Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline proposed today that city residents be given a strong preference in hiring for the Police and Fire Departments.

Ten points would be added to the score that a candidate achieves in the competition to land a spot in the training academy of each department. The last time the Police Department assembled and ranked an academy class, the top-to-bottom scoring spread among the candidates ranked in the top 50 was 5.66 points.

"It is potent," said Maj. Steven M. Melaragno, commander of the police Administrative Division.

Cicilline framed the preference primarily as a residency issue, but the move is likely to boost the numbers of racial and ethnic minorities in the public safety forces. The majority of the Providence population is composed of people from racial and ethnic minority groups.

The preference would be enacted as an ordinance, and in order to do that, the mayor needs the approval of the City Council. Some council members have complained off and on for years that taxpaying residents don't land enough of the jobs in municipal government.

Cicilline, who announced the idea in the District 7 police substation on Douglas Avenue, said that he submitted a proposed ordinance to the council today.

 Tags  minorities neighborhood policing points Providence Fire Department Providence Police Department

Comments

EMT said:

In other words, Cicilline is trying to leapfrog minorities over more qualified- higher scoring- applicants, for no better reason than skin color.

In public safety, there's a term for passing over those more capable of doing the job by those who got points for race.

Death by Diversity.

Link | January 14, 2009 6:13 PM
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joyce12 said:

It appears that Cicilline warned all applicants beforehand of his intent. Non-minorities will be renting Prov.apts.just as they did when there was a residency requirement.Once again the disingenuousness of the Mayor is apparent.It is not necessary for anyone to be given added points on a test.The usual way to target grpoups for hiring is to establish separate lists,ie veteran,disabled,minority etc.This method of hiring has withstood Ct.challenge and, as a lawyer, he knows this as he knows that a thinly veiled attempt to re-introduce a residency req.would not.

Link | January 15, 2009 1:55 PM
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