2 rules revoked from process

With approval Monday night from the Newport Beach Civil Service Board, Newport Beach police officials will begin revamping the promotional process that’s been a major part of morale issues in the department for the last year.

At the recommendation of interim police Chief Bob Luman, promotional testing within the department will no longer use “whole-number scoring” and the “rule of eight” to rank officers for a promotion. The recommendations came after a specially formed task force reported their suggested changes to the chief last month.

Critics claimed that whole-number scoring, where candidates scores such as 82.5 and 82.9 would be ranked together at 83, clouded who possibly the more qualified candidate was. It also led to more ties among candidates looking for one of the top three positions on the list. In some promotions there were up to five candidates listed in the top three.

The Civil Service Board also approved getting rid of the “rule of eight,” which kicked in after two-thirds of a promotions test were completed. The rule mandated that after two-thirds of the testing was complete, only the top eight performers would go on to the last part and be considered for the promotion.

Former police Chief Bob McDonell introduced those two rules in 2006. They were appropriate for that time in the department, Luman told the board Monday night, “but times have changed.”

In another departure from the past, the Human Resources Department will administer all elements of promotional testing while collaborating with experts from the Police Department. These three changes go to the heart of police unions’ critiques about past promotions being biased.

Earlier this year, Lt. Neil Harvey successfully sued the city claiming he was unfairly passed over for promotions. He was promoted to lieutenant as part of a settlement agreement with the city in the summer. Now-retired Lt. Steve Shulman also has a claim pending with the city, saying biased promotions ahead of him took away his chance to rise in the ranks.

Monday’s meeting was an indicator of other possible changes coming to the department. A city-funded investigation into the Police Department’s promotional practices has been initially completed and submitted to the Civil Service Board, said City Atty. David Hunt. Over the next month or so it will be polished for final submission by December, he said.

Luman also made steps toward filling Shulman’s vacated position after former Chief John Klein suspended promotions earlier this year. The promotional process, and therefore the ranked candidates on the list, was not flawed enough to leave Shulman’s position vacant any further, Hunt told the board. A sergeant should soon fill Shulman’s lieutenant position, followed soon after by an officer filling that sergeant’s position.