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Struthers officials weigh switching civil-service testing vendor to widen police applicant pool
Summary
Civil service commissioners and councilors discussed replacing Clancy & Associates with a vendor that lets entry-level police applicants take tests before obtaining OPOTA certification, a change that would require a council ordinance and amendments to civil-service rules.
Members of the Struthers civil service commission and city council spent the bulk of a joint police-and-fire meeting discussing whether to switch from Clancy & Associates to a private testing company that allows entry-level police candidates to sit for exams before they obtain Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) certification.
The proposal drew broad support from commissioners, the mayor and the police chief during the discussion, who said the change could increase the number of applicants and reduce recurring testing costs. “This just gives us so when they take these tests, they can pay $20 and and it can go to Hubbard... they can make 20 more dollars and it goes to Struthers,” a civil service commission member said, describing how applicants can pay to list multiple jurisdictions. That same commission member said Clancy has produced small candidate pools in recent police tests, sometimes “1 candidate, sometimes... 2.”
Why it matters: Struthers leaders said they have struggled to attract qualified applicants for entry-level police positions. Under current practice, candidates must already…
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