1. The promotional list shall remain in effect for one year. Due to extenuating circumstances, the Chief of Police may extend the promotional list beyond one year or until the list is exhausted.

2. A memorandum from the Chief�s Office will announce the beginning of the promotional process.

3. Interested agents, who meet the eligibility requirements, shall submit a memorandum of interest via their chain of command.

4. The Professional Standards Section shall circulate to all sworn supervisors a roster of eligible and interested agents, listed alphabetically and by division assignment.

5. Sworn supervisors and Sergeants promotional candidates shall be familiar with the "Position Selection Profile for Police Sergeant" which shall be updated as necessary. The profile identifies the educational criteria, experience, personal traits, and supervisory and technical abilities deemed necessary for an effective police Sergeant in the Lakewood Police Department.

6. A list of sergeant promotional candidates will be published to all sworn personnel. This list will be published in order to solicit peer and supervisory evaluations of the candidates from police department personnel who have first-hand knowledge of the candidate�s ability to perform as a sergeant. The Professional Standards Section will provide a form to employees for this purpose. The completed evaluations will be provided to supervisors completing Suitability for Promotion memoranda. The completed evaluations will also be provided to the staff oral board for informational purposes only and will assist the board in their evaluation of a sergeant candidate�s suitability for promotion.

7. The employee�s immediate supervisor shall complete Suitability for Promotion memorandum on each employee who is eligible to compete in the process. The purpose of the memorandum is to assess the employee�s performance against the dimensions for Sergeant and to make a final recommendation as to their suitability for promotion. The recommendation should include input from the peer evaluation, employee�s prior supervisors as well as a review of the employee�s log, previous evaluations, commendations, discipline history, and any other relevant materials.

The employee�s division supervisory staff shall review and discuss the suitability recommendations of all candidates and make a final determination on their suitability for promotion. The candidate must receive the recommendation of their division�s supervisory staff to proceed in the process.

If a candidate is screened out of the process, a memorandum, prepared by the candidate�s chain of command will be presented to the candidate explaining why they were screened out of the process.

Candidates screened out of the process will participate with their supervisors to develop a career development plan addressing those areas of performance needing improvement.

8. The dimensions upon which candidates will be evaluated as well as the "Position Selection Profile for Police Sergeant" will be made available to candidates prior to the testing process. These were developed from a task analysis for the position of police Sergeant.

9. Candidates will be scheduled by the Professional Standards Section for an assessment center. The assessment center shall be administered by the department, utilizing assessors from outside agencies, members of Lakewood PD, and other members of the community to the extent possible. The assessment center shall be designed to measure potential for supervisory effectiveness through a series of exercises, which may include, but are not limited to the following:

a. In-basket and writing exercises
b. Impromptu presentation
c. Problem analysis and fact - finding exercises
d. Role - playing exercises
e. Patterned or structured interviews
f. Tactical/operational problems
g. Subordinate counseling and direction
h. Technical knowledge

10. The assessment center shall be designed to measure the candidate's demonstrated

abilities in all dimensions of the position. Candidates shall be subject to the same exercises given under like conditions. Candidates are numerically scored by the assessors based on the same applicable criteria for each candidate. The assessment center score shall count for fifty percent of the overall score.

11. A staff oral board chaired by a Division Chief and consisting of some combination of division chiefs, Commanders, Sergeants, agents, civilian managers and or others shall conduct an in-depth interview with each of the remaining candidates following the assessment center. The candidates will be asked the same questions and the interviews will be held under like conditions. The board will have the candidate�s personnel file including scores from the assessment center and peer/supervisory review. Each of the remaining candidates will receive a numerical score from the board, which shall count for fifty percent of the overall score. Names of at least the top five scorers, found suitable for promotion, shall then be published in numerical order as a one-year list. If the list is exhausted during the one year-long period, additional names of qualified applicants shall be published.

12. Questions relating to theories of administration or supervision shall be general in nature or on a common basis of knowledge with which any candidate for Sergeant in this department should be familiar. Certain facets of municipal ordinances, state law, department policies and procedures and City rules and regulations shall be covered throughout the entire testing process.

13. Following the announcement of the results of the Sergeant promotional process, the Professional Standards Commander shall conduct a debriefing of each candidate who so requests. The candidate shall receive their scores on each segment of the promotional process.

14. To ensure fairness and impartiality, candidates may use the city's grievance procedure to challenge their performance scores for each element of the promotional process.

1. Police agents who began their tenure with the Lakewood Police Department with no prior acceptable police experience and who, by the announced cutoff date for the Sergeants promotional process, have four years of experience as a Lakewood police agent, shall be eligible for consideration for promotion to Sergeant.

Police agents who began their tenure with the Lakewood Police Department with at least two years of acceptable police experience with another law enforcement agency and who, by the announced cutoff date for the Sergeants promotional process, have two years of experience as a Lakewood Police Agent, shall be eligible for consideration for promotion to Sergeant.

2. A candidate for the position of police Sergeant shall possess a 4 - year college degree in any academic field, have a record of continuing training, successful overall employee performance evaluations (last 3 years minimum), and a demonstrated commitment for professional self - development.

3. When available, agents considering promotion may attend Acting Sergeant Training, Supervisor Academy or other preparatory courses.

4. Successful candidates who are promoted shall attend an appropriate supervisory course. Topics should include supervision, leadership, subordinate evaluations and counseling, goal setting, and problem solving. Newly promoted sergeants must also have or obtain ICS 100, 200, 300, and 400 certifications.

5. The probationary period for newly promoted Sergeants is six (6) months.

6. Newly promoted sergeants shall be trained by Commanders and experienced sergeants. A Sergeant training checklist shall be used to assist and to assure uniformity of the scope of the monitored field sergeant training.

7. Agents on the eligibility list shall only be promoted if their suitability for promotion has not deteriorated or they have not been removed from the eligibility list for cause.

NEXT: PP-3702 - Promotion to Police Commander

	Lakewood Police Department Policy and Procedure		Effective Date: 12/15/2023
	Policy Number: PP-3701 - Promotion to Police Sergeant