21-2021 - Allow lateral Entry Police Officers

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ORDINANCE NO. 21-2021 Placed on 1st reading & referred to Public Safety 6/7/21; 2 nd reading 6/21/21; recommended by Civil Service Commission 7/14/21 Please Substiffiftfot &Ienal BLI I lock, Kepp le,, .Litton, Neff (D-Walley, R�jclerl By: Shachrier AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, amending Sections within Chapter 144 Civil Service Commission to allow lateral entry police officers to be hired with a grant of seniority for purposes of salary based on prior civil service police service. WHEREAS, Lakewood, as well as other law enforcement agencies, is having difficulty attracting new candidates to serve as a police officer; and WHEREAS, Lakewood's ordinances and Civil Service Commission rules currently allow Lakewood to hire one lateral entry police officer for each three that are hired off the Civil Service eligibility list and WHEREAS, it is difficult to attract talented experienced officers as they typically would have to take a pay cut to join Lakewood's Division of Police; and WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 2.12 of the Third Amended Charter of the City of Lakewood,, this Council by a vote of at least two thirds of its members determines that this ordinance is an emergency measure and that it shall take effect immediately, and that it is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public property, health, and safety and to provide for the usual daily operation of municipal departments, in that Lakewood should be making every effort to attract talented and qualified police officers to serve our community; now, therefore Section 1. That Section 144.14 Original Appointment to the Division of Police, of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances is currently reading as follows: 144.14 ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT TO THE DIVISION OF POLICE. (a) There shall be two methods for original appointment of police officers to the Division of Police: civil service examination with placement on the certified eligible list and lateral hire. In either case, candidates must conform to certain minimum qualifications of the City of Lakewood Civil Service Rules and Regulations. (1) Civil service examination process. Applicants are required to complete a written examination as well as a physical agility test. The Civil Service Commission shall certify the names in accordance with its rules and regulations. Candidates appointed to police officer through these procedures will be hired at Grade III first year and must successfully complete an eighteen- month probationary period or as otherwise provided by the collective bargaining agreement. (2) Lateral hire process. Applicants will submit an employment application as well as a current certificate of physical agility to the Department of Human Resources. In addition, candidates must conform to all the minimum requirements of the Civil Service Rules and Regulations and all applicants for lateral hire shall meet the following prerequisites: