FRANK LEWIS
PDT Staff Writer
Interim Portsmouth Police Chief Robert Ware says both he and the department’s newest captain, Lynn Brewer will take the chief’s exam on Nov. 20, 2012.
Brewer was recently informed at a meeting of the Portsmouth Civil Service Commission that of the three people who took the recent captain’s exam, he was the only one who passed, with a combined score of 94.708. That figure took into consideration his efficiency points and seniority in addition to the actual test score. Seventy is required in order to receive a passing grade.
At the meeting, Commission member Wayne Wheeler explained the guidelines for taking the chief’s exam.
“In order to sit for a promotional exam, an individual is supposed to have been in the prior rank for a period of one year before the promotional exam,” Wheeler said. “Because we have been short of captains on the police force, and we have an acting chief, we administered the captain’s exam, and we have one (Lynn Brewer) who is qualified to be promoted to captain. So when we then make the chief’s exam available, if we adhere to the one year requirement from the date of promotion, then there will be no other captain available to take the exam, other than the current acting chief (Ware). If, in fact, the time and rank dates back to when the position first became available then we do not have to wait that year for the chief’s exam, and Captain Brewer would be eligible to take the chief’s exam, so we would have two captains to take the exam.”
The Commission said it was awaiting an opinion from Portsmouth City Solicitor Mike Jones. A call to Jones by the Portsmouth Daily Times was never returned, and at Monday night’s Portsmouth City Council meeting, Ware said by “an agreement,” both would take the exam.
Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com
You covered common sense, let's look at the law, ethics and process via the Civil Service Commission, which we have recent events and history that they don't follow those kinds of things?
Can't handle the article after reading they are going for Retro Seniority, Time in Grade.
This will be a new one for the City Manager's and Police Chiefs training manuals........wow....
It is much clearer this time, last few times it was Jibber Jabber? Wait till the City Manager candidates see this "Rub Goldberg," they will never return and the city will be paying all the travel expenses for them, oh oh more budget, more deficits?
Oh, well, we live here in River City?