News release from Mayor’s Office:
Mayor Joe Ganim announced today that he has signed the contract with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). The IACP will now officially execute the recruitment and competitive civil service examination for the hiring of a Chief of Police for the City of Bridgeport to be appointed to a five (5) year term pursuant to Bridgeport City Charter.
Personnel Director Eric Amado stated that “In addition to having a nationwide reach and an expertise in police chief searches, the IACP is a uniquely qualified firm with psychometric experience that will help the City identify the best candidate for Chief of Police. Our agreement with the IACP includes community engagement activities and opportunities for stakeholders to weigh in on the credentials and qualities that the people of Bridgeport want in its next Chief.”
Next Steps
— Together, the Personnel Director and expert firm will:
o Develop and administer a community survey to Bridgeport residents.
o Conduct meetings with community stakeholders, members of the City Council, and City staff to ensure that the job analysis, job description, and selection criterion represents the qualifications, experience, and skills appropriate for service as a present-day urban police chief;
o Conduct a nationwide search that includes advertisement and recruitment throughout the United States and solicitation within diversity-oriented communities;
o Design and administer a fair, open, inclusive, and competitive examination to candidates that apply and meet the qualifications.— The Personnel Director will certify the top three (3) names to the Mayor.
— The Mayor will announce a process involving public and stakeholder input that will aid him in vetting the top three (3) candidates.
— Within sixty (60) days of receipt of the top three (3) candidates, the Mayor will appoint one of them to be the Chief of Police and notify the Office of Civil Service, Board of Police Commissioners, and the public of said appointment
— Upon appointment of a Chief of Police, the terms of his/her five (5) year appointment will be referred to the City Council for consideration and approval.
The Examination for Police Chief will be open to a nationwide search when the planning stages of the selection process have all been appropriately finalized. The City encourages all qualified candidates to apply.
Hmmm. We’ve seen this before! As usual, I can’t say anything positive about this! Same mayor right?
Cheers! 😆
What is the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) record of giving non-discriminatory police exams and in what cities and what was the racial makeup population compare to Bridgeport and what is their record in hiring non-white candidates?
Mackey, views the world through rose-colored glasses.
Does this article purport to be the most up to date treatment of “THE SEARCH”? Were it to be such would it not enter a fee or expense to the City for this effort that has been negotiated? How does it compare to the expense of THE SEARCH- Prologue comparing the fee negotiated that was completed with the selection of former Chief Perez?
Cannot talk about the VALUE of that fee inasmuch as the City taxpayer has borne added expenses because of the way selected last time, and the way actors played everyone to get a false result.
Does there continue to be any Court actions which the City is handling with its left hand while muddling things with its right hand that might come out with a result in terms of a qualified candidate for Police Chief, overlooked for legal or administrative reasons? Why does City Hall not reference such court cases which the City Attorney Office must defend and therefore we pay for, seemingly multiple times, without results of value? Does the Police Commission have any practical or symbolic role in any of this? Time will tell.
The answer to your last question John, could be answered at the bar. And of course I don’t mean the Attorneys BAR Association !! 😂 😆 😝
Cheers!!!!
JML, that’s why I made my comment about the the testing company because that’s where a large number of
federal lawsuits are lost by cities especially in Bridgeport for violating federal laws in testing and hiring.
John, I still find it hard to believe that only one person in the civil service office, David Dunn, the Acting Personnel Director, was the only person involve and how and why did Randi Frank the owner of the testing company gave Dunn all of the answers of the police exam to Dunn. Who told Dunn to make sure that AJ Perez came out in the three on the list?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I guess Judge Lopez has had just about enough of Joe Ganim! Hopefully the people have as well. I have a feeling that JG et al should start counting their days. Nice editorial letter in the Ct post.
I like her style of writing…..hmmm , I wonder why!!!! 😝 😝
Cheers your Honor!!!
Rich, the editorial was great and on point by Judge Lopez but nothing from the 20 members of the city council except Maria and that’s just one out of 20 and they are all Democrats with no Republicans to b found. Pay to play in Bridgeport, there’s no pressure on Joe Ganim and Mario Testa to change anything.
Ron,
I think that you know that we agree on many things more than we potentially disagree upon. But there are voices and attitudes on the City Council, or in the public speaking sessions that indicate a new spirit within the community, at least to me. Perhaps too subtle for prime time, but nevertheless there.
And since you mention ” a lack of Republicans to be found” as a loss for our community, let’s consider that briefly.
What does the DTC bring to Bridgeport in terms of political philosophy, dedication to promises of the founders of our All-American history, or practical, prioritized, development agendas when they run for office?? Perhaps Chairman Mario or Ganim2 might like to comment. It would be welcome to those who have never heard a word uttered in this direction.
We likely should not blame the absence of Republicans in any significant number from our midst for our problems. How about the 70% or greater of registered voters who cannot get out to vote for local or State candidates in other than a Presidential election year? Are these elections important to us? I believe so and thus continue to become and stay informed. Wish there was more company, in discussions over coffee, in the local OP-ED pages, and working with organizations that work to expand future opportunity for all by securing great educations now and in the days ahead.
Just finished reading THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU HERE :Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century by Fiona Hill who became familiar to US in video Trump impeachment hearings. Good presentation of recent history and how Hill’s own life broke through class and family economics by her taking advantage of timing, community and school exchanges, and early beliefs. She has ideas from her international experiences to share with us about opportunity and development. The title was the advice from a dead and dying locale in northeast England as coal mining shut down as it has in the US. What to do? Move? Write a booK? Seek employment with top schools and consultancies? Time will tell.
JML, I agree with you on most of what you said but I don’t see any path for real change in Bridgeport especially with the elected officers. John, you said, “there are voices and attitudes on the City Council, or in the public speaking sessions that indicate a new spirit within the community,” that could be true but not going anywhere.
John, I don’t see or hear any potential candidate for mayor speaking out against the direction that Mayor Ganim and Mario Testa are leading the city in, I don’t see any black candidate pushing back and I only see one Hispanic, Judge Lopez, speaking out with her editorial letters. I don’t even see real change coming if the FBI found crimes in running the city because when it happens before and Ganim was in federal prison what happen, we got Bill Finch, one of the worse mayors the city has had.
Judge Lopez’s editorial was, indeed, spot-on and timely — with the continuing fire-sale of City assets, the conspiratorial acquiescence of City Hall to SHU and the Diocese of Bridgeport (with respect to the illegal “approval” of neighborhood destroying projects), as well as more (impending) taxpayer-financed political vanity projects on the drawing board, the murky MO of JG and Company certainly needs such powerful exposure. We owe the Judge a nod of gratitude for doing what our elected representatives/”leaders” (local, state, and federal) don’t have the “heart” — or sense of responsibility — to do…
Thanks, Judge Lopez!