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Chief reports staffing shortfall, reporting discrepancy; commission amends hiring process
Summary
Police Chief Noussas reported November activity numbers and a ticketing-reporting discrepancy, described the department as short-staffed and urged a renewed hiring process. The commission amended General Order 27.6 and opened a hiring window through Feb. 13, 2026.
Police Chief Noussas told the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners that the department's November activity log showed 110 state accident reports, 432 traffic stops and 376 citations in the records, but he warned the department's reporting system can bundle multiple offenses under a single ticket number and "it's probably closer to 500," creating a discrepancy in the recorded citation total.
Chief Noussas also said the department currently lacks an active hiring list and has experienced retirements and disability-related separations that together have created an 'emergency' staffing situation. He said an emergency hiring process is underway while the department works to restore its standard hiring procedures.
The commission next considered changes to General Order 27.6, which updates the application and hiring process; meeting discussion cited moving from a polygraph to a voice stress analyzer examination among proposed changes. Commissioner Rich moved to amend the general order and the motion carried by voice vote.
Following that action, the commission voted to open a new hiring process with an application window announced to run through Feb. 13, 2026. The chair said the open process "takes effect starting with today." The motions to amend General Order 27.6 and to open the hiring process were both seconded and carried by voice vote.
Why it matters: The reported discrepancy in administrative records has implications for departmental reporting and performance metrics. The staffing shortage and the decision to amend hiring procedures affect how quickly vacancies can be filled and whether new hires undergo different screening steps.
What the record shows: The chief provided quantitative counts and explicitly cautioned the citation count in the record may understate the true number; commissioners approved the procedural change and opened the application period without additional conditions.
Next steps: Department staff will implement the amended General Order 27.6 and accept applications through Feb. 13, 2026; no specific hiring schedule or number of hires was specified during the meeting.
