Question

Should a police chief be permitted to promote an officer with special skills to a supervisory position, or should all officers be forced to spend time in rank? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Answer:

No. A Police Chief should not promote an Officer with special skills to a supervisory position.

Explanation:

There is a rule for succession. A Police Officer must have served a certain time in rank, and pass a test to be considered. Anything outside of this would have needed to be approved by a higher level of government or it could be seen as preferential treatment which is an ethics violation. Police officers usually become eligible for promotion after a probationary period.

To be a police officers you have to follow a special code of conduct and behavior, making it much different from other professions. The job of a police officer requires much mental toughness, physical fitness, and a level of ethics and morals not every individuals have. In order to for an officer to be promoted into a supervisory position, I feel that the officers up for advancement needs to be able to show a good track record of conduct and behaviors. I feel this can only be achieved through time spent “in rank”