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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...2f260701903.txt

Police commissioners leave lieutenant position vacant

By Ilene Haluska
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, March 25, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Michigan City Police Civil Service Commissioners on Wednesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding stating that on Jan. 5, a lieutenant position became vacant due to a retirement in January, but no promotions will occur because no one tested for the lieutenant vacancy.

A vacancy typically results in promoting a sergeant to lieutenant, a sergeant to corporal and a patrol officer to corporal, according to officials.

“We do promote from within,” said a commissioner. Officials said they researched it and they hope to work through the situation to ensure it doesn’t happen again. “If there’s no movement we can’t do anything, even though we want to.”

Police promotions are based on seniority, four previous test scores, a written promotional test score and an oral test score. In 2010, since no one met the lieutenant requirements and no openings existed for corporal and sergeant, the promotions for other vacancies cannot occur, officials said.

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Michigan City Police Lt. Cary Brinkman said the city is punishing a corporal and sergeant who could move up, but no matter how many people retire, they’ll never get promoted because the Michigan City Board of Works sets the number of slots on the force.

Currently there are 90 police officers in Michigan City, and three spots are open for lieutenant, sergeant and corporal.

Cpl. Steve Alt said that he would like the commission to look into previous situations so this mishap doesn’t happen in the future, but applauded the commission’s efforts in keeping with the rules.

Patrol officer Doug Samuelson said there’s money in the budget for it and questioned the use of the testing company, but commissioners said they will keep the same testing company used in 2010 until the process is completed because it’s not fair to bring in another one.

“I truly feel it’s a travesty in the whole promotional system,” Samuelson said.

“We’re definitely going to look into it with our state lodge and our legal sources,” Samuelson said. “What we’re saying as the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police), we don’t agree with the commission’s decision. “The officers for corporal and sergeant did everything possible to promote themselves, so now basically they’re going to put it off until the next testing. Plus all these officers are not going to be entitled to the pay they had because they’re making everything from the next test, which will be in November.”

Michigan City Police Chief Mark Swistek recalled when he was a young patrolman in 1997 going for a promotion, noting that the department is short a lieutenant.

“I feel that we have cheated a patrolman who their dream is to move up to become a corporal and that corporal to move up to the rank of sergeant,” the chief said.

“They have done everything that we’ve asked them to do. They have studied hard, they have taken the tests, they’ve kept their past performances up, they attended the oral interview and on the best behavior, exceptional service to this department with extreme dedication.”