For Top Cop Search Preference For Higher Education But College Degree Not Required

Bridgeport’s next chief of police must have 10 years of urban law enforcement experience with a minimum of five years of command skills serving a community population of at least 80,000 within a minimum 25 percent minority population.

A college degree is not required but preference will be given to candidates with advanced education, according to the job requirements and qualifications to lead Connecticut’s most populous city posted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the consulting firm shepherding the search.

Not requiring a college degree has raised some eyebrows given the stain from the 2018 top cop search in which Personnel Director David Dunn instructed the then executive search leader to eschew a college degree in his act to wire the job to Armando Perez. Both Dunn and Perez were charged federally and served time for their roles in the scheme.

July 14 is the deadline to apply.

The City Charter empowers the mayor to select a chief from the top three candidates to a five-year term with an option for renewal.

Presentation of three finalists to the mayor is expected mid September. For additional background on the search see here.

From the search website:

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate:
— Successful advanced professional education (e.g., a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in criminal justice or any closely related public policy/social science area (e.g., public policy, public administration, public safety)
— Commitment to continued professional development such as recent attendance at the FBI National Academy or PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP)
— Proven successful labor-management experience

Requirements

Needs and Expectations

The next Chief of Police for the Bridgeport Police Department should be community-focused, capable of working effectively in a fast-paced environment, and experienced in building and maintaining broad coalitions of support. The City of Bridgeport requires that the Chief of Police become a resident and registered voter in Bridgeport within one year of appointment (Chapter 2, Section 2), and maintain residency for the duration of appointment to the position.
— Comprehensive and global perspective knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, and equipment employed in modern police administration
— Ability and capacity to be adaptive and flexible, responsive to all concerns, accessible and approachable, transformational in leadership and a creative, astute problem-solver
— Possess an understanding of robust internal and external accountability systems
— Develop a comprehensive internal wellness strategy with an emphasis on total wellness, including physical and mental health wellness in conjunction with the Director of Labor Relations or his/her designee (i.e., Benefits Manager)
— Ability to work closely with labor unions and to effectively manage these important workplace relationships
— Commitment to training and professional standards
— State a clear vision of and goals for success for the organization and develop and execute a strategic plan to achieve desired outcomes
— Strong decision-making skills to be able to make the right decision quickly within established guidelines and protocols
— Budgeting and business acumen, detail-oriented with a strong understanding of report writing and accounting practices and principles
— Strong crisis resolution ability to be able to resolve any disputes between the community and employees, and between employees themselves
— Review the organizational structure of the department with the goal of developing a strong executive leadership team and enhance the flow of information through the ranks
— Establish a leadership development process to develop the next generation of leaders–starting with investment in first line supervisors
— Develop a strategy to increase hiring and retention
— Proven experience working with groups containing members from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to foster greater appreciation for diversity, equality, and inclusion in the department
— Have a strong understanding of and experience with technology and analytical-based decision-making
— Excellent communications skills, including the ability to speak effectively to a wide range of people and groups, to write well, engage and establish a rapport with subject(s) and actively listen
— Involved, approachable and visible within and across the department and in the community
— Understands, supports and can enact the tenets of the “Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing” in America
— Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, and equipment employed in fair, just, respectful, safe, and effective policing
— Hold self and others to the values of integrity, transparency, proactivity, innovation, equity, accountability, compassion, excellence, and responsiveness
— Demonstrated ability to build and sustain positive external community relationships and internal relationships within the department and across City departments
— Commitment to equitably serve and work with all spectrums of a multi-racial, multicultural, and socioeconomically diverse community