Hamburg approves process for promoting officers in police dept.

HAMBURG-Police Chief Eugene Kresge is expected to retire this fall. One of his goals is to have a lieutenant in place before that time comes. Last November, the council worked to develop a selection process to choose from candidates for the position. Since the borough never has had a written policy for filling ranked positions within the police department, Kresge urged the council to devise a formal process. At the time, he said that while a police was needed, he opposed "going from nothing to an elaborate plan." The council took his advice, and at its last meeting approved an ordinance to govern the process of making promotions within the department. The ordinance also sets the maximum number of officers on the police force at 12 and allows the mayor and council, on recommendation of the chief of police, to designate a member of the department to serve as detective to investigate specific cases or matters. Such an appointment would not be a separate rank but a title within the rank of patrol officer. The ordinance also requires officers to have earned an associates degree and be subject to a probation period of one year from the date of assuming full-time patrol duties. In order to be eligible for promotion, candidates will be required to have a specific number of years of law enforcement experience, ranging from a minimum of seven years for chief to a minimum of three years for sergeant. As recommended by Kresge, the examination procedure will consist of two parts: an oral examination representing 40 percent of the overall score, to be conducted by the New Jersey Chiefs of Police Association, and a personal interview representing 60 percent of the score, conducted by a committee made up of the mayor, chief, and a council member. Kresge recommended farming the interview out to the chiefs association to insure an unbiased decision. The chiefs association would also administer the written exam when the borough hires a new chief. The ordinance details several factors to be considered for promotion. They include record of performance, education background, train