Commission delays certification of police‑officer list after chief reports 41 applicants

The Marriage System Commission heard an update on police recruitment on April 8, 2026, after the police chief reported that 41 people applied for the entry‑level police officer vacancy. The chief told commissioners a recent sergeant asked to step back to patrol, temporarily filling a patrol vacancy and reducing the immediate need to certify a hiring list.

The chief said, “we got 41 applications,” and explained that because one of the department’s newer sergeants had relinquished a supervision spot to return to patrol, there is currently no open patrol slot available for a conditional hire. The chief said certification of a list is technically valid for up to one year but that lists tend to lose quality over time as stronger candidates are hired elsewhere.

Commission members discussed two options: certify the list now so it would be available should vacancies open, or delay certification, conduct the planned physical‑fitness test and scored interviews, and present a refined list at the next Merit Service Commission meeting. A member asked whether the commission could “freeze” the current applicants; staff answered that certified lists are valid for a year but that keeping a list too long can make hiring harder because higher‑quality candidates are recruited away.

Commissioners agreed to proceed with physical testing and the scored interview process and to have a certified list prepared for the next meeting if openings remain. The chief said he would present the sergeant promotion process and any certified lists at the next meeting so commissioners could act when vacancies materialize.

The discussion concluded without a formal vote to certify a list today; instead, the commission directed staff to continue testing and return with a certification recommendation at the next meeting.