Chief Raymond answers questions about promotions, transfers, and Academy instructor selection at the Shreveport City Council meeting on September 8, 2020.

Chief Raymond's response regarding promotions: "Promotions happen, with the exception of Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief Administrative Assistant, based on tenure and a score on the civil service test

Chief Raymond comments from City Council meeting on September 24, 2019: "There are only two positions that I have the ability to appoint personnel. That is the Deputy Chief of Police and the Chief Administrative Assistant. The rest of Command Staff, that I consider Command Staff, the Assistant Chiefs of Police and my Captains, those are appointed based on Civil Service Rules, which is based on seniority and minimum scoring on a test. So, if I’m next in line and I pass the test, I get the promotion. I have no ability to say it should be this person or that person."

General Order Proc. Number 201.11: "If there are no ties between members who have the same adjusted seniority date, the civil service promotional test score is the sole factor determining the order of promotion." A series of tiebreaker tests follow including Peace Officer Standards and Training certification score, the most recent annual firearms requalification score, and, finally, if neither candidate forfeits the position on the eligibility list, the candidate with the higher score after rolling a six-sided die determines the eligibility for promotion.

Chief Raymond's response regarding policy for promotions and transfers: "The Policy does allow for the Chief of Police to move anybody he or she sees fit, based on the efficient operation of the police department, and that is done. In general, we try to follow a testing process for any rank below that of a supervisor. We haven't had a testing process for a supervisor ever, to my knowledge; that's always been someone that the Chief selected based on their previous experience, knowledge, training, et cetera."

Chief Raymond's assertion that promotions happen based on tenure and test scores directly contradicts his comment that supervisors do not adhere to a testing process for promotions and are simply selected by the Chief. General Order Proc. Number 305.05: IV (A) 1. "Nothing in this policy restricts the chief of police from assigning or transferring any employee to a duty assignment deemed to be in the best interest of the Department." GO 305.05 IV (D) 1. "The division commander or designee shall verify qualifications for each transfer request. Verification can include, but is not limited to, interviews, field visits, standardized testing and/or evaluation." GO IV (F) 3(a). "Members are not eligible to request a transfer if they have received a letter of reprimand or more severe punishment within the previous twelve (12) months."

Chief Raymond's response regarding transfers: "I hand-pick the supervisors I want in particular units. But Officer Corporals, we have a process [...] there are different prerequisites, some involve physical fitness tests, some involve shooting tests, all of them involve an interview and a written test of some sort. And I have always, from the day I got the position, appointed whoever the number one applicant was when we have a testing process, regardless of race, color, or anything else."

General Order Proc. Number 305.05: IV (F) 2(b) outlines the procedure for officer/corporal transfers: "The division commander or designee shall review each applicant’s work indicators for the previous six months to insure the member either meets or exceeds the average work performance of other members on his/her shift and in his/her assigned area. Work indicators to be reviewed include but are not limited to: daily activity logs, written reports, arrests, citations, and/or other work produced by the member."

Chief Raymond's comments on academy instructor selection: "The Academy instructors within the last decade have not gone through a testing process; those people have been hand-selected by the Chief, for about a decade now."

General Order Proc. Number 305.05 does not provide for specific procedures related to academy instructor assignments. General Order Proc. Number 305.05 IV (A) 9. states, "Select job assignments require mandatory minimum assignment periods in order for the Shreveport Police Department to sufficiently benefit from investments of specialized training and/or education for key personnel."

Whether the specific job assignment of academy instructor requires mandatory minimum assignment periods is not contained in this policy. Employees requesting a transfer within Patrol are subject to the criteria and procedures outlined in section F, dependent on their seniority. The criteria in section F "does not apply to transfers made by an assistant chief of police, deputy chief, or the chief of police for manpower needs or transfer requests outside Patrol."

You can read the policies for promotions and transfers in their entirety on our Resources page.

A clip of Chief Raymond's comments at the Shreveport City Council meeting on September 8, 2020, can be viewed on our Facebook page.