Ongoing discussions about lateral promotions and new hires at the Columbus Police Department will continue tonight in a Civil Service Commission meeting at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
Officers pleaded their case to the Columbus City Council Tuesday, arguing they have the education and experience to fill the department’s upper ranks and some should have been promoted years ago.
Under current civil service regulations, officers who join the department begin as patrolmen and work their way up.
Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen is seeking approval to hire personnel outside the department, allowing new hires to enter the force at the same rank they held with their previous employer. He also contends that some officers asking for promotions haven’t passed their tests to make the next rank and disagrees with current policies allowing officers in disciplinary trouble to be promoted.
McQueen was named chief in December and served as interim chief since July, when former Chief Joseph St. John was dismissed from his post.
But officers told councilmen Tuesday night that McQueen has not adhered to promises he made to them regarding lateral hiring and departmental promotions.
Some, like 20-year veteran Wade Beard, said they supported McQueen in his quest to climb the ranks and take the top position over several out-of-state applicants who also applied for the job. Beard said he has been on the list since 1998 for a promotion to corporal.
McQueen said previously that he planned to hire a second assistant chief from within the department, retaining Assistant Police Chief Joe Johnson.
After lengthy discussion, both openly and in executive session, the council voted to send the proposed new policies back to the Civil Service Commission for review. Last month, the council gave the green light to McQueen’s proposals and sent the revised policy to the Civil Service Commission for approval, but the commission returned it to the council for further review.
McQueen was writing revisions to the policy Wednesday morning.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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