Captain Armando Perez, better known as AJ, is now Acting Police Chief Perez. Mayor Joe Ganim Thursday night in a packed City Council Chambers issued the oath of office to his friend who supported him during good times, bad times and now redemption times. The search for a permanent chief could take upwards of a year, if not longer if Ganim has his way, and Perez will certainly be in the mix for the job.
This is new territory for the genial Perez who’s well-liked among rank and file officers. Now he becomes the face of the department and the citywide responsibility for dealing with an assortment of issues, from internal personnel to external neighborhood demands in an understaffed agency.
According to the City Charter, following a police chief vacancy (via the resignation of Joe Gaudett for a consulting job within the department), Civil Service Personnel Director David Dunn has 150 days to conduct a test for a permanent chief that could include a written examination or simply oral interviews before a search committee that in the past has been selected by the mayor. A private firm could be brought in to vet and conduct background checks on candidates. The search committee would narrow choices to three finalists. The mayor would appoint a chief from the top three to a five-year term with an option to appoint for another five years. A chief, based on a charter change approved by voters more than 25 years ago, cannot serve for more than 10 years.
I like AJ but he is definitely not worth more than $450k a year when you take his pay, Chapman’s salary and Gaudett’s contract simply to make AJ Chief.
The first container of Ajax is going to be used to clean Andrew C Fardy’s potty mouth.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=l1mC1NORnZQ
Give it your best shot.
The second container:
www .youtube.com/watch?v=WREo-_R9uyc
Lennie, you wrote, “Civil Service Personnel Director David Dunn has 150 days to conduct a test for a permanent chief,” and “the mayor would appoint a chief from the top three.” Well, what’s happens if A.J. Perez places fourth on the exam and all four candidates want the position?
Depends how the exam is structured. I dare say the mayor will want an exam and selection committee that maximizes AJ’s placement. But that may not be for a while.
It will be interesting to seek how long they drag this out. Will anyone point out the Personnel Director responsible for test is himself in violation of the Charter?
And this is important to you, why?
Come on Ron, you know what they will do. They will get the city attoney’s office and boy wonder to invent a law that allows the mayor to pick the fourth candidate. BTW Ron, what education level is the police chief required to have?
If he finishes fourth he can’t become the permanent chief.
Phil, see my comments above. This administration has already shown it gets what it wants no matter what.
BTW, never saw a provisional sworn in before.
Technically the Acting Chief isn’t a provisional, but you are right about the swearing in. I’ve never seen a public swearing in for any acting or provisional appointee.
Phil, we don’t even know if he is qualified for this job. There were three deputy chiefs who were by passed for the chief’s job. We know Perez made captain but that’s it. Does he have the educational background to be chief? We know he is well-liked but that does not run a PD. I bet those three deputies feel great.
It’s a civil service position, the qualifications should be on record. As I recall the qualifications (other than those set forth in the Charter) deal primarily with knowledge, skills and experience. I don’t know if there is an educational requirement per se.
What is known, Rotten Rooney the high school graduate who listed his grammar school education (really) on his Fire Chief application didn’t finish in the top three either.
Only after his veterans points were added did he finish in the top three. Dumb Ass. Doing the job prior and couldn’t pass on his own.
Good thing Fabrizi and Carroll were on his interview panel. Two more idiots.
Bridgeport could have been Flint MI before Flint’s water issues.
Fact, Rooney and the Maintenance Division supervisor meet with a water pipe contractor to fix out-of-service hydrants using lead, because of the many hydrants out of service. And it would be the cheapest and fast way to fix them and get them back in service. The contractor told him to take a flying shit, he was not going to do anything illegal. This was to be done through a no-bid contract. The question remains, did he find some else to do the work illegally?
Rooney’s veterans points came from his time in the Army Reserve, he never did any active duty, just going to meetings.
Ron, you want resident points for entry level so what’s the difference? You should be tired of beating this horse. It’s not going to change whom the chief is.
Could you please tell us how lead was going to be used to repair hydrants?
I asked politely about where lead was used to repair hydrants and got no answer. Hydrants are an iron/steel object with the hydrant and orifices above ground. The system is connected to the hydrant (bonnet) by welds. The whole assembly is connected to the water main and equipped with an on/off valve. There is no need to use lead and lead is not strong enough for any purpose on a hydrant. So again you are wrong.
Ron, that says it all. Like you and many other members of the BFD, some in special forces during that era, some drafted or enlisted, you guys were willing to get in line and be shot at. Puke Green Rooney has always been afraid and a coward. I guess you can’t expect a 90-pound weakling to carry his own weight.
There is something to the hydrant issue and lead repairs!
Don Tito. you must have been one of those Rooney told to retire or face charges. Now for your other BS comment, Rooney is no coward, he proved it time and time again while on the squad and on other busy companies.
So Rooney finished 4th behind these others with college degrees, BFD, what were their degrees in? Were they fire related. You don’t know, do you Tito. You sir are a hater and you also are full of shit plain and simple.
*** Either live with the old P/D Chief, or buy him out at a high rate, or move him to another P/D Dept. at the same pay rate to make room for A/J who is considered a cop’s cop unlike Gaudett to pay back a political promise to an old friend! Which of the choices are better for the tax-ayers in the end? Making promises in city government can get expensive but is doable when it’s not your money, no? *** GOOD LUCK TO AJ PEREZ; A PEOPLE’S COP! ***