Lakewood panel removes three candidates from entry‑level police list, certifies eligibility list and reviews staffing demographics

The Lakewood Civil Service Commission voted to remove several names from the entry‑level police eligibility list and subsequently moved to accept (certify) the police officer eligibility list. The transcript records motions to remove Julian Capaccio, Kyle Gunderson and Cindy Wong from the entry‑level list; motions were seconded and the chair called for 'ayes.' The record contains multiple affirmative responses but does not include a detailed roll‑call tally with individual names in the provided excerpt.

Following the personnel motions, staff presented a demographic report on the police department's workforce. The report highlighted that 63% of employees are over 40 years old, 33% of employees have 0–5 years of service, and 28% have 20 or more years of service. Presenters described a "barbell" pattern in years‑of‑service distribution—clusters of newer hires and long‑tenured staff with fewer mid‑career employees—and offered to distribute the full report electronically for commissioners to review in greater detail.

Commissioners and staff discussed lateral hiring and how prior law‑enforcement service is credited in the department's records. The transcript indicates prior service can affect compensation calculations but that years‑of‑service reporting in the presented data reflects time in the department itself. The group also discussed retirement eligibility, noting typical eligibility around age 52–55 and forecasting that the department faces a potential wave of retirements given the current age distribution.

Commissioners and staff described the chief's strategy to prioritize lateral hires from registers and to over‑register in recruitment processes to fill mid‑career gaps. The report and discussion framed those strategies as both operationally efficient and potentially helpful for meeting demographic and staffing needs.

What the record shows and what it does not: The transcript documents the motions to remove named candidates and the commission's move to accept the eligibility list, with affirmative responses recorded; however, the excerpt does not provide a complete roll‑call tally attached to individual commissioner names. The demographics report numbers and the discussion of hiring strategies are recorded verbatim in the meeting excerpt and were offered to commissioners for future tracking and distribution.