Deptford council introduced a new ordinance at its work session on June 26 that will focus on loosening civil-service requirements for hiring police officers.
The ordinance – unlisted on the meeting agenda – will make the process of hiring officers less restrictive and simplify procedures so the township can choose from a larger pool of job seekers, increasing the chances of picking the right candidates.
“We’re not low on officers, but since we’re in the Civil Service, we have restrictions in place with our hiring process,” said Mayor Paul Medany. “We have to go off of a list of candidates.”
“It (the ordinance) allows us to pursue candidates outside of the Civil Service regulations …” explained Deputy Mayor Tom Hufnell.
According to Medany, the police department hires new officers every year, mostly due to retirements. The hiring process for aspiring officers includes taking a Civil Service test, and because of related restrictions, Deptford has to hire officers who may or may not want to work in the township who score higher than other candidates.
After hiring, the new officers head to the Gloucester County Police Academy on the campus of Rowan College of South Jersey.
“It’s an intense process but it should be,” Medany noted. “We want to hire the correct folks. The process is meant to make the process less restrictive and open to more candidates.”
The ultimate goal of the hiring ordinance is to help council stay ahead of the curve with regard to public safety.
“Public safety is always our number-one priority,” Medany said. “We try to look ahead with public safety. This ordinance will help with that.”
The ordinance will be voted on at the next council meeting on Monday at 6 p.m., since Tuesday is the July 4th holiday.
