Civil Service Commission approves updated police eligibility lists after assessment center

The Tumwater Civil Service Commission voted to approve updated eligibility lists for police hiring and promotion, including a newly completed sergeant promotional list produced after an internal assessment center.

Michelle Sutherland, the commission’s secretary examiner, told commissioners the entry-level officer list currently contains six names and detailed recent removals and background-check statuses: “You'll see removed from the list, the DNP is did not pass background check, and we have 2 that are currently in the background check,” she said. Sutherland said some candidates also failed the chief’s interview or expired off the list.

Sutherland said the sergeant assessment center involved four candidates and required a passing score of 70%. “There were, we actually had 4 candidates that went through the assessment center,” she said. “They need a passing score of 70% or above, and the fourth internal candidate that we had scored just under that, unfortunately. So we only had 3 names to add to our police sergeant list.”

Commissioner Pat Schneider moved to approve the entry-level list; Chair Blake Chard seconded. The commission approved both the police officer entry-level list and the new sergeant promotional list by voice vote.

The approved sergeant list will be available for upcoming promotional opportunities; Sutherland said staff will update the records to reflect the new lists’ establishment and expiration dates. The commission did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; minutes show the motions passed by voice vote.

The commission will consider additional personnel business at its next scheduled meeting on April 9.