The *Daily Herald* has published an article discussing recent changes to the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners in Elgin. The board, which is responsible for overseeing the hiring of police officers and firefighters, will now include three local residents, along with the police and fire chiefs.
The Elgin City Council approved a new structure for the board on Wednesday, shifting its composition from the traditional five resident members. Since 2010, the board has been short by two members, but this change aims to bring in more direct input from public safety leaders.
Experts believe that Elgin may be the first municipality in the state to include both the police and fire chiefs on the board, reflecting its home rule status. Last month, Mayor David Kaptain and council members John Steffen, Toby Shaw, John Prigge, and Terry Gavin supported adding the two chiefs and the director of human resources, along with two residents.
However, during the meeting, Steffen proposed removing the human resources director from the board and instead adding a third resident. This move was intended to preserve the traditional role of residents in decision-making while still allowing the chiefs or their representatives to have a voice in the hiring process.
Shaw mentioned past mistakes made by the board, such as hiring individuals with gang affiliations as police officers. However, city manager Sean Stegall clarified that these incidents occurred in the early 1990s, and it was not necessarily individuals who were gang members, but some had ties. It was also noted that background checks are conducted by city staff, not the board itself.
In addition to the board changes, the council approved a modification to the educational requirements for certain police officer positions. Instead of requiring a bachelor’s degree, the new policy allows for 60 college credit hours. This change will apply specifically to veterans with at least three years of active duty, current police officers with three years of full-time experience, community service officers with similar experience, and individuals who have completed four years and 400 hours of service in the Police Explorer program.
These updates reflect a broader effort to modernize hiring practices and ensure that the right people are selected for critical roles in public safety. The changes are expected to streamline the process while maintaining accountability and transparency.
Thanks, Dan.
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