Top Cop Promotion Process Not Ready

A draft of an ordinance was not ready to be introduced at Monday's meeting, and a subcommittee of council members will study possible models, Mayor Bob Conley said.

Borough Council members Robert Landrigan, Jeannie Tsukamoto and Carmela Vitale will be on the subcommittee, he said.

Madison resident Tim Harrington, commenting on the draft ordinance, said he didn't understand why a scoring system outlined in the draft, which awarded points for applicants' experience such as education and military service, awarded the same number of points regardless of whether the applicant was a colonel or a sergeant in the military. The scoring only took into account whether someone achieved the rank of sergent or higher.

Conley said the governing body came to the same conclusion that the draft was not ready.

Tsukamoto said in an interview she would be reconsidering all aspects of the law.

The draft of the ordinance said only officers with more than 10 years experience as full-time Madison police officers were eligible, and promotions would be open to members of the next two lowest ranks unless the governing body wanted to open the search to the next lowest rank.

In the draft, a written examination, oral examination and record review and interview with the governing body would count for 35 percent, 35 percent, and 30 percent of the candidates' overall score and the candidate with the highest overall score would become chief.