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  2. Administrative Policy 11-1 Promotion Policy for Sworn Police Department Personnel

Administrative Policy 11-1 Promotion Policy for Sworn Police Department Personnel

Subject:

 

Promotion Policy for Sworn Police Department Personnel

 

Purpose:

 

The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for use by the Police Department in determining eligibility and selection of sworn members of the Lawton Police Department for promotion. The policy establishes criteria and procedures for promotion to Lieutenant and Captain and provides that the City Manager, in conjunction with the Chief of Police, will establish promotion criteria for ranks higher than Captain.

 

Administrative Directed Procedure:

 

1.   General Purpose: These procedures are for use by the Lawton Police Department in determining eligibility of sworn members of the Police Department for promotional consideration and promotion. These procedures involve selecting persons qualified to enter the promotional process. This qualification is attained by meeting certain minimum standards as outlined in detail in this policy. Generally, these standards are:

 

  1. Meeting a specified minimum time in grade, or equivalent, in the present classification; and
  2. Successfully accomplishing all assigned training and/or educational requirements for the next higher qualification.

 

2.   All persons who meet the minimum qualifications shall be eligible to participate in the promotional process. It will not be mandatory for any individual to enter the promotional process to form an eligibility list.  In the event that less than three (3) individuals who meet the minimum qualifications enter the promotional process, the Police Chief with the approval of the City Manager shall have the discretion to modify the eligibility requirements for the classification of the respective rank(s) that did not garner enough participation for the testing cycle.  In the event the eligibility requirements are modified, a minimum of two (2) additional weeks (i.e. 14 days) shall be allowed for candidates to sign up to participate. 

 

3.   With the exception of the promotion process to Assistant Chief, the complete promotion process including the required written examinations will commence during the same monthly time period each year so that a new promotion eligibility list will be available and in effect on the date that the previous year’s promotion eligibility list expires. The promotional process to Assistant Chief will begin once a vacancy has occurred after the City Manager has authorized the vacancy to be filled.  It is the goal of Administration to fill Assistant Chief Promotions within thirty (30) days of said vacancy.

 

Prerequisites for Participation in the Promotional Process

 

All sworn police personnel who meet the following minimum requisites shall be eligible to participate in the promotional process.

 

 

Prerequisites for Each Rank Classification

 

All sworn persons within the City of Lawton Police Department who participate in the promotional process must meet the following minimum requisites in classification as indicated below:

 

  1. Promotion to the Classification of Lieutenant

 

    1. Officers must have a minimum of six (6) completed years of continuous service as a Police Officer with the Lawton Police Department to be eligible for promotion to Lieutenant. Officers who have completed their fifth (5th) year of service and are projected to complete the six (6) year service requirement during the term of the eligibility list will be allowed to participate in the promotion process.  Said officers will have their eligibility date listed beside their name. Officers will be placed on the list according to their respective scores but will not be eligible for promotion until they have met the six (6) year service requirement. 

 

    1. Maintenance of an overall rating of standard or above on the most recent employee performance evaluation immediately preceding the date of the written promotional exam.

 

    1. Not received any disciplinary action greater than a written reprimand within the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the issuance of the promotion eligibility list.

 

    1. The promotion eligibility list established by this procedure will be used through the last day of March of each year. The new promotion eligibility list will be established on April 1st of each succeeding year.

 

  1. Promotion to the Classification of Captain

 

    1. A minimum of two (2) years of service as a Lieutenant with the Lawton Police Department to be eligible for promotion to Captain.  Officers that are within their second (2nd) year of service as a Lieutenant and projected to complete the two (2) year service requirement during the term of the eligibility list will be allowed to participate in the promotion process.  Said officers will be placed on the list according to their respective scores but will not be eligible for promotion until they have met the two (2) year service requirement as a Lieutenant. Said officers will have their eligibility date listed beside their name.

 

    1. Maintenance of an overall rating of standard or above on the most recent employee performance evaluation immediately preceding the date of the written promotional examination.

 

    1. Not received any disciplinary action greater than a written reprimand within the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the issuance of the promotion eligibility list.

 

    1. The promotion eligibility list established by this procedure will be used through the last day of March of each year. The new promotion eligibility list will be established on April 1st of each succeeding year.

 

  1. Promotion to the Classification of Assistant Chief of Police – The Police Chief with the approval of the City Manager shall determine the criteria for promotion to the classification of Assistant Police Chief.  Eligible candidates will be limited to personnel holding the rank of Captain.  If less than three Captains choose to apply, the Police Chief shall have the discretion to consider any Lieutenants that are interested in applying.  All Candidates will be required to submit a resume for consideration.   All candidates selected for consideration for Assistant Police Chief who participate in the process will be considered by the City Manager, under the advice and recommendation of the Chief of Police.

 

  1. The selection process for Lieutenant and Captain will become effective upon the beginning of a pay period within two weeks (i.e. fourteen 14 days) of when the vacancy occurred unless the Police Chief calls for an alternate promotional process in order to obtain additional qualified candidates. Should a vacancy occur due to retirement and the retiring person takes Terminal Leave, the vacancy will have been deemed to occur when the Terminal Leave begins.

 

Sequence of Events for Establishing the eligibility list

 

For promotion to Lieutenant and/or Captain

 

The Chief of Police or his designee will notify those candidates eligible to compete for vacancies based on the criteria established in this policy. Said notification will typically be during the month of December each year but must be completed no later than January 15th of each year. Such notification will include the details of the written promotional test such as date, time and location of the examination, the general subject matter, and the location of reference materials. In addition, eligibility notification lists should be electronically distributed as a supplemental means of notification to all potential candidates. Upon notification of eligibility, a Testing Sign-Up Sheet shall be placed in a specified location and candidates will have a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of posting to sign up for the testing process.

 

Candidate Resume

 

Each candidate shall furnish a written resume to the Human Resources Department outlining educational background, departmental and special team/unit history, and awards received. This resume shall be submitted a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the written test. The resume shall be submitted in digital format utilizing the specified Promotional Candidate Resume form. The Human Resources Department shall redact the candidates name and substitute the name with an identification number.

 

 

 

 

Written Examination Criterion:

 

A written examination will be conducted annually, or as approved within the most recent collective bargaining agreement, for promotions to Lieutenant and Captain. The test will be prepared by an outside party that specializes in law enforcement promotional testing procedures and formats; and may have input from the Chief of Police as to topic areas he/she believes are necessary for the Lawton Police Department. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief of Police, with the assistance of the Human Resources Director, and final approval of the City Manager to identify and select a nationally certified and accredited professional firm to prepare the promotional test in whole or in “modular format” designed to emphasize the operational needs of the department.

 

  1. At minimum, the selected firm must be capable of re-evaluating, upgrading, or modernizing the written examination once every five years.

 

  1. The Lawton Police Department shall purchase the study materials, if available, submitted by the chosen firm and will make those materials available to the candidates. All study materials shall be updated upon printing of a new, revised edition of the material. It shall be up to the department as to the total number each reference material that is purchased with a minimum of three (3) complete reference binders made available to the Department.

 

  1. Each test will be administered in a testing environment mutually identified by the Human Resources Director and the Chief of Police, and/or their respective designee(s).

 

  1. Candidates must score a minimum of 70% or greater to proceed any further in the promotional process.

 

Candidates will be presented their scores within three (3) business days of completing the written examination excluding any holidays. Candidates that score below a 70% will not be permitted to continue in the promotional process.

 

Oral Interview Panel Criterion: An Oral Interview Panel shall be held.

 

The oral interview shall be administered by the Human Resources Director or his/her designee. In addition, this individual shall act in an oversight capacity for the oral interview panel and shall maintain the final authority over matters relative to coordination, and any other administrative matters not covered by exception throughout this policy.

 

Oral Interview Panel Procedures and Composition:

 

  1. There shall be one (1) officer of the Lawton Police Department assigned to the Oral Interview Panel as a representative of the department. This officer will be designated by the Chief of Police and will act as a liaison to the Panel. This officer will be responsible for answering questions regarding department policies, procedures, and organization or any other topic the Panel may need clarification of. This officer shall not be a scoring member of the Panel, and will not be in the room during interviews, nor shall this officer offer any opinions as to the candidates being interviewed.

 

  1. Five (5) certified peace officers of the same respective or equivalent rank of the highest rank being considered for promotion should be selected for the purpose of conducting the candidate interviews. (for example – a first line supervisor may not sit on a Captain’s Interview Board) These five (5) officers shall be from another municipal, county, state, tribal, school, or collegiate law enforcement agency within the State of Oklahoma.  The officers should be selected from an agency with a minimum of thirty-five percent (35%) of the current staffing of the Lawton Police Department’s sworn officers in order to insure comparable exposure and experience levels. Should three (3) or less law enforcement agencies or jurisdictions be identified meeting the above minimum criteria, the City Manager and Human Resources Director shall be consulted to confirm these findings. Upon confirmation, the City Manager may modify the thirty-five percent (35%) staffing threshold to allow for the Department to meet this external participation requirement. In the event five (5) Panel Members cannot be obtained from other agencies, the Human Resource Director shall complete the panel by appointing a Captain from the Lawton Police Department. This appointment shall be determined by a random draw from all eligible persons.

 

  1. It shall be the responsibility of the Human Resources Department to coordinate with other agencies within the State of Oklahoma for the purposes of selecting suitable panelists to be seated on the Oral Interview Panel. In addition, the Human Resources Department is responsible for identifying the appropriate number of alternate panelists who can attend in the absence of an originally confirmed panel member. However, the Human Resources Department shall not request specific officers by name and position from external agencies or jurisdictions to be assigned to the Board. That is to say that the discretion of that respective police department or law enforcement agency should dictate the availability of those selected and who will serve.

 

  1. One of the five (5) Panel Members shall be designated as the chairperson. The Oral Interview Panel shall make a concerted effort to examine each promotional applicant for approximately fifteen (15) to thirty (30) minutes, but in any event not more than forty-five (45) minutes.

 

  1. The order of candidate interviews shall be determined by a random drawing performed by the Human Resources Director of his/her designee.

 

  1. Each Panel Member shall be supplied with a copy of each candidate resume prior to the beginning of the interviews. The Candidate’s names shall be removed from the resume and replaced with an identifying number that corresponds to the candidate.

 

  1. Each oral interview Panel Member shall rate each promotional applicant appearing before it on a 0-100 weighted scale using the designated oral examination appraisal worksheet that has been previously approved for use by the Human Resource Director. In any event, the applicant’s lowest and highest rating shall be discarded. The applicant’s rating will then become the average of the remaining three (3) oral interview panel member’s combined ratings.
  2. Each oral interview Panel Member shall rate each promotional applicant appearing before it on the following categories:

 

        1. Work history, assignments, and cumulative experience
        2. Formal and Informal education
        3. Qualifications related to the position
        4. Professional qualities and characteristics
        5. Interview preparation and presentation

 

  1. Interview questions will include but will not be limited to departmental policies, procedures, directives, rules, regulations, legal matters, human relations, and supervision.

 

Candidates will be provided their interview scores after completing their respective oral interview.   

 

Educational Background:

 

  1. The Director of Human Resources or their designee shall verify the educational background of each candidate via submitted documentation provided by the respective candidate. Points shall be awarded for CLEET Certificates and Degrees from Accredited Colleges, Universities, or Community Colleges. Points for educational background shall be awarded in the following manner:

 

  1. One (1) point for Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate from CLEET.
  2. Two (2) points for an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from CLEET (points are calculated on the highest Certificate granted).
  3. One (1) point for an associate degree.
  4. Two (2) points for a bachelor’s degree.
  5. Three (3) points for an Advanced/Graduate College/University degree (points are calculated on the highest degree earned).

 

  1. Educational Points will be added to the candidate’s score. For testing purposes, educational points will be considered up to January 1st prior to the testing cycle

 

Department Background:

 

  1. The Director of Human Resources or their designee shall verify the department background of each candidate via submitted documentation provided by the respective candidate.  Should no documentation be available, it shall be the candidate’s responsibility to provide proof via letter signed by both the Chief and the respective Supervisor attesting to the declared background points.  All documents shall be submitted with the candidates resume.  Documentation must be submitted a minimum of fourteen (14) days prior to the written test.

 

  1. To be eligible for Department Background points, a candidate must have been assigned on a daily basis or performed specific duties for two (2) continuous years (unless otherwise noted).

 

  1. Specialized Unit, Assignments, Section, or Division to be considered:

 

*          Headquarters                           *          Lake Patrol

*          Training                                  *          Bicycle Unit

*          Technical Services                  *          Gang Unit

*          Tactical Team                         *          Canine Unit

*          Traffic Unit                             *          Special Operations

*          Honor Guard                           *          CLEET Instructor

*          Detective (CID)                      *          Community Oriented Police Unit

*          Drug Recognition Expert        *          Hostage Negotiator

*          Dive Team                               *          Polygraphy

*          Reconstructionist                    *          Emergency Response Team

 

  1. Departmental Awards that have been earned to be considered are:

 

*          Medal of Honor                      *          Police Shield

*          Police Cross                            *          Supervisor of the Year

*          Medal of Valor                        *          Officer of the Year

*          Commendation Bar                 *          Meritorious Conduct

*          Life Saving

 

  1. The candidate will receive one (1) point for each specialized unit, assignment, section, or award listed above.

 

  1. There shall be a maximum of ten (10) total points awarded for department background.

 

  1. Department Background points will be added to the candidates score.

 

  1. For testing purposes, department background points will be considered up to January 1st prior to the testing cycle.

 

Time in Service

 

Each Candidate shall earn one (1) point for every five (5) years of service with the Lawton Police Department. The five (5) years must have been completed by January 1st prior to the testing cycle.

 

Promotion Eligibility List

 

  1. A promotion eligibility list will be determined by adding the written examination score, the oral interview score, points for education, points for department background and points for Time of Service. This score will be a cumulative score of all possible points. There will be a possible 215 points prior to the time-of-service credit.
  2. The promotion eligibility list according to cumulative total will be prepared by the Human Resources Director or designee. In the event of a tie score on the promotion eligibility list, seniority in current grade shall break the tie, i.e. the senior officer in grade shall be ranked higher than the junior officer in the same grade. Each officer completing the promotional process will be advised of their individual score by the Human Resources Department by letter, within fifteen (15) days of the oral test. This letter shall include the score for each aspect of the testing process. The final promotion eligibility list shall be prominently displayed in a common location that all department personnel can access.

 

  1. Any sworn personnel who are on either the promotion eligibility list or the Top List [discussed below] and receive any disciplinary action greater than a written reprimand shall become ineligible for promotion and shall be removed from the respective list for the remainder of the current promotional eligibility list.

 

  1. As vacancies occur throughout the year, the following shall apply:

 

    1. When an initial vacancy occurs in the rank of Captain during the term of the promotion eligibility list, the list referred for evaluation [aka the “Top List”] will be a list of the top three (3) Lieutenants from the top of the promotion eligibility list.  In the event one or more of the top three candidates are not eligible due to having not met the years of service requirement, additional candidates will be added to the list until at least three eligible candidates are available for possible selection.  This list shall make up the “Top List.”  All candidates on the “Top List” will be placed on the list in order of finish according to total points.

 

    1. When an initial vacancy occurs in the rank of Lieutenant during the term of the promotion eligibility list, the list referred for evaluation [e.g. the “Top List”] will be a list of the top three (3) candidate positions from the top of the promotion eligibility list.  In the event one or more of the top three candidates are not eligible due to having not met the years of service requirement, additional candidates will be added to the list until at least three eligible candidates are available for possible selection.  This list will make up the “Top List.”  All candidates on the “Top List” will be placed on the list in order of finish according to total points.

 

  1. The Chief of Police and his/her executive staff (i.e. Deputy Chief and/or Assistant Chiefs) will meet and evaluate each individual referred in the “Top List.”

 

  1. This evaluation will be completed each time a vacancy occurs, thereby causing a re-evaluation of individuals not promoted to the first vacancy each year.

 

  1. The Chief may obtain input from ranks that are senior or equivalent to that of the respective officer rank being interviewed meaning that the Chief of Police can discuss qualifying factors and/or working knowledge of a prospective Captain candidate with an existing Captain, but it is not appropriate to discuss this topic with an existing Lieutenant.

 

  1. In all cases, the topics for consideration and discussion, where appropriate, should be limited to the traits and characteristics identified below within Subsection 3.

 

  1. The aforementioned evaluation should be conducted with strong emphasis placed on the following demonstrated abilities, tenents and/or characteristics:

 

    1. Leadership – These characteristics are generally observed in leaders of all disciplines.

 

*          Justice                         *          Enthusiasm

*          Judgment                    *          Bearing

*          Dependability             *          Unselfishness

*          Initiative                      *          Courage

*          Decisiveness                *          Knowledge

*          Tact                             *          Loyalty

*          Integrity                      *          Endurance

*          Honesty                       *          Community Service

*          Cooperation                *          Ethics

 

  1. Personal/Professional Motivation

 

        • Command Presence
        • Personal Appearance and Professionalism
        • Creativity
        • Continuing Resolve and Persistence
        • Self-development and Preparedness
        • Willingness to coach, mentor, and/or empower subordinates
        • Participation in Community Programs

 

    1. Qualifications and Performance

 

  • Volume, Quality and Accuracy of work
  • Comprehends instructions
  • Positive work habits
  • Positive attitude toward the Department
  • Excellent judgment with the ability to quickly assess demanding situations
  • Attendance and punctuality
  • Outstanding job knowledge
  • Acute safety awareness
  • Exceptional planning and organizing skills
  • Sustained level of effort in job performance
  • Current firearms qualification
  • Presents and/or delivers quality verbal and written reports
  • Continued learning both formal and informal
  • Specialized workforce-related training
  • Past performance evaluations, official commendations and/or awards
  • Resume with applicable reference letters

 

  1.  In determining who to recommend for promotion, the Chief of Police will give weighted preference to the highest rank candidate on the Top List presented to the Chief. However, the Chief may recommend a lesser ranked candidate from the “Top List” provided the Chief has a rationale for recommending the lesser ranked candidate such as experience, education, demonstrated leadership, etc.. The Chief will advise in writing any higher ranked candidate who is not recommended for promotion of the rationale for the non-recommendation if that candidate is not promoted. The candidate not recommended will remain on the “Top List” for consideration should another promotion occur within the list eligibility time frame.

 

  1. The Chief of police, when making a promotion recommendation, will recommend his selection of one of the competing individuals from the “Top List” for promotion in writing to the City Manager.  Said recommendation will list the competing individuals in order from highest to lowest ranked preference.  In the event the Chief of Police deviates from the original order of the “Top List”, the Chief shall include written justification to support the recommendation.

 

  1. The City Manager shall have the final authority for selection and promotion; however, it is dually noted that the Manager’s decision must be heavily weighted on the professional expertise, advisory recommendations, and qualified opinions of the department’s management team, up to and including, the Chief of Police.

 

  1. If a second vacancy occurs in either the rank of Lieutenant or Captain during the term of the promotion eligibility list, this second vacancy will not cause an additional candidate to be added to the “Top List” from the promotion eligibility list. Rather, the remaining two candidates on the “Top List” will be the candidates competing for the second vacancy. If, however, additional vacancies occur (three or more) in the Lieutenant or Captain ranks during the term of the promotion eligibility list, an additional candidate will be taken from the top of the promotion eligibility list and added to the bottom of the “Top List” for consideration at the time the additional vacancy occurs. Additionally, if at any time the “Top List” has only one candidate remaining on it [for example a candidate is removed due to discipline, or retires/resigns], an additional candidate will be transferred from the top of the promotion eligibility list to the bottom of the “Top List” so that there is always at least two candidates on the “Top List.”

 

  1. In the event there are no officers remaining on the promotion eligibility list to allow for at least two officers to be on the “Top List” and an opening occurs, the Chief at his discretion may elect to promote the one remaining officer on the list; or with the approval of the City Manager may choose to open the position to allow for additional applicants to apply provided that;

 

  1. there are at least 90 days remaining from the date of the vacancy prior to the expiration of the existing promotion eligibility list; and that
  2. any remaining candidate(s) shall be placed atop the new candidate list.

 

Should the Police Chief choose to open the vacant position(s) for additional applicants, the Chief shall have the discretion to modify the eligibility criteria for promotion to the classification of the respective rank(s) where the opening occurred.

 

Candidates that wish to be considered for any vacant positions, except for any remaining candidate(s), must participate in the designated process to be eligible for selection. Participating candidates will be placed on a list in order of potential promotion selection by either a Promotion Review Board selected by the Police Chief or via an assessment center evaluation process chosen by the Police Chief.  This new list will only be active until the next annual eligibility list is formed.

 

  1. The “Top List” for Lieutenants shall be valid until a new annual promotion eligibility list is created for Lieutenant candidates, at which time a new “Top List” of three candidates will be created from the new promotion eligibility list. Likewise, the annual “Top List” for Captains shall be valid until a new annual promotion eligibility list is created for Captain candidates, at which time a new “Top List” of three candidates will be created from the new promotion eligibility list.

 

Conduct of Employees during Testing Period

 

  1. No employee of the Lawton Police Department or other City of Lawton employee shall intentionally contact a Panel Member outside of the interview proceedings with the purpose of attempting to influence the panel member in any way.

 

  1. The department liaison shall not offer any opinions or remarks concerning any of the candidates, the liaison shall only answer questions related to policy, procedure and operation of the department.

 

  1. Candidates involved in the promotion process are prohibited from discussing the content or questions with other officers or candidates in the process until the promotional testing process is complete.

 

  1. In addition to any discipline that may be imposed, any violation of the above conduct may also be cause for dismissal from the current promotional process.

 

Supervisor Probationary Period

 

Any newly promoted supervisor shall be placed on a one (1) year probationary period to evaluate his/her abilities as a supervisor.

 

Rescission:

 

This policy if effective January 7th, 2022 and will remain in effect until rescinded. This policy supersedes Administrative Policy 11-1 dated October 15, 2020.

 

Responsible Department:     Police Department