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Merit System Commission certifies police applicant list, expects to hire three
Summary
The Merit System Commission certified a ranked list of 11 entry-level police officer candidates on May 6, 2026, narrowed from a pool of 41 after disqualification criteria, a voluntary PT test and interviews; commissioners also approved routine personnel motions.
The Merit System Commission on May 6 certified a ranked list of 11 entry-level police officer candidates and said it expects to hire three from that list, a staff member told commissioners.
The certification followed a recruitment process the staff member described as beginning with a pool of 41 applicants that was reduced through disqualifying criteria and a voluntary physical‑testing (PT) assessment to 11 potential candidates. "We had a pool of 41 this go go around, which was a good number for us," the staff member said. The commission then conducted 11 interviews, assigned numeric scores to each candidate and applied adjustments for college, military service and OPA certification to produce the final ranked list.
Commission members formally moved to certify the list during the meeting. A motion to certify the MSC police applicant list was moved and seconded, and commissioners recorded unanimous recorded votes in favor. The staff member said the commission anticipates hiring three candidates from the certified list (the staff member prefaced that number with "I believe").
The meeting also addressed several procedural personnel items. The chair moved to excuse Commissioner Watts from the session; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. Commissioners nominated officers for the commission: a member nominated Mary Wasty for chair and also nominated themself for vice chair; members voted to approve the nominated officers. The commission also voted to extend the current Operator I eligibility list for one year.
The actions taken were procedural certifications and appointments; no new hiring contracts or specific start dates were announced at the meeting. With no further business, the commission adjourned at 9:03 a.m.
Votes at a glance: The commission voted unanimously to (1) excuse Commissioner Watts; (2) approve the nominated officers (Mary Wasty for chair, and a commissioner for vice chair as nominated); (3) extend the Operator I eligibility list for one year; and (4) certify the ranked entry‑level police officer list of 11 candidates.
