Civil Service Commission members said questions from the Jackson Police Department's recent sergeant's exam might have found their way to the officers prior to testing, causing the city to trash all of the recently completed tests. The commission discovered after administering the test to 180 officers that it was identical to an earlier, leaked version, despite instructions to the testing company to rewrite the exam.

The officers taking the exam—which represented the first promotional opportunity for JPD officers in seven years—are jockeying for 25 open sergeant slots on the Jackson force. For a patrolman, a promotion to sergeant could also provide a substantial raise, from a high of $34,000 annually to a high of $48,000, according to WLBT.

In a statement sent out late yesterday, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. indicated that the commission would administer a new test soon, and that he is reviewing the process for selecting a testing company.

"It looks like the Civil Service Commission could realistically have a new company chosen to administer the test and officers could take a new sergeant exam in 90 to 120 days," Johnson said.

Last month, the testing process came under fire when several officers complained that exam organizers restricted them from completing all parts of the test. The city limited the number of officers who could move into the second and third phases of the test to those scoring in the top 60 percent on the written test—a change from the traditional process of calculating written scores with the scenario and interview portions for a cumulative score.

No decision has been announced on whether the current process would change.

Previous Comments

ID

149575

Comment

Well, it seems that there is a new sheriff in town and there will be no more business as usual. Just how difficult is it for foks in this city to be honest and fair. In the long run, it pays off.

Author

justjess

Date

2009-07-13T08:51:41-06:00

ID

149577

Comment

Why give it, if you're going to pick your winners like that?

Author

Ironghost

Date

2009-07-13T09:46:52-06:00