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Despite protests over minorities, Warren police test will proceed
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Saffold
Rucker
Franklin
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Jan. 21 civil-service test for entry-level police officers will proceed as planned despite protests from two Warren City Council members.
Council members Cheryl Saffold and Helen Rucker told the Warren Civil Service Commission on Wednesday they believe it’s a critical time to recruit minorities to the police department.
“In the next three to 10 years, there could be no minorities in the police department and fire department,” Rucker said.
The councilwomen said they don’t believe many minorities will take the test unless the city encourages them to and unless the city promotes police work as a good career for minorities.
Rucker asked the commission to delay the test to provide time to form a committee of leaders who would work on the problem.
Rucker suggested the city encourage minority military veterans returning home from war to apply, and she said she hopes the new mayor, Doug Franklin, will take the lead.
Several hours later, Franklin said he would not postpone the test because three Warren police officers are retiring within the first two months of the year, and delaying the test and the hiring of replacements would jeopardize public safety.
Franklin met with Rucker and Saffold after the civil-service commission meeting, and the two councilwomen agreed to serve on a task force that will work to recruit minorities so the city is “better positioned the next time.”
Also participating will be Police Chief Tim Bowers, Sgt. Jeff Cole, who teaches at a police academy; and Lt. Kathy Spencer.
Rucker said the previous mayor, Michael O’Brien, didn’t show much leadership on minority hiring during his eight years in office, which ended last week.
The city had an Equal Employment Opportunity officer who traveled throughout the state to encourage minorities to work in Warren, but that position hasn’t been filled for eight years, Rucker said.
The Rev. Frank Hearns, who has served on the civil-service commission about 15 years, said he doesn’t believe one organization in Trumbull County alone can provide the leadership needed to promote minority hiring in Warren.
What is needed is for all of the groups to work together with the city administration and city council to devise and carry out strategies. Not only do the NAACP, Urban League, Ministerial Alliance, A. Philip Randolph Institute and League of Women Voters need to work on it, but groups made up mostly of white ministers need to participate, the Rev. Mr. Hearns said.
Neil Heller, an assistant chief in the Warren Fire Department, said the last minority firefighter hired in Warren was in 1992, and he will be eligible to retire in five years. It won’t be long until all of the black firefighters are eligible to retire, Heller said.
The fire department has 69 firefighters, four of them black, none of them women. The police department has 66 officers, five of them black, and four women.
Heller noted that it’s difficult to encourage minorities to get the training and apply to be firefighter, but it’s been equally difficult lately to get Warren residents to apply and train. Of the 15 firefighters most recently hired with money from a federal grant, none are from Warren.
“Most of them live in the Akron-Canton area,” Heller said. “None of them can get to work in less than 15 to 20 minutes.”
Comments
Why are minorities too stupid to pass the test?
Public Notice of Municipal Civil Service Examination
Notice is hereby given by the Warren Municipal Civil Service Commission of the written Competitive Open Examination to be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., at the Warren G. Harding High School Cafetorium, Elm Road, Warren, Ohio, for the position of Police Officer in the Warren City Police Department.
The examination will consist of two parts: Written and Physical Agility.
Qualifications: (at the time of examination)
1.Must be a citizen of the United States of America or have legally declared his/her intention of becoming so.
1.Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age but no more than thirty-four (34) years of age.
Note: Despite the aforementioned ages for examination, no person, regardless of his/her results on this examination, shall be eligible to received an original appointment to the position of Police Officer unless that person is at least twenty-one (21) years of age and no more than thirty-four (34) years of age.
1.Must be a High School Graduate or have a G.E.D.
1.Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Note: Despite the fact that one need not be a holder of an operative and valid certificate for the completion of the Basic Peace Office Training Course at the time of this examination, no person, regardless of his/her results on this examination, shall be eligible to receive an original appointment to the position of Police Officer unless and until that person is the holder of an operative and valid certificate for the completion of the Basic Peace Officer Training Course issued by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council.
Passing grade for this written examination has been established at 70%.
Only those applicants passing the written examination will be eligible to take the Physical Agility examination.
Application blanks may be obtained at Warren City Hall at either the Safety Service Director’s Office or the Human Resources Department. Application blanks may also be obtained at the Warren Police Department.
IMPORTANT: Applications, for the examination, completely filled out and notarized, may only be filed at the Warren Police Department, 141 South Street, SE, Warren, Ohio, 44483, on Saturday, January 7 and January 14, 2012, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 1 p.m. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF JANUARY 14, 2012.
Additional Credits allowed for the written examination:
1.Any veteran, resident of Ohio, who has served more than 180 days of consecutive duty in the Armed Forces and has received an honorable discharge, will receive an additional credit of 20% of his/her total score on the written examination after receiving a passing grade on that examination.
1.Anyone who has completed at least 2,080 hours of employment as a law enforcement officer for a state(s) and/or any political subdivision(s) of a state shall receive an additional 20% credit of his/her total score on the written examination after receiving a passing grade on that examination.
1.Anyone who has received from an accredited college or university an associate degree, or equivalent, including at least twenty (20) quarter units or thirteen (13) semester units of police science courses, criminal justice courses or law enforcement courses, shall receive an additional credit of 10% of his/her total score on the written examination after receiving a passing grade on that examination. TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE PROVIDED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION FOR EXAMINATION.
1.Anyone who has graduated from an accredited college or university with at least a baccalaureate degree, including at least forty-five (45) quarter units or thirty (30) semester units of police science courses, criminal justice courses or law enforcement courses, shall receive an additional credit of 20% of his/her total score on the written examination after receiving a passing grade on that examination. TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE PROVIDED AS NOTED IN PARAGRAPH 3.
Note: Regardless of the credits provided for above, no person shall be entitled to, and no person shall receive any additional credit totaling in excess of 20% of his/her total passing score on the written examination. (20% of a passing score shall be the maximum combined bonus points or credits that one person may earn on this written examination.)
Any credits provided for the above must be applied for and must be adequately verified at the time of application for examination.
NO VERIFICATION FOR CREDIT CAN BE APPLIED FOR AFTER AN APPLICANT HAS FILED HIS/HER APPLICATION.
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Why do we need minorities on the police for anyway? Do the minorities think they must crame more minorities into postions of authority before their mixed race president gets scraped out of office. Look what minorities have done to America since 2008, America is now a welfare country, instead of a leader of countries.
Rucker wants to reestablish a position that travels the state looking for minorities to work in Warren.It sounds like she probably has a friend who needs a job.Blaming the former mayor is typical from this councilwoman who spends all her time on the wrong things.Welcome to Warren where the AK47 rifle is the weapon of choice.
So two Warren councilmembers openly endorse discrimination based upon race. I thought we settled this in the 60s. Whatever happened to that notion of "content of their character" that MLK talked about, or is that just BS? If minorities want to join the force they will study and take the test. If not then they won't. Maybe minorities just don't want to be firefighters and police.
Bottom line: minorities don't want the jobs.
"“In the next three to 10 years, there could be no minorities in the police department and fire department,” Rucker said."
And who's fault is that? From the application "justice" posted it seems like a fair shot for everyone. < I noticed the absence of a drug test or background check> Is that in the Physical Agility part?
"....that will work to recruit minorities so the city is “better positioned the next time.”
Why do they have to recruit minorities? Sounds like that should go under "credit" which isn't fair to others.
"Rucker said the previous mayor, Michael O’Brien, didn’t show much leadership on minority hiring during his eight years in office, which ended last week."
Huh, the mayor has to show leadership on minority hiring? Is that really fair?
"The city had an Equal Employment Opportunity officer who traveled throughout the state to encourage minorities to work in Warren, but that position hasn’t been filled for eight years, Rucker said."
Again, who's fault is that??? If you can't get a 70% on the test (JUST STUDY) then you are NOT QUALIFIED! Period, but because your a minority you get a free pass? Really?
"Not only do the NAACP, Urban League, Ministerial Alliance, A. Philip Randolph Institute and League of Women Voters need to work on it, but groups made up mostly of white ministers need to participate, the Rev. Mr. Hearns said."
This is the most asine comment I seen. White ministers now?? Again, if they don't want to apply you going to force them because their a minority, real fair to the ones that pass the test and meet the requirements.
"The fire department has 69 firefighters, four of them black, none of them women. The police department has 66 officers, five of them black, and four women."
WHO is to blame for that?? Everyone else except for the minorities that can't pass a test?? Blame everyone and everything because they don't want to go the extra mile and study and pass the test.
This PC has to stop and the minorities have to step it up and quit getting free rides because their minorities. Get off your lazy a@#es and do something instead of waiting for a job to get handed to you.
If everyone is considered equal .. why is the word minority even used. ...... In the test and application .... The space for "Race " should be eliminated ..... Hire the top people ,if your not one of them then you don't get the job THAT is equality everyone strives for...
Kudos to the city for standing up to these two RACIST politicians. Every single person who wants these jobs is free to apply, study, and take the test. You only need a "D" to make the list. There SHOULD be a rigorous test, both written and physical to weed out the people who are not dedicated enough to make it through the process, because it doesn't get any easier once you get the job! Not only do you have to deal with the criminals, you have to deal with politicians not supporting you. Especially these two who decide who to support based solely on the color of your skin.
First, no one is actually stopping anyone from applying to take this test. Why should everything be rescheduled if no one is willing to take this test?
Secondly, who would want to take a job for 25k in Warren? You've got a pretty good shot at getting killed in that war zone. If they offered 75k to start..maybe they'd get some more applicants.
Where the hell is Stan???
How much more should minorities be given to pass a test? The answers in advance?