Monday, May 18, 2009
Council Backs Civil Service
Town Councilor Kevin Whitaker and his committee did their homework and suggested that the position of Chief Of Police in Weymouth should remain a Civil Service appointment. The Town Council backed his recommendation unanimously (Councilor Molisse abstaining).
To bring you Waheys up to speed, Mayor Sue Kay had set her sites on politicizing the Chief’s job by removing the position from Civil Service protection. Each of the Councilors spoke on the subject and all voiced concerns that taking the Chief’s job out of Civil Service, a protection that has served the Police Department since 1918, would lend itself to favoritism and political control by this and future Mayors of Weymouth.
Councilor Pat O’Connor also stated that given the present economy and instability within the Police Department due to a lack of consistent leadership this past year, supporting the Mayor’s proposal would only further demoralize the Police.
Mr. Whitaker’s report did address some of the Mayor’s concerns by recommending the Police Chief candidates be tested by the State’s Human Resources Division’s Regional Assessment Center Initiative. The assessment Center tests and evaluates a candidate’s ability to handle real-life job situations. A common complaint of the Civil Service testing is that it rewards those that take written exams well but does not address their Interpersonal Skills.
POSTED BY STAN at May 18, 2009
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