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Scranton council considers faster hiring of certified officers under proposed entry rules
Summary
Council discussed an ordinance to allow the city to hire certified officers from other departments without requiring the full local civil service examination process; councilmembers pressed for civil service review and clarified training and vetting requirements.
The Scranton City Council debated an ordinance that would let the city hire police officers who already hold Pennsylvania Act 120 certification from other agencies, potentially shortening the time it takes to fill permanent vacancies. The conversation centered on how the change would interact with the Civil Service Commission’s role and existing vetting procedures.
Council member Joan Oguanas questioned the ordinance during public comment, urging the council to consult the Civil Service Commission and to require staffing numbers and details about recruitment shortfalls before changing hiring rules. "They created the civil service commission so that people would be hired under merit-based qualifications," Oguanas said, urging guardrails to avoid potential abuse. Council members said the measure is meant to speed hires of officers already trained under Act 120, not to bypass background checks.
Supporters of the measure told the council that a full new recruit can take about 18 months from initial hire to independent patrol—roughly 12 months for academy attendance plus six months of field training. The ordinance would allow the city to hire lateral entrants who have completed the Act 120 course, then subject them to the city’s vetting and Civil Service Commission review rather than require re-enrollment in a local academy. "If somebody came from Blakely and wanted to be hired, they had the Act 120 and they were certified and everything, they could start tomorrow," a council member said while relaying the chief’s explanation.
Council members repeatedly asked for specifics before final passage: current authorized strength and actual shortfall, whether vacancies the ordinance targets are entry-level or lateral, and how the Civil Service Commission would be involved. The chair said he would ask the police chief to provide the requested details; one council member requested emailed questions be forwarded for the chief to answer. The ordinance was introduced for committee consideration by the council following discussion.
The matter remains subject to committee review and additional information from the police department and Civil Service Commission. The council emphasized that any hire under the proposed rule must still meet the city’s qualification and vetting standards.
