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recruit by passing out brochures and encouraging persons they think would <br /> make good officers to contact a recruiter. Some departments have even <br /> offered incentives, such as a day off, to an officer who recruits an applicant <br /> ultimately accepted into the academy. <br /> <br />Selection <br /> <br />The selection process is largely administered by Human Resource Services. They <br />manage every step of the process, and schedule applicants to appear at the various <br />steps. Human Resource Services plays a legitimate role in seeking to provide <br />consistency in hiring policy and procedure among the various city agencies. Their <br />review also helps ensure compliance with legal requirements. However, some <br />members of the police department feel Human Resource Services drives the entire <br />process and makes poor decisions regarding hiring practices. In one documented <br />example, an HR memo declares that drug addiction is a protected class under the <br />Americans with Disabilities Act. Such is not the case. This memo and comments <br />regarding the quality of the involvement of Human Resource Services have lead to <br />mistrust and miscommunication between HR and the EPD. Clearly, additional <br />training regarding current legal issues in hiring police officers is needed for both the <br />EPD and Human Resource Services. <br /> <br />More importantly, the relationship between HR and the EPD needs to be clarified. <br />This is especially true in the case of ethnically diverse candidates. Many feel Human <br />Resource Services exerts inappropriate pressure on the police department to hire <br />minority candidates over better qualified candidates. In several interviews with <br />department personnel, the issue of undue influence over the process by Human <br />Resource Services was a consistent theme. Undoubtedly, the fact that Human <br />Resource Services exerts influence over the process is a source of strain between HR <br />and the EPD. <br /> <br /> 34 <br /> <br /> <br />