Citydwellers Scarce Among New Cop Recruits

The goal & priority should be hiring the best and brightest, with clean records, good backgrounds, education, and top scores, with race and ethnicity NOT trumping qualifications. Didn't we learn that lesson with the hiring of the now-fired Officer Poindexter, the conviction of Firefighter Brantley for trying to bribe a fellow firefighter into supporting a ridiculous, whiny "race discrimination" claim against the City, and (not that we need another example), the recent revelations about 911 Center director Michael Briscoe?

My Brother-in-law is an Asst Chief of Police in a CT Municipality.

Of the 175 candidates that he looked at for prospective new hires, he finally whittled it down to zero, or should I say between test scores and psych evals, they whittled themselves down....

It would be interesting to learn the selection criteria and process with that many applicants. I understand the written was worth 25 points and oral 75. Three questions were asked at the oral exam and were evaluated by "citizens trained what to look for." Who were the "citizens" and what did they base their decisions on?

Why is the Police test only valid for one year when it's usually two . The F.D. list is good for two years and the Fire Chief wants to extend it because the test cost the City over $300,000 dolllars to run it. How much did the City spend on this test. It's quite obvious they dont like the results and the reason is right in the headline " Citydwellers scarce among new cop recruits" . Only 72 out of 545 passed.

@Bill Saunders you wrote,
"My Brother-in-law is an Asst Chief of Police in a CT Municipality.

Of the 175 candidates that he looked at for prospective new hires, he finally whittled it down to zero, or should I say between test scores and psych evals, they whittled themselves down…."

How could your brother in law make such an assumption when psych evals haven't even started yet? Also, how can he (anyone for that matter) draw such conclusions from a list of candidates who he doesn't know?

@Swampfoxll
I agree with you too, but keep in mind New Haven just wants to have the police department reflect the community they serve.

A lot of people (Not all;most) makes a big deal when it comes to New Haven hiring New Haven residents, but they don't make a big deal when surrounding towns hire candidates from the town to reflect the community they serve.

The incident with the rookie was unfortunate and sad, but it could have been any race. The system is not perfect. No system is. Every job has bad and good apples.

fyi... 482 made the list. and the list appears to be even according to the stats listed above. Good luck to everyone.

Ms./Mr. Swampfoxll,

It has been quite some time since I've read a statement here that is as bigoted as yours. But here you are.

Your not so subtle hint that racial minorities who may have been gone astray on their jobs or in their positions MUST be a repersentation of how Affirmative Action works is as bigoted as it gets.

And your obvious desire to connect all racial minorities to the misfortunes of a few is down right insulting, bordering on extreme ignorance.

Following your "logic" of racial blaming and cupablility, this country should NEVER elect a white man to the presidency again - given the misdeeds of the ones who committed (or allowed) crimes and atrocities while in office. We should NEVER elect a white man to the governorship of the state, considering what Rolland did...TWICE.

The Senate and the House of Representative should also be off limits to rich (or well connected) white people, when one considers the fact that most of their members are white coupled with the mess they have made of this country's fundamental ideas.

You CLEARLY have little understanding of the Affirmative Action idea, in the first place, as you've made race an antithesis of qualified, as you have no idea, CLEARLY of why some people may be given an advantaged based on race, since they have been disadvantaged, based on race.

Maybe you should research these things before you make public comments about them, even if you're hiding behind a pseudonym.

The Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

Listen, this is absurd SwampfoxII understands the absurdity.
This is a totally hand picked group. Up until the last class
an applicant had to PASS the written test with 70% NOW
With the test accounting for only 25% of the final elegibility rank
basically someone can "fail " the written and pass the oral board and still
make it to the top of the list. Even the mastery tests have a passing grade!! Further, this video oral board is
So blatantly subjective and biased. The city is asking for another lawsuit
by dumbing down the test. I hope it is brought and swiftly.
Qualifications Period. Not sex and race.

To Rev. Mr. Samuel T. Ross-Lee

So are you saying then Reverend, based on your second to last paragraph, as it pertains to this article, that minorities who took the police test should receive some type of advantage because of their race due to the fact that they were disadvantaged due to their race? And if so, what type of advantage, in your opinion, should they have, or perhaps did, receive?

Mr/Ms NHBorn,

My comments, despite your efforts (hope they were not your best), does not pertain to "this article", but to the larger issue of Affirmative Action and how it is suppose to work.

Perhaps others on this board would like to comment, or pass to others to comment, on the process that actually took place?

The 200 question written test was worth 25 points. The three (3) question oral test, done through video and "scored" by a civilian panel "instructed" on what to look for, was worth 75 points.

The customary hiring process practiced by most police departments is physical test, written test and oral test, in that order, provided each portion is completed successfully. Candidates receive their scores for both the written and oral portions of the test separately. That did not occur with NHPD.

Candidates did not receive their score for the written portion of the test. They were simply told when and where to report for the oral portion. So as @indabridge states above, there's no way of knowing if a candidate actually passed the written portion to advance to the oral. Or if that was even a criteria.

There were only three (3) questions asked in the oral portion. While I understand there were time constraints due to the number of candidates, three questions worth 75% of the final score is seriously disproportionate, not to mention totally manipulative since how responses are received is mainly subjective (especially to a civilian panel). And not having the opportunity to give your answers in person, but via video, completely changes the dynamic.

Finally, NH residents were awarded 10 additional points. For example: A resident receiving a score of 90 would place about 74th on the current list. In reality however, they scored an 80, which would place them 255th. That's 181 candidates who actually scored higher then the NH resident but finished below them.

There is a lack of transparency in this process. Why were candidates not provided with their written score prior to the oral test? Why was the civilian panel not made public? What criteria did they use in evaluating responses? Was their any independent evaluation or input from NHPD?

NHBorn, you are correct no transparency at all
How did Mr. Pittman's son number 47 on the list?
Answer that question. Yes, he may have done well on the written but he and we will never know. What we do know is he could. Have literally failed the written and still been number 47. As a veteran officer discussed with me the current process he said it is an insult to those that had to pass a written at 70% and go face to face with actual NHPD. Civilian board?
Really. The problem is the candidates that are being discriminated against don't even see it because they are young and idealistic.
I clearly see it and certainly don't want a cop who scored
below a passing grade on my block! Do you?

I encouraged several young people who were testing for other area departments to test for New Haven as well. They did very well in both the written and oral sections of the tests for the other departments (they knew because they actually received their individual scores). Imagine their surprise and disappointment then, after scoring in the 80's & 90's on the other tests, when two of them appeared very low on the NHPD list and one didn't qualify at all! Especially when each of them said the tests for the other departments were much harder, including having to actually sit in front of police commanders for the oral portion.

So, these passionate, well qualified individuals will most likely go to work for other area departments and it will be New Haven's loss. Sadly though, no one seems to care.

Other than this article in the Independent and the few related comments, I haven't seen any concerns or issues with the process or the results documented anywhere else. The current issues with the fire department seem to be getting the bigger media play and public reaction.

The lack of transparency in the process does need to be addressed and corrected however. The City of New Haven and the Police Department owe that to the candidates who participated in it with the understanding that it would be on an equal basis.

That, unfortunately, seems very unlikely.