Wednesday, August 29, 2007

UPDATE FROM PB&PA

Lt’s Promotion Exam: UPDATE 28 August 07
After the re-test was conducted on 23 June 07 several of our members contacted us regarding technical, administrative and procedural problems experienced during the testing process. Judging by information provided to us from our affected members it appears that the Re-Do Test did not come off much better than the original test.

In addition to the procedure the City used during the re-test to document any problems or concerns, we also requested that any of our affected members follow the same procedure that we utilized after the original test. This information was channeled through the Police Department – Personnel Unit, who in turn forwarded it to the City of Chicago Human Resource Division. Our attorneys also provided this information to the Federal Court appointed monitor.

It seems unimaginable that the City of Chicago and Ernst & Young would use the same video and audio equipment that malfunctioned during the original test, only to have some of the equipment once again malfunction.

As of this date neither the City nor Ernst & Young has responded to our inquiries or addressed the issues that have been documented. Our attorneys remain vigilant and will address any options that become available to us.

John Pallohusky
President
Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think any thing will be done untill the new Supt. in in place.

Anonymous said...

This is beyond belief,how can anyone take this test as being even remotely legitimate now?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for keeping an eye out for us. Much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Retired cop arrested with credit cards
A retired Chicago police officer was indicted Thursday on felony charges of possessing credit cards that did not belong to him, authorities said.
Robert Maloblocki, 52, was arrested last month during a traffic stop on the North Side when police found a dozen credit cards in his possession from cardholders who had "never given him permission to use [them]," said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.
Maloblocki was stopped by police for a minor traffic violation in the 1600 block of West Irving Park Road on July 22, Conklin said. He showed police an identification card that indicated he was an active police officer, but he later said he was retired, authorities said.
Police searched his vehicle and found a briefcase in the trunk, Conklin said. In it, they found the 12 credit cards in various names.

Why does this story keep popping up in the paper? What probable cause did 019 have to search this guys trunk? This seems like a very weird one indeed.

Anonymous said...

If anyone has a friend or relative coming on the job that has G.I. Bill Benefits they are eligible to receive the G.I. Bill payments while in the police academy now.

G.I. Bill pays for law enforcement training

MIKE ARCHBOLD; The News Tribune
Ashton Pearson, a 24-year-old Army veteran, figures to make an extra $7,900 while training to be a police officer for the Auburn Police Department, thanks to his G.I. Bill benefits.
Like many military veterans, he wasn’t even aware the benefits included on-the-job training.

Some area law enforcement agencies have caught onto the benefit of the G.I. Bill in their recruiting efforts, and that’s helping fill the ranks of local agencies.

The program is called the Apprenticeship/On the Job training program, one of the Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits. It pays out monthly cash payments for approved training programs in lieu of formal schooling.

In the past five years, the program has paid monthly benefits of up to $935.85 to 138 officers and deputies in Pierce County and South King County during their police academy and field training, according to the G.I. Bill approving agency for the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Statewide during that same period, 468 law enforcement trainees received payments.

Currently, 23 police trainees in the area are enrolled in the program. Statewide, 109 police trainees are enrolled.

Pearson, a four-year veteran from Puyallup who spent most of 2005 in Afghanistan as an intelligence specialist, is one of the first two veterans to take advantage of the program at the Auburn Police Department.

He will receive the training benefit on top of his full officer pay.

Pearson is still doing his paperwork, but the benefit is retroactive to his first day at the five-month academy and continues through his three months of field training.

“I think it’s great for folks changing careers and starting a new life in a new area,” he said, adding he was vaguely aware of a training benefit for union apprenticeship.

“I’ve known many a soldier who has never used G.I. benefits,” he said. And he knows exactly what he wants to do with the extra money: “Pay off extra debt and put it in the bank and save it for a rainy day.”

The program has been around for more than a decade, but not all police agencies take advantage of it in their recruiting, though they should, said Michael Ball, who directs the program-approving agency for the state.

“Most people don’t know about it,” he said. “We sent a letter to all chiefs of police, but it’s unknown whether we got to someone who actually needs to know.”

The Auburn Police Department was approved for the program in July. Brenda Heineman, the city’s Human Relations manager, said she hadn’t heard about the benefit until a veteran applied for a police officer job and asked about it.

She said she thought the program paid the difference between training pay and full pay while the city pays trainees full pay.

“To me it’s a great incentive for officers to come here,” said Lt. John Galle, interim police chief in Sumner. “It helps us recruit.”

Sumner was approved for the program in January and now has two police trainees. One veteran knew about the program when he applied and one didn’t.

The program covers more than law enforcement agencies, though they make up 65 of the 182 agencies and companies statewide with active training programs approved by the state.

Many trade unions are involved. So are fire departments. Businesses such as The Boeing Co. are on board. Ball said they have even approved a farm in Eastern Washington that put together a farm management training program for a veteran.

Currently there are 2,036 enrolled trainees across the state.

The key is having a training program in place. Police, fire and the trade unions, which make up the majority of enrolled programs, have defined training regimens that make state approval easy. Ball said the state will work with any agency or business to create a training program.

Agencies with veterans in training can enroll in the program and their trainees can received a retroactive lump sum payment for up to one year’s training.

Ball said he thinks a lot of veterans and reservists are eligible for the program but aren’t aware of it.

He said it is a big assumption that most veterans know about it. The emphasis in military recruiting ads, he said, is on college education.

The current program pays a percentage of the regular 36-month educational benefit a regular active duty military member is eligible for when he or she leaves the service. To qualify, Reservists must be in the Reserves and they receive only a portion of the regular benefit.

Ball said the monthly benefit was increased for this year but might drop 10 percent next year unless Congress extends it.

Monthly payments are on a schedule: 85 percent of the education benefit for the first six months training or currently $935.85; 65 percent for the second six months or $715.65 and 35 percent thereafter or $495.45.

“The whole point of the G.I. Bill is to allow a person to transition from the military to civilian life and make a living,” Ball said.

It’s up to employers to make the program available, he added.

Pearson still wants to complete his college education and he can still use his G.I. Bill education benefit. When he completes his police training, he will still have more than two years of college education benefit left to use.

Anonymous said...

. . . . . . . Why does this story keep popping up in the paper? What probable cause did 019 have to search this guys trunk? This seems like a very weird one indeed.

Wed Aug 29, 03:59:00 PM


There has to be alot more to that sotry.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
This is beyond belief,how can anyone take this test as being even remotely legitimate now?

Wed Aug 29, 03:52:00 PM

When did this ever make a difference? 7 more years Thank God,can't take it another 10.

Anonymous said...

Amazing they charged him. The professional career criminal would have walked by saying that it's his brothers briefcase and he didn't know it was in the car. There has to be more to the story, but then again the Cook County States Attorneys Office never ceases to amaze me...

Anonymous said...

I know that the sgt.'s on the old lt list are very happy should be a class in dec of about 25 - 30 from old list

Anonymous said...

Anyone else find it bizarre that it takes the PBPA two months to update us?

How many complaints were filed with the union? With the city? What are our options now?

Anonymous said...

Keep on delaying those results so I can get promoted off my score in the next class off the old test. The new test SUCKED in every form. How can they tell us the retest was designed to have us think on our feet when we knew the questions and practiced the answers....on our feet of course! The City that works!

Anonymous said...

Everyone who took the LT's test all have enough time on this job to know how the city works. I too took the test and re-test. Both times I had a problem, but it was human error. I corrected it on the spot. Those of you who are making complaints, if it is an error that you could obviously see, why didn't you say something at the time. Instead, you wait till after and cry about it. Do you expect the city to give a 100% accurate test..HAHA. They want you to complain, this is Daley's way of changing the promotion process from a test to 100% meritorious, just like the Capt.'s. I had a problem with the first test, the proctor forgot to set the timer. I corected it on the spot. The re-test the proctor forgot to turn the 2nd recorder back on, after she replayed my name and I told her right away. Why wait to to complain after the test on errors. If you knew there was an error you should have corrected it right away. For those of you who just sit there and complain later, thanks for giving the city the ammo to change the promotion process.

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