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Council backs recruitment push as state ‘hybrid’ hiring opens new path for police staffing
Summary
Councilors directed the manager to coordinate civil service recruitment assistance after officials described the state’s new hybrid hiring option and the need for community outreach to boost police applicant pools.
The Lowell City Council voted to ask the manager and police leadership to present a scheduled plan for civil service recruitment and to expand community outreach after officials described the state’s new hybrid hiring option.
Councilor Noon moved that the city manager have the police superintendent provide a scheduled plan for a civil service exam recruitment session and assistance on the application process; the motion passed. During discussion, councilors and staff said a hybrid hiring law signed in November 2024 will allow chiefs to hire from the civil‑service list directly, an additional tool to fill vacancies. “The hybrid is very exciting... now we have to convince folks to leave their home police department to hopefully come to the city of Lowell,” a department representative said.
Councilors urged outreach through the career center, job fairs and the city’s citizen advisory committee. The manager and police staff said more aggressive outreach would follow completion of a current assessment center in June and that the department’s goal this year is staffing up to about 240 officers. The council also requested updates on any scheduled outreach tabling or career‑center events and asked the manager to publicize the plan on the city website.
