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Commander says proposed hiring ordinance change would allow conditional offers earlier to speed recruitment
Summary
Lexington corrections/police leadership described a proposed ordinance change that would remove a two-phase hiring sequence and allow conditional employment offers after initial testing and oral interviews; proponents said the change aims to shorten long hiring timelines that can exceed five months.
City law enforcement supervisors described a proposed ordinance change intended to streamline recruitment by eliminating a two-phase approach and allowing conditional offers of employment earlier in the process.
Commander (name given as Commander Cooper in the meeting) said the existing ordinance described a two-phase process: phase 1 comprised application, written test, physical-abilities test and oral interview; phase 2 covered background investigations, suitability screening and a conditional offer. "We found on several occasions... somebody could from application to finding out they're gonna be hired could be 5 to 6 months," Commander Cooper said. He said some background checks were limited unless a conditional offer existed, creating administrative delay.
Under the proposed change, a conditional offer could be extended after the completion of what had been called phase 1, enabling investigators to conduct background and suitability screenings while applicants remained engaged in the process. Cooper said the city worked with Human Resources to shorten the process and keep applicants engaged.
Councilmembers praised the coordination and said they hoped the change would improve recruitment and retention; no formal vote on the ordinance was recorded at the work session. The presentation was informational and was received as part of the council's new-business review.
