Prior testing procedure was not so rosy
The prior testing and hiring practices of the Edison Police Department have been held up as a panacea of truth, justice and the American way. A closer look reveals a less attractive reality.

One of the tests of a test is how it deals with nepotism, the hiring of relatives to the exclusion of other qualified people. Currently, the approximately 50 ranking officers of the department have a total of approximately 23 relatives on the force today. I do not mean to impugn the 23. But I do question the decades-old hiring practices that may have excluded so many others in favor of relatives. Another test of a police test is how it helps a department reflect the people it serves. Again, the current test disappoints. The Edison Police Department is much more homogenous than the community it serves.

While old-guard advocates glorify the past test, another problem with it was the little weight given to the test in the overall score of a candidate— a mere 30 percent. If testing was so important, why was it counted for so little? An initial oral interview (15 percent) and a secondary interview (25 percent) made up the bulk of the remaining score. The skeptic might assume that if a favored applicant (a relative?) didn't score high enough on the test, the weighty interviews could fix that and put the applicant over the top — at the expense of taxpayers and the very fairness the test was supposed to assure. One thing worse than cronyism is cronyism in disguise.

The new hiring procedure emphasizes pre-certified individuals who have passed the rigors of a state-certified police academy. It also has a provision to hire qualified individuals who have not had prior training.

Please note this story of a determined, homegrown Edison prospect: the department has an applicant right now who put himself through a six-month academy while working full time. That speaks volumes for that individual — and for the new hiring standards that would allow the Edison Police Department to scoop him up before another department steals such talent.

Hiring pre-certified candidates will save taxpayers approximately $35,000 in academy, salary and benefit costs. That's not nickel-anddime savings where I come from. We'll also get better-quality cops on the block in a quicker fashion because they will not have to spend half a year at the academy. There are more benefits to screening, interviewing, evaluating and hiring our own pre-certified, academytested candidates.

Finally, please note that the mayor is committed to provide funding to hire new cops. I do the hiring. I don't care what your last name is, whom you campaigned for or who your aunt may be. I am committed to making the best 25- year investment — the length of an officer's service — for Edison and its fine police department. I am confident that my 30 years of law enforcement service and the hundreds of cumulative years of service of my command staff will guarantee that the best possible candidates are selected fairly.
Brian Collier
Director
Edison Police Department