits have signed up. Deputies say it’s part of a much larger nationwide issue.

"Sadly, law enforcement has gotten a little bit of a black eye over the last several years. Social media kind of highlights officers that don't give us a good name across the country," said Robert Stapleton, Broome County Sheriff's Office Deputy.

New hires at the Binghamton Police Department start at $45,000, with that number increasing to nearly $75,000 in five years. Many call it one of the most rewarding jobs around.

"You're actively out there every day, helping people and whether you realize it or not, deterring crime by simply patrolling your area," said Stapleton.

"It's a great career that has a pension that you're going to be able to do for your entire adult life. At the same time, you're able to help out your community and help the people that are in your community and you run into on a daily basis." said Hendrickson.

Members of the Broome County Sheriff's Office and the Binghamton Police Department say once an applicant receives a job, there are plenty of opportunities to move up in the force.

"In our departments, there's many specialized units, such as detectives, narcotics and SWAT and canine and the list goes on and on, which they may not be able to do in a smaller department," said Hendrickson.

Both exams are slated for September 14th.  The deadline to sign up for the Broome County Sheriff's Office exam is July 21^st while the Binghamton Police Exam deadline is July 31st.

For more information, visit GoBroomeCounty.com and JoinBPD.com.