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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Alisia Lewis, Director of Human Resources
DATE: February 22, 2021
SUBJECT:
Authorizing lateral hires in the Police Department.
PURPOSE:
To obtain authorization for an ordinance amendment to 13.5-Civil Service and to add 13.5-17-Appointment of Fully Qualified Police Officers without Examination (lateral hire).
BACKGROUND:
The City of Aurora has historically used a standard eligibility list for the hiring of new police officers as established through the Civil Service process. This process does not allow existing police officers to be given any type of preference over those applicants who have no police experience. Thus, if they do not score high on the written exam, they will end up lower on the list. This occurs on every eligibility list that is established.
In addition to a written exam, all police applicants must pass a polygraph exam, background investigation, psychological exam, physical fitness test and a medical screening. If all the aforementioned components are passed and an opening exists, the candidates are hired in order of test score after the addition of preference points for residence and military service.
The City has had a great deal of success when hiring candidates who are existing police officers with prior experience. It has been advantageous to department staffing to hire experienced police officers, as they have already completed their state mandated academy requirements and have job experience. This, at a minimum, saves the department fourteen weeks of academy training time and associated costs. Additionally, when looking at hiring and retention for 2016-2018, an average of 56% of new hires from the tradition hiring process either failed the selection process, declined/left for another department, failed to successfully complete the FTO process, or resigned during their first year of employment.
DISCUSSION:
The City will continue to utilize the current testing p...
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