http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1deputychiefstuesdayjan16,0,3985528.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
January 16, 2007
A town decision to do away with competitive testing in filling
two deputy police chief jobs has rankled members of the police
union, who say it can lead to favoritism rather than promotions
based on merit.
Town Human Resources Director Maureen Kast, however, said the
town needs to be able to tailor its hiring for management
positions based on factors besides testing, including whether
there may be a better candidate outside the town's employee pool.
"How do you test for leadership qualities?" Kast said.
"It's not always the most effective way to find the best
candidate."
As part of a reorganization of the Greenwich Police Department,
Police Chief James Walters Thursday is expected to recommend the
two candidates -- likely Capts. David Ridberg and Michael
Pacewicz, First Selectman Jim Lash said -- to fill two deputy
chief positions. The Board of Selectmen will vote Friday whether
to confirm those appointments.
But in the public safety departments historically, the candidate
who lands the job usually has been, until recently, the top
scorer on a competitive test, Sgt. James Bonney, president of the
Greenwich Silver Shield Association said.
Rank and file officers feel that a testing requirement guarantees
a measure of fairness, preventing chiefs from promoting less
qualified candidates they like better, Bonney said.
"We would like it to remain a more transparent process,
rather than them picking who they feel is best," said
Bonney, who represents 148 unionized officers. "I think
independent testing is a more reliable way to determine
leadership qualities."
The two deputy chief slots are the latest high-level town
positions to be "declassified," re-categorized so a
competitive testing process -- once used for all but the town's
topmost positions -- is not mandatory. Other recently
declassified positions include the deputy directors of social
services and public works. Recently appointed assistant fire
chief Peter Siecienski, however, did complete an assessment and
testing process designed by an outside contractor.
Bonney said that not requiring merit-based testing for a high
level position like deputy chief gives no way for in-house
applicants to judge themselves against outside candidates.
Getting rid of a common yardstick for all candidates makes it
easier for town officials to choose outside candidates without
having to justify their selections.
"It (testing) lends some validity to the promotions and
there would be no question of favoritism at all if there is
transparency," Bonney said. "Instead of opening the
process up and making it more public, they've made it more
private, which makes it more suspect."
"Sometimes merit is determined during contract talks, or
could be your service ratings. We need to test the people and put
them through the rigors of a process which is open and fair and
visible for everyone to see."
The minimum requirements for deputy police chief hopefuls include
eight years of police administration experience, five of them as
a supervisor, but indicate that a bachelor's degree is not
necessary for eligibility.
Acting First Selectman Penny Monahan, a secretary at the police
department for 36 years, said that declassifying the deputy chief
position will not mean the end of competitive testing for other
future vacancies.
Monahan noted that Siecienski and other applicants for assistant
fire chief were tested during the hiring process.
Under the law, it is up to individual towns to determine how to
use competitive testing in awarding jobs, said David Wallman, a
Stamford attorney who practices municipal employment law.
Wallman said that beyond established or legally necessary
qualifications, such as state certification as police officer,
officials can establish new practices like interviews and work
record evaluations to choose managers.
"You can get a perfect score on your college boards and
still not get into Princeton," Wallman said. "In my
personal opinion, there should be other factors because there are
subjective issues to determining leadership skills."
Copyright © 2007, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.