FREE ESSAY ON POLICE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

POLICE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

At the Police Civil Service Commission there were three commissioners, along with the
police chief, lieutenants and other officials. It is normally about 11 people in total,
but this one was a little different with about 10-12 students and a reporter for the
Bakersfield Californian. The three commissioners, Steve Anderson, Ken Vetter and William
Perry are each elected to a three year term by the city council. During there term the
will each participate as head-commissioner for one year.
The meeting is started by the head-commissioner calling it to order and he states the
time as well. Then roll is called by each member saying his or her name and title. Then
the approval for the minutes of the last meeting is presented. After that, the
head-commissioner opens the floor up to any public statements. At recent meetings, there
hasn't been much public attendance, so not that much is said during that time.
The next item on the agenda is the new business. First, any special orders are taken care
of, such as appointments, promotions, retirements, etc. Next, all the new items are taken
care of. At this particular meeting, the first was specifications for the new crime
analyst job. Mrs. Valenzuela of Human Resources gave the commissioners the specs on the
new job for review. After looking over it, one of the commissioners motioned for it and
another seconded it. That is pretty much the procedure for all items put in front of the
commissioners, in order for it to go through, it must be motioned and seconded.
During the meeting, a certification of Police Detective/Lieutenant Eligibility List is
presented to the commissioners for review. Once the list, of usually 10 or so people, is
approved, the police chief is able to select whom he wants for the job out of the top
three candidates. But this can only be done if the commissioners approve the list.
At this particular meeting, there were no conflicts because everything put in front of
the commissioners had passed. They had joked that not every meeting goes as smoothly as
that one did, and sometimes there are disagreements or difference of opinion and some
item will not pass. 
After the new business is taken care of, the commissioner discusses whatever he feels
needs to be discussed. At the meeting I attended it was basically just reviewing the
process and the meeting itself for us students present. Also, at that time, I don't
understand why it fit in at that time, but, the police chief had asked the commissioners
for their attendance at a promotion ceremony for three officers. Then, after that was
taken care of, the meeting is adjourned with the time being stated again.
Even though conflict didn't arise at this meeting, I can see where it can with the items
being discussed. The new job of crime analyst can bring controversy because it wasn't
available until just recently and some could argue it is not needed. So even though it is
controversial now, later it can bring some difference of opinion to some people who
disagree with it. But, by then it won't really matter because the commissioners have
already approved it.
Another frequent thing proposed at the meetings are Nepotism waivers. The way these work
is if a family member such as a brother or father work for the department, a waiver must
be put through and approved by the commissioners before the people are able to work. This
goes for husbands and wives and even just boyfriends and girlfriends.
The reason that these waivers must be passed is so that conflict doesn't rise between the
people in question. 
All in all, I personally found the meeting somewhat interesting. I didn't think that the
topics were all that appealing. I just thought that the way everything was run in a
quick, to-the-point manner was efficient.