Black Knights Police Association to sponsor group study sessions

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The city police department is looking for new officers, and the Black Knights Police Association is having a series of workshops to help those interested pass the necessary tests.

The association has scheduled three study sessions at its headquarters at 1524 Oakland Ave. before the written test is given Feb. 5. The scheduled dates for study sessions are 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 29, and 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 3.

Officer Rodney Lewis, association president, said increasing the number of minorities taking the test is the goal, but the preparatory study sessions are not limited to any one demographic. “The group study sessions are open to everyone,” he said.

The written test will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 5 at Youngstown State University’s Cushwa Hall. A date for the physical test hasn’t been determined.

The city began accepting applications for the test Jan. 10 and will stop accepting applications Friday or earlier if 400 applications are received.

There were two free written-exam seminars Jan. 5, with study guides given to those in attendance and an explanation of the study guides as well as test-taking techniques.

Delphine Baldwin-Casey, public-relations officer for the Black Knights, said she observed a relatively low turnout of minorities, particularly black males, to participate in the study sessions.

She said the sessions offered by the association should pull in those who could not make the Jan. 5 sessions and help create a more well-rounded pool of candidates.

Baldwin-Casey said the seminars fall in line with what the 39-year-old organization was founded in part to do — be a mechanism to recruit minority candidates on a local scale and improve relations between police and the black community.

“The minority turnout for the work sessions could have been better,” she said. “We are looking for good, qualified candidates, and the more who apply, the more you have to work with.”

Baldwin-Casey said the sessions offered by the Black Knights will use and explain the same study guide used in the Jan. 5 study sessions. She said the study sessions also will offer insight on what it means to be a city police officer.

Officer Helen Scott, association secretary, said minorities, as a rule, do not like taking tests. She said, however, applicants might be surprised at what is included in the test material.

“The test includes a lot of basic, common-sense information. We want them to be comfortable enough to take the test,” she added.

Baldwin-Casey, who is retired from the police department, said many black officers who served as role models for black youth have retired or are soon to retire, and the Black Knights are hoping to continue the tradition of service to the community with upcoming qualified black candidates.

“The Black Knights have produced good quality officers over the years, but many of us are leaving. We are looking for those future good qualified candidates,” she said.