A Los Angeles City Council committee will consider a motion Tuesday seeking to streamline the hiring process of sworn officers and bolster the LAPD's ranks as recruitment efforts remain a challenge.
The three-member Personnel, Audits and Hiring Committee will discuss the motion introduced by City Council members Tim McOsker and John Lee, and seconded by Bob Blumenfield. In their motion, the councilmen are calling for a report on a framework and analysis for potentially having the LAPD handle the hiring process of sworn officers instead of what is currently the Personnel Department's task.
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Concerned with how long delays in hiring may result in a loss of qualified recruits to other law enforcement agencies or employers, the councilmen seek for LAPD to manage the hiring process with the intent of meeting annual hiring goals.
"Unfortunately, the city's current lengthy and cumbersome hiring process makes it unlikely that any of these applicants have yet made it through the seven-step hiring process, which includes an initial application, multiple choice test, personal history statement, department interview, polygraph examination, physical fitness qualification, medical evaluation, field investigation and a psychological evaluation," the motion reads.
As of July 23, the department has 8,808 sworn personnel, according to LAPD's Media Relations Division.
The city has experienced an increase in applications for police officer positions, according to the councilmen. LAPD reported in January it received more than 1,200 applications for sworn police officer positions, representing a two-year high, according to the motion.
LAPD also reported significant increases in the number of qualification exams administered and the number of candidates participating in the candidate assistance program, which provides support to eligible applicants navigating the hiring process.
Last year, the City Council approved new labor contracts with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing LAPD's rank-and-file members -- providing an increase in starting salaries and adding retention incentives.
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