Two officers with the Bradford City Police force are scheduled
for possible promotions at this evening’s meeting of Bradford City
Council – from the rank of patrol officer straight to
lieutenant.
According to the agenda for the meeting, promotions for officers
Linda Close and Steve Caskey will be decided by council. If
approved, the promotions will be effective Feb. 20, each with a
raise of $2,358.40.
Neither officer has held the position of sergeant on the force,
but that is not a requirement for advancement to lieutenant under
the city’s current civil service regulations.
The current Civil Service Commission, according to the city’s
Web site, is chaired by Bill Leven. Other members are Francis Kelly
and Helen DeFrank. The Era was unable to reach Leven for
comment.
Kelly, reached by phone Monday evening, explained that as long
as the applicant passes the test and the police chief approves, the
promotion is acceptable.
“They don’t have to go in steps,” he explained. “If they pass
the test, the final decision (from the eligibility list) is up to
the chief.”
Chief Roger Sager did not specifically comment about the
promotions, but said the promotions are in line with the
regulations.
“It’s according to the civil service regulations that exist,”
Sager said. “That’s the way the civil service rules are written.
Any discussion or concerns about that you’d have to address with
the Civil Service Commission.
“That’s what’s in place. It’s all spelled out in the
regulations,” he said.
Councilman Tom Riel, who provided a copy of the council’s agenda
to The Era Monday, said he has no problem with the officers
themselves, but does have a problem with the system of
promotions.
“I have nothing against either of these officers personally or
professionally, but rather against the current system or policy
that allows this to happen,” he said, explaining he does not agree
that the officers could essentially “skip a rank.”
“Simply put, if promoted, they will rank above sergeants,” he
said, a position neither had held. “The current system allows this
to happen and should be reformed.”
Riel added that he’s spoken to two former police chiefs and to
retired police officers, all of whom believe the system needs to be
reformed.
“Is it illegal? Apparently not,” Riel said of the current
system. “Is it wrong ethically, morally and procedurally? Yes.”
Testing for promotions in the police department is a relatively
new practice. Sager explained that he’s been on the police force
for 35 years, and the force has used testing only for entry level
positions in the past.
“We only recently started it for promotions,” Sager explained.
“It’s a relatively new thing for everyone.”
The tests were given for the first time in 2002. The tests were
a point of public contention when then-officer Dominic Cercone was
given a failing “grade” of 31 by Mayor Michele Corignani on part of
the sergeant’s exam.
Two other officers passed and were promoted to sergeant. Those
promotions were the first in about two decades for the police
force.
