MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT
PROMOTIONAL PROCESS
For Investigators, Detectives and Sergeants

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility Requirements for the Rank of Detective or Investigator

Four (4) years or more Police Officer experience with MPD from the date once off probation to the starting date for the Promotional Academy.

Eligibility Requirements for the Rank of Sergeant:

1. Five (5) years or more experience as a Police Officer on MPD once off probation, or
2. Four (4) years or more experience as a Police Officer on MPD once off probationand one (1) year or more experience as a MPD Detective or Investigator.

PART I: DESCRIPTION OF THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS

Announcement

1. Captain of Personnel and Training determines the number of anticipated vacancies in each rank on an annual basis. This will be accomplished by using projected vacancies calculated using age 50 as the eligible retirement date, and then adding five more panel positions to this number.

2. Formal announcement will be given of the number of projected vacancies for each rank (and the subsequent size of each panel) and publication of the dates and times of the Promotional Academy, written test, and Assessment Center. This announcement will include a request for personnel intending to compete in the process to submit an email formally declaring their intention to compete.

3. Eligible personnel submit an email to the Captain of Personnel and Training expressing their intention to compete in the promotional process and the rank for which they intend to compete.

Screening Process for Admission to the Promotional
Academy

1. Captain of Personnel and Training requests the current supervisor of each candidate to complete a supervisory input form by a specific date within a two-week period of time, based on the employee’s performance in the last twelve months. This form is to be returned to the Captain of Personnel and Training. If the candidate is not going to be allowed to participate, the Commanding Officer of the candidate will be required to meet with them within a two-week period of time to explain why they cannot participate and provide them with a copy of the form. If the candidate chooses, they can appeal this decision by written notice to the Chief within a one-week period of time. The Chief will have two weeks to respond to the appeal request.

2. Eligible candidates submit a resume to the Captain of Personnel and Training.

3. Candidates who are eligible to attend the PromotionalAcademy on duty are identified and notified with the publication of a formal eligibility list prepared by Personnel and Training.

Successful Completion of the Promotional Academy

1. Personnel and Training coordinates and offers the two-week Promotional Academy, consisting of the following two parts for the ranks of Investigator (one-week), Detective (one-week), and Sergeant (two-weeks):
1. Technical competence skills that are rank specific.
2. General quality improvement methods and leadership skills.
2. Promotional candidates mustattend appropriate portions of theacademy while on duty, at least once, and pass the academy exam(s) with a score of 70% or better.
3. Once the Promotional Academy is attended once, additional attendance is at the approval/request of the candidate’s Commanding Officer.

Formation of the Assessment Center for Each Rank

1. The Assessment Center will be required annually with no ability to carry over scores from previous years.
2. Training staff will schedule and coordinate participation in the Assessment Center.
3. The Assessment Center will consist of five sections for all ranks: written exam, interview, in-basket assignment, role-play situation, and a group exercise.
4. All candidates have to participate in each section annually.
5. The Captain of Personnel and Training determines who the evaluators will be for each testing section of the Assessment Center. (MPPOA president will have the option to strike one evaluator suggested for each rank.)
6. The Captain of Personnel and Training creates the topics to be covered during each exercise and the benchmarks to be used by the evaluators.
7. The evaluators will not be allowed to see the resumes of any candidate.
8. Each section of the Assessment Center, as well as the written test, will have equal rating values.
9. The Captain of Personnel and Training will tabulate the scores with a second person (agreed upon by MPPOA president with option for one strike).
10. The Captain of Personnel and Training will compile a grid of each candidate’s individual scores in all areas of the Assessment Center, including the written test, as well as a total score, and a copy will be provided to the Chief of Police.
11. The final score for each candidate will be determined by adding all the individual scores from the five areas together (written test, interview, in-basket, group exercise, and role-play scenario).
12. If the number of candidates competing is greater than the number of panel positions, then only the top scoring candidates for the number of panel positions available will make the panel. The remaining candidates will be eliminated for the year.

Topics That Can Be Covered in the Assessment Center:

Written test:

1. Policy
2. Procedure
3. Wisconsin Law/Statutes
4. Anything contained in reading list (list provided with a minimum of four weeks).

Interviews:

Investigator:
   1. Policy/procedure
   2. Motivation (why)
   3. Self initiation
   4. Problem solving
   5. Crime scene preservation
   6. Evidence collection
   7. Technical knowledge
   8. Role within department
   9. Time management
   10. Teamwork
   11. Research
   12. Qualities/skills
   13. Analytical thinking

Detective:
   1. Statutes/legal
   2. Organizational skills
   3. Self initiation
   4. Teamwork
   5. Motivation (why)
   6. Multitasking
   7. Report writing
   8. Crime scene
   9. Tactical response
   10. Policy and procedure
   11. Role of detective within department and interagency
   12. Sources of information

Sergeant:
   1. Personnel issues
   2. Policy knowledge
   3. Leadership/supervision
   4. Motivation (why)
   5. Training and experience
   6. Expectation and goals
   7. View of Sergeant role in the department
   8. Tactical situation
   9. Why is diversity important
   10. Decision making
   11. Problem solving methodology
   12. Communication (internal/external)
   13. Accountability

Role Play:

Investigator:
   1. Scene processing

Detective:
   1. Interview

Sergeant:
   1. Tactical
   2. Major case/coordination/media relations
   3. Personnel/complaint

Group Exercise:

Investigator:
   1. Debate
   2. Major incident/multiple scene
   3. Communication skills

Detective:
   1. Debate
   2. Major case/multiple scene coordination
   3. Communications skills (internal/external)

Sergeant:
   1. Event Planning
   2. Communication skills (internal/external)
   3. Debate
   4. Tactical
   5. Personnel
   6. Problem solving
   7. Major case

In-Basket:

Investigator:
   1. Assign case
   2. Diagram/mapping
   3. Community presentation
   4. Problem solving
   5. Hands on task
   6. Report writing

Detectives:
   1. Case assignment
   2. Communication skills (internal/external)
   3. Problem solving
   4. Report/case feedback

Sergeants:
   1. Policy clarify/change/create
   2. Personnel issues
   3. Communication skills (internal/external)
   4. Review reports/provide feedback
   5. Event planning
   6. Press release
   7. Problem solving
   8. Coordinate training

Creation of Promotional Panels
Once the Assessment Center is complete, the Captain of Personnel and Training will distribute a memo, listing in rank order (without scores) those who completed the Assessment Center and were placed on the panel. Candidates can request feedback from the Captain of Personnel and Training after completion of the Assessment
Center.

PART II: CHIEF’S PROCESS FOR SELECTION

Preparation of the Management Team Meeting Discussion

1. The Captain of Personnel and Training will distribute the resumes of each candidate to the appropriate Commanding Officer.
2. The Captain of Personnel and Training will also distribute to all Captains and Chiefs the lists of qualities for each rank and a photo board of each panel.
3. Each Captain will review the personnel and complaint files for each candidate under their command, as well as the resume.
4. Each Captain will request input from their staff on all members of each panel and then provide this information to the Captain of each candidate.
5. Each Captain will interview the candidates under their command also discussing the input received from other Captains. This discussion should also include any concerns expressed. This will allow each candidate an opportunity to reply to any concerns expressed.

The Management Team Meeting

1. Each Captain will provide input on each candidate, with the Commanding Officer of the candidate going last.
2. The Commanding Officer of the Candidate will give the “overall” picture of the candidate being discussed to include the information in the personnel files, complaint files, resume, and individual interview. This Captain should also express the rebuttal from the candidate on the concerns raised, if any.
3. Only issues of concern raised about a candidate can be discussed without an opportunity for rebuttal from the candidate if they are recent and came to light after the interview with the candidate.
4. Candidates will be provided feedback if desired on the discussions during the Management Team meeting from their Captain.

Promotional Panel

1. The panel expires after a period of one year unless extended by the Chief.
2. After the panel expires, upon request, the Chief provides feedback to all members of panels who did not get promoted.

Appointment for Promotion

1. The Chief designates an employee for promotion to the interim rank from the panel. This is accomplished by choosing from the top 7 candidates, if the number of candidates on the panel is between 1-14. If the number of candidates on the panel is 15 or larger, the Chief can select from the top 8 scoring candidates. The actual rank order itself is only one piece of information the Chief will use when making a designation. Rank order itself will not determine who is selected for promotion. Each time someone is selected from a panel for promotion, the next person on the panel, in rank order, will be moved up into the 7th or 8th position on the panel. This allows the Chief to always have 7 or 8 candidates to select from when making the designation for promotion.

2. This preliminary recommendation is forwarded for approval to the Police and Fire Commission.

3. The appointment to the promoted rank is subject to the final recommendation of the Chief and the approval of the Police and Fire Commission pursuant to WS 62.13(4)(a), which is reserved for 12 months, unless extended by the Chief, for a period not to exceed 6 months.